#UNIX info
12 messages in this thread
Hello all you programmers out there.
I am considering buying the UNIX system when it becomes available here.
I would really appreciate some info from anyone who has used the amiga UNIX
system or just knows all about it.
1) If I program in this UNIX system, can the program be run on normal
DOS systems or must one be in the UNIX environment to use it? (very
important).
2) Can Amiga UNIX and DOS both use the same hard drive to store and run
programs and files without getting confused?
3) For those who have used the amiga UNIX system, are you satisfied with
its performance, and would you recommend it?
Thanks for your input. I really appreciate it.
Henry Williams
Henry,
I have not used the Amiga UNIX system, but am familiar with UNIX in
general (I'm the administrator of several UNIX minis at work) and have done
some reading on Amiga's UNIX.
With that in mind:
1. NO, the binary won't run under both UNIX and AmigaDOS, the link
libraries are entirely different. Presuming the source code was generic
enough…you could re-compile the source under both environments and have a
version of it for each environment. But AmigaDOS programs will not run
under UNIX and UNIX programs won't run under AmigaDOS.
2. Yes, a single HD machine can have both AmigaDOS and UNIX file
systems on it. They're simply different partitions. AmigaDOS would see
the UNIX partition(s) as "Not a DOS disk" and UNIX would see the AmigaDOS
partition(s) as "not a valid filesystem".
3. No idea, other than when released, it will be full System V,
Release 4 of AT&T UNIX (SVR4).
Don
Thanks Don, this CIS user finds your sysop position well filled.
Henry
I attended the Federal Computer Conference 9/18/90 and CBM was there
displaying the 3000UX. The BETA specs released were as follows: o
Same hardware and case as 3000 o Standard 5 MB RAM o 100
Megabyte hard disk 19 MS o UNIX System 5 Release 4 (SVr4) with Open
Look, AmigaDos
Amiga Dos 2.0. o SINGLE USER Multitasking(non-concurrent with Unix) o
Available External SCSI Tape Drive DC 600 Format
UNOFFICIALLY reported to be launced at Comdex in November.
BTW–Also UNOFFICIALLY the Lowell board will be launced at Comdex CBM was
displaying it and it GORGEOUS. Hope this helps.
Hello John, Thanks for the info. I think I'll just stick with our DOS for
now.
Regards Henry
John,
I was at the Federal Computer Conference also, and witnessed the Amiga
3000UX running Unix w/ a high-resolution graphics board which was very
impressive. I can only assume this was the Lowell board. From talking with
the lady at the booth, the board is currently only compatible with the Unix
version of OS, not the AmigaDOS. The unit I saw had what looked like a
24-bit wall-paper on the background of an Xwindows display running four
simultanious tasks. The background was 1280X1024 (or like) resolution, and
was impressive! I believe over all the Commodore booth was impressive, and
exciting!
I did get my share of freebies at the show, including a free computer
dictionary. (Which even has Amiga in its listing!) Though overall I was
very disappointed at the overall show, and appearance. I'm looking forward
towards the FOSE show in this March!
That WAS the Lowell board. And the guy I spoke to indicated that it waS
ONLY going to be a Unix product. Must be the Amiga architechture is
causing MANY problems for CBM when it comes to going to 24 bit.
Not necessarily…..It could just be that CBM is getting their 24 bit story
together now, and they don't want to tie themselves to one hardware
platform for AmigaDos.
Steve
That would have to mean the architechture of the Amiga OS, not the Amiga
hardware, and I can't believe that. I find it hard to believe that they
couldn't make an extension to intuition to handle other hardware and remain
resonably downward-compatible, if they just focused on it.
John:
The real changes would occur in the graphics.library . One option is
to make a retargetable graphics library, referred to as RTG.lib by some of
its proponents. The lib would simply supply certain programs with
different jump table offsets, specifically those programs that could use
the new graphics board. Old progs get the old jump offsets and everything
works the old way. If you don't have the gfx board, you don't have RTG.ib
and everything's cool.
————————————————————TL———-
Joe, and others. One thing you should remember is that Commodore is
hiring quite a number of people out of the Unix world for their Unix
knowledge. For example, Paul van Reed who was at the Columbia show and
works with Virginia Tech was hired from Apollo, is very familiar with Unix
but doesn't know diddley about the Amiga OS. The woman who said that UofL
doesn't interface with the Amiga might not have known.
— Ethan
Henry,
To add to what Don said (I have some system admin responsibilities for a
two user Unix workstation that is gated to a NASA network but have much
less knowledge in Unix than Don does) I am not sure that "home" users will
be that interested in Unix since its main advantages lie in the multi-user
aspect. That being the case, most unix packages (e.g. Interleaf DTP,
Teamwork CASE Tool, Alsys Ada environment, Informix RDB etc) are very
expensive (as in > $1000) baseline then add additional license fees for
each user. I suspect, with the exception of a few technomaniacs, there will
be only limited Unix interest in the current Amiga home user community.
Transportability of current packages to Unix would be a job most current
Amiga developers are too small to take on in a timely fashion. Eventually,
if enough personal users become professional users (e.g. use the Amiga at
work for govt/main frame type interoperability/data compatibility jobs) CBM
might consider making the Amiga Unix abel to run Ados as a task under Unix
in its own window and provide a data transfer similar to the Ados Janus
MSDos deal that now exists. But I don't see Unix/Ados compatibility and
interfacing as a high priority item if CBM is focusing on cracking the
professional Unix and Educational Unix markets.
wmc