Xref: utzoo comp.sys.ibm.pc:19280 comp.sys.mac:20467 comp.sys.amiga:22923 comp.sys.atari.st:11456
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!purdue!i.cc.purdue.edu!j.cc.purdue.edu!mace.cc.purdue.edu!mtr
From: mtr@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Miek Rowan)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Free Sun bash
Message-ID: <657@mace.cc.purdue.edu>
Date: 17 Sep 88 17:49:32 GMT
References: <358@island.uu.net> <626@mace.cc.purdue.edu> <68544@sun.uucp>
Organization: Unix Groupie
Lines: 55

In article <68544@sun.uucp>, cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) writes:
> In article <626@mace.cc.purdue.edu> mtr@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Miek Rowan) writes:
> >After cleaning up Sun's code, dealing with thier equipment et al ...
> >I would not recommend a Sun to my worst enemy.  They have had some
> >good ideas, but thats about it.  
> >mtr
> 
> After checking the Sun bugs database I find that Purdue has called in seven
> (7) bugs, of which 4 were fixed more than two releases ago, 2 are fixed in
> the current release and one is fixed but it isn't in a release yet. Oh and
> *none* of the bugs have your name on them. Do you work for Kirk Smith?

I do not work with Kirk Smith, and these opinions are my own, and I make 
no claims about or related to my employer.   Take this in a personal
respect as I am sure we will be contacting Sun in an official manner on
these items and some others.

First, I did *not* mention bugs, although I could have, so you checking 
a bugs database is kinda dumb.  My *real* complaint is the state
that you send your distribution out in.   I have hit three major problems:

1)  Some sources are missing completely.

2)  Some binaries don't match the sources, and we can't recreate the 
	binary without loosing functionality

3)  Some of the sources even had syntax errors in them


Some other points, good and bad:
o  The dyamic libraries are neat, although I have seen them before. (but
	sun never did claim they invented them).   
o  The modifications to make can get pretty annoying.  
o  The system is also one big security headache, although that is true
	of any workstation.  
0  You guys were a little haphazard in moving some sources and not others.  

I have a color Sun 3 in my office and it is just unacceptably slow.
Especially if you want to use X11R2, but it carries on to Sunview
also.  It can get so that scrolling is no better than 1200 baud dial
up.  HP's color workstation is about 100 times faster, although they
have thier own problems with networking.  

Maybe I was a little harsh to say "my worst enemy".  Everyone talks 
so highly of Suns equipment that I was really disappointed when i 
sat down and worked with one.  If you are going to buy a Unix box,
shop around.  Maybe Sun is *your* best buy.  It is all a matter of
context:  what are you getting it for?

I hope that future releases continue to improve,  and I would much
rather deal with Sun than Apple (or even Dec).  

Again, I am stating what I think, not nessasarily how Purdue feels.

mtr