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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!columbia!rutgers!ames!ptsfa!ihnp4!cuae2!ltuxa!we53!sw013b!dj3b1!killer!ozdaltx!root
From: root@ozdaltx.UUCP (root)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Re: Intellegent multi-port serial line card for Xenix...
Message-ID: <1383@ozdaltx.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 17-Apr-87 00:49:38 EST
Article-I.D.: ozdaltx.1383
Posted: Fri Apr 17 00:49:38 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 23-Apr-87 04:53:58 EST
References: <1459@cadovax.UUCP> <5956@dartvax.UUCP> <2367@ncoast.UUCP> <13@spdcc.COM>
Lines: 53
Summary: Computone multiuser hack

In article <13@spdcc.COM>, dyer@spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer) writes:
> How timely.  I just brought up a Computone AT-X4P 4-line intelligent
> serial board on my AT clone running SCO Xenix.
.......
> 
> The only problems with this board are in the documentation, which is a
> bit terse, although it tries to be explicit, and with its handling of
> parity disparities.
> ......., and I'm pretty happy with it.
> 
I'm glad to hear Steve is happy with this piece of junk, I have
spent the last 3 days trying to interface our phone system into
the computer to track & time calls. (The same program has been
compiled on at least 6 different *NIX versions with no changes,
until now)

1. Computone does the adb number on /xenix when installing. That
in itself makes me very uneasy when source isn't available. They
have their own drivers intergrated into /xenix. We're running
this on a Compaq 386 w/SCO XENIX.

2. Computone (AT-X) has it's own version of /etc/ttytype called
attype. The file can back referenced to the system file. BUT be
warned if you forget to set something, your terminal/port/printer
probably won't work correctly. By Computones own admission, their
termcap/hardwired terminal file tends to slow things down. Damn!
*NIX has enough to keep tabs on without adding something flakey
to slow things down.

3. Now for the goody.... The board ignores the settings at a
given port. you are told NOT to set XON [as in ioctl()] as the
AT-X will ignore it... also I found that certain other tty calls
can send the ENTIRE system into never-never land, just from
changing the stats on one port! After questioning some female
person at their office in Georgia in reguards, I was told, "Well,
that's the way UNIX works"! SAY WHAT! Also, I wasn't aware that
*NIX had problems handling 8 bits correctly.

4. I am sooooo tired of seeing "getty keeps dying on tty?? -
there may be a problem...", every time someone turns their
terminal off.

I could probably go on some more, but surfice to say, I'm not
overly impressed with this add-on. All I can keep thinking is
that some salesman must have had a good commission on this
system. And this seems one hell of a way to run XENIX!
-- 
Scotty
{ihnp4|sys1|smu}!killer!ozdaltx!root
...sys1!ozdaltx!root

"Et to, Brute?"...
"Nah, I ain't et yet."