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From: gk@kksys.UUCP (Greg Kemnitz)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Re: Starting a Public Access Unix System -- How?
Message-ID: <419@kksys.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Oct-87 23:46:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: kksys.419
Posted: Thu Oct 15 23:46:46 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Oct-87 08:00:47 EDT
References: <834@seradg.Dayton.NCR.COM> <7617@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP>
Reply-To: gk@kksys.UUCP (Greg Kemnitz)
Organization: K and K Systems, Minneapolis
Lines: 43
Keywords: questions opinions
Xref: mnetor comp.unix.questions:4549 comp.unix.xenix:982

In article <7617@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP> davidsen@crdos1.UUCP (bill davidsen) writes:
>I would not use a 286 machine, not because it lacks power or whatever,
>but because there is so much poorly written software around that assumes
>that pointer <same as> int. There will be many users who don't
>understand that this is incorrect practice by both K&R and X3J11 ANSI,
>and whoo will blame "brain-damaged hardware." I use a unix-ps, since
>it's really cheap right now, and uses a 68010.
                          ...
>Less than you think. The number of people who want UNIX access but don't
>have access to a machine at a school, and who will work at dialup
>baudrates, is fairly small. Most of my use is people running the BBS.

If most users run the bbs, they will not be complaining about "brain
damaged" hardware.  The few who want access to real unix hopefully
will be understanding.  The folks who use this system generally flame
about the *&^$&*^%&*# idiot who write lousy code.

>See above. The 286 has adequate power. There have been many reports of
>problems with the serial port device drivers in MicroPort V/AT, and I
>would suggest using either Bell Tech or SCO Xenix.

The serial line problems have been with 9600 baud links.  Since I
suspect there will not be any 9600 baud modems on line, I doubt this
will be a problem.  In any case, the just-released 2.3 version is
supposed to fix this problem.

>You will have to expire (read: delete) old articles or have a hugh disk.
>See the 'lists' postings for volume, but figure at least 1MB/day coming
>in. You will need special versions of news for a 286 (minor midifications).

Hmmm.  We are running a "stock" news 2.11 release.  We are at patch
level 8, and are now installing patches 9 and 10.  What modifications
were you referring to?

>	bill davidsen		(wedu@ge-crd.arpa)
>  {uunet | philabs | seismo}!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen


-- 
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