Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!l5comp!scotty
From: scotty@l5comp.UUCP (Scott Turner)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.microport
Subject: Re: Can't backup to floppy
Summary: I was able to
Keywords: /dev/tty, console, cpio, Merge386
Message-ID: <425@l5comp.UUCP>
Date: 17 Sep 88 07:05:15 GMT
References: <913@cygnet.CYGNETSYSTEMS>
Reply-To: scotty@l5comp.UUCP (Scott Turner)
Organization: L5 Computing, Edmonds, WA
Lines: 62

In article <913@cygnet.CYGNETSYSTEMS> will@cygnet.CYGNETSYSTEMS (Will Nelson) writes:
>The shit hit the fan today.
Which fan?

>We decided this time to back everything up to floppies,
>so that the next time we get bad spots on the hard disk,
>we can re-format the disk and load just one set of floppies.
>Should have done this the first time, you say?
>Well, we were (are are still) waiting for a cartridge tape
>driver, well, nevermind ...
Yeah, it always comes to you AFTER the hard drive bites it, and then after
you've gotten through reloading it you don't have the energy to dump it
back to floppies.

>The zinger: I got through cpio'ing files to the first floppy,
...
>That's right, you got it: I can't back the &ENCD%$@K!! system
>up to floppy with a network/Locus Merge kernel from the console.
Are you using cpio or cpout?

I've used cpout to make a backup set of floppies (before I got the Everex
cartridge tape driver, you really should buy the service contract :) and all
worked fine for me. The system here has NSE, DosMerge, and the unlimited user
kit installed.

>I called Microport: We can't help you, because you don't have
>a service contract! This is fucking bullshit!!!!!
I've never had ANYONE at Microport tell me this. I've been told that I'd
have to wait for bug fixes until the next release if I didn't have an
update contract (so I could get non-scheduled bug fixes.) So I bought
the contract.

All in all I've found Microport's tech support to be on top of things. My
major complaint is that they don't publish a bug list so we can avoid the
known bugs rather than stepping on them. 

>Well, John Plocher, do you want to stick the system up your ass?
We got so discouraged with unix/386 here at L5 Computing that we went back
to DOS for awhile. And we never told Mr. Plocher what to do with his unix. :)

Of course this was mainly due to the timely arrival of yet one more Beta to
try out. This last one, System V/386 3.0e looks REAL good. I hope you have
an update contract because I think you'll like it, I know we have.

If you want someone who will REALLY get your blood pressure up I'd suggest
using Bell Technologies' Unix/386. Their idea of customer support is to 
issue a "Return for refund RMA". (The hardware end of Bell Tech seems more
flexible, they fixed the W.G.E. we sent back for repair in about 4 hours.
Went back out the same day they got it...)

So you MIGHT want to be nicer to the boys at Microport, you CAN do a WHOLE
LOT WORSE... Take it from someone who's been there (with Bell Tech), you think
you're mad? Just imagine being told that they won't fix the problem, with or
without a service contract!!! (But they'll be HAPPY to refund yer money, grrr)

And yes, we've reinstalled Microport unix 22 times here (we keep a system
diary.) And done other things that would make your hair stand on end. I don't
like Microport because we haven't had any trouble with their product, but
because they've stood solidly behind it.

Scott Turner
scotty@l5comp -or- uunet!l5comp!scotty