Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!mike@rice From: mike%rice@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.works Subject: Re: Unix & Workstations Message-ID: <15060@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Wed, 4-Jan-84 14:52:43 EST Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.15060 Posted: Wed Jan 4 14:52:43 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 7-Jan-84 02:28:55 EST Lines: 26 From: Mike Caplinger One major advantage to running 4.2 Unix on our Suns is that we are then compatible with all the software we develop on our VAX systems. This is a terribly important consideration if you want to easily develop a network composed of different machines, and yet have it appear homogeneous to the user. As more manufacturers announce "4.2 Unix" for their new machines, this will only get more important. (One can only hope that they will be compatible with each other. So far, SMI and Berkeley are.) I'm sure that Aegis and other new operating systems approach networks and workstations more elegently that Unix does, but as a proprietary system it seems unlikely that Aegis will run on anything but Apollo machines. If that's all you have, fine, but many are not in that position. Unix emulations, as we at Rice know all too well, are nearly always not close enough to do a lot of good. I don't know of any that can emulate the full range of 4.2 networking on an Apollo. Unfortunately, I think most workstation manufacturers who are offering Version 7 or System III ports of Unix are doing everyone a grave disservice; neither of those systems even knows what a network is, and the plethora of incompatible extensions is no help at all. 4.2, on the other hand, has a good chance of providing the needed functionality.