Software and Networking on SV/AT (Was: Re: Pity Poor...)

[Bevis King]

in comp.unix.microport, Jeff Mann (mann at intacc.UUCP)
>Is that too much to ask, without having to get some kind of klunky dosmerge
>(if there even is one that works)??  Are there any decent applications I can
>run? I have spent the last year writing code on it, but I can't do everything!
>

This is typical of the lack of information about third party UNIX software
that has for so long given UNIX a bad press.  There are dozens of word
processing packages available for UNIX, and to my certain knowledge a
number have been ported to Microport/286 (Sorry, SV/AT).

For example, I believe Quadratron have ported their Q-Office integrated
package to Microport/286 (or so they told me), retailing at the exhorbitant
price of 1500 pounds sterling.  Their Q-One word processor, on it's own,
was arround 600 pounds sterling.  This package is a competant word processor
which runs under UNIX, and while a normal VDU can't do all the things a
package like MS-Word can, it does use line drawing graphics, reverse video,
etc where they are available.  A good equivalent for Multi-mate or later
WordStars.  

However, if my experience with Q-One is anything to go by, you will need to
spend a bit of time getting the termcaps and printcaps to work, especially
the printcaps and laser printers.

Other packages include such things as Uniplex II+ and Lex from Ace Microsystems
(in the UK).  Also I believe the Samna Wordprocessor, normally available
under DOS, is also ported to UNIX... I don't know about Microport/286.

Relational databases and 4GLs are also available.  I have used Unify Corp's
ports of Unify RDBMS 4.0 and Accell 4GL 1.4 under Microport/286 and both
knock spots of any of the DOS based packages I have seen, both in on-screen
presentation and operational features and speed.

There is a lot of good third party software about....

			FLAME ON!!!

	... and anyone who says their isn't is a Lying, ill-informed
	    toad...

			FLAME OFF!!

>"there is NO support for ANY kind of networking with V/AT!" What kind of UNIX 
>can't do networking?  The only thing I can think of is to use the KA9Q tcp/ip 
>package over the serial port, that's really gonna please my MS-Word users!
>

This is complete bullshit.

Microport International's latest catalogue offers two TCP/IP kits for
Microport; a Micom based package comprising the Micom NP600A card and
software.  Also listed is an Excelan based package using the EXOS205T card
and software.

I also know of a company in Cambridge, England who are porting a third-party
TCP/IP package to work on Microport/286 with the 3COM 3C505 card.  The
price of both the Microport offerings is around the $1400 (US Dollars)
mark.

Appletalk.  Having got Ethernet up and running and talking to any other
UNIX machines you have, you can then proceed to talk about Appletalk (no
pun intended... well, not much!).  Your first problem will be the physical
bridge between the EtherNet and AppleTalk...  There is a box that will
solve this problem.

It's called the Kinetics FastPath, and it allows a bi-directional gateway
between EtherNet and AppleTalk.  The cost here in the UK is approx 1500
pounds sterling... not cheap.  I believe there are public domain telnet
and ftp packages available for the Macintosh which make use of the FastPath
bridge to let you log into UNIX from a Mac.  None of these should need
any software, other than Ethernet TCP/IP, on the UNIX host.  (Even if these
Telnet & FTP aren't public domain; we have them, they work, and the must
be fairly cheap or we wouldn't have them!.)

Above and Beyond FTP and Telnet is a package called AUFS (= Apple Unix
File Server) which I believe is public domain and comes from the
University of Columbia in the States.  This allows you to use any
UNIX machine (equiped with TCP/IP and EtherNet, running an apropriate
daemon [which you would have to port]) to transparently file serve
to Apple Macs.

Of course, as well as the Apple Macs, there is always PC/NFS and its
ilk which allow you to file serve to DOS machines over EtherNet.

In my view, UNIX is the best operating system there is for Networking,
and at least in this respect Microport/286 is no poor relation.  The
only down side is that from a PC users viewpoint, there hardware isn't
cheap... from a UNIX viewpoint, the costs of Hardware for Microport/286
costs peanuts.  (Check your NCR/Unisys/DEC/What ever price book for
the price of an EtherNet card!!)

>I want a tape backup.  I'm *real* sick of swapping 50+ floppies around, but
>I sure as hell can't afford $2000.00 (Canadian) for the ONLY drive supported.
>That's more than my whole system is worth!   And what about SCSI??????

Yeah, well.  All those high capacity floppies aren't cheap; in the UK:

	50 x 1.2MB floppies (@ 3 pounds each) = 150 pounds
	 1 x 60MB Cartridge (@ 20 pounds)     =  20 pounds

you don't have to have that many sets of backup disks being used in
rotation before the 600 pounds for an Archive (for example) tape
drive, doesn't seem so much anymore...

>| Jeff Mann - Inter/Access, Toronto           ...uunet!mnetor!intacc!mann  |
>| "A picture is worth 256 thousand words"  {utzoo, utgpu}!chp!intacc!mann  |

Regards,
		Bevis

Bevis King, Systems Programmer        |   Email:  brwk at doc.ic.ac.uk
Dept of Computing, Imperial College   |   UUCP :  ..!mcvax!ukc!icdoc!brwk
180 Queens Gate, London, SW7 2BZ, UK. |   Voice:  +44 1 589 5111 x 5085
          "Never argue with a computer" ... Avon (Blake's 7)