The purpose of this group...

[Wain Dobson]

In article <953 at digi.lonestar.org> dmason at digi.lonestar.org (David Mason) writes:
>In article <5680 at seac.UUCP> wain at seac.UUCP (Wain Dobson) writes:
>>In article <26E3F766.2F57 at tct.uucp> chip at tct.uucp (Chip Salzenberg) writes:
>>>...is to discuss "MS-DOS running under Unix by whatever means."
>>>
>>>So to get the ball rolling:  Those who have used both Merge/386 and
>>>VP/ix, which do you prefer?
>>>-- 
>>My preference is for Merge386 as implemented under SCO ODT. It is a
>>nice piece of work. 
>>
>
>The $64 question: why?  
>
Well, since I'm not interesting in inventing reasons, trying asking some
questions. One's preference is not necessarily another's. As I have had
a distinct dislike for DOS and pretty much stopped using it around the
time DOS 2.1 was issued, the uses of the product with which we have been
associated don't involve the "ins and outs", "extenders and benders",
"this tweak and that tweak", and "extended this and expanded that" which
seem to make up the vocabulary of the DOS world. Principally, it serves 
the intererst of clients whom wish to run Quarrto, and Rbase, etc.,
as well as some proprietary software that is being replaced with UNIX
versions as quickly as we can port/rewrite them. It handles VGA, modems,
direct printing, wyse terminals, and you can even add a few megs above
640K. Turbo Pascal, Turbo C and Turbo C++ work smoothly. DOS progams
compiled with the "messy"soft compiler and linked with the PC Interface
library access UNIX like UNIX (best feature from my point of view although
I could do without the compiler but then again "messy"soft might actually
come out with a compiler that does one thing well rather than "2000"
things badly). Dos programs can be executed from the unix command line,
or within a VP/ix like environment. Pseudo-floppies, pseudo-disk are
easily defined and used. Has excellent mouse drivers which do not
require one to install the manufactures DOS drivers. The VGA image is
the standard IBM image.

>
>I have not used ODT, but I have seen some demos
>and it looks pretty nice all around.  I'm glad to see that Merge is
>popular, since integration with DOS would be one of my key factors in
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Real wrong choices of words. Real hard not to flame. :-) ODT-DOS is only
a mere process under ODT. And I think is would be really nice if this
group could get across to people this small fact. Warning! If you
want to turn your UNIX machine into a DOS machine, you'll pay the
price in more ways than you can imagine. If you understand "standard
DOS" as far as one can speak of a standard DOS, then you will understand
the the functionality of ODT-DOS under ODT. First, one can ask
oneself the question "What does UNIX do with the hardware BIOS when 
it boots up?" Being able to answer that question will get one around
wondering what DOS software is appropriate --- most certainly not all
that software out there that bends itself out of shape to get around
DOS. Secondly, one might consider asking onesself the question "How
would I write a DOS emulator that would execute in a multi-programming
environment without having to take over the hardware with is being
used by other processes and which pays attention to questions of
security, etc., and provide such services as running different dos
sessions on the multiscreens and switching a vga and a mouse from 
session to session?

>picking a PC UNIX, but I'm sure everybody out here in netland would
>like to see the gory details.
>

UNIX is UNIX, and I happen to be one of those people whom grind their
teeth at even the mere existence of DOS. But then again clients are
clients, and the ODT-DOS implementation is highly functional. What 
gore one might find will more than likely be of one's own making. 
But then, again, I'm sure that the whines and whimpers that the ODT-DOS
is this and that the ODT-DOS is that will fill this group in the months 
to come will demonstrate this time and time again. 

>
>A related question would be, if you dont need everything that ODT has,
>would it be better/cheaper to get ESIX and VP/ix?  Will Merge work with
>ESIX?  Enquiring minds want to know...
>
One of the nice features of ODT, my mind does not have to deal with
silly questions like "Will it work with x, y, or z?" ODT is a unified 
product of which Merge386 forms the bases for ODT-DOS. I don't
have an inquisitive mind, I would rather be developing applications
than trying to figure out if x worked with y or z. And, I would much
rather work with a product that is integrated --- just don't have
to put up with out-of-sync updates, etc. And, most importantly, clients
do not have to put up with out-of-sync updates -- only bugs. In short, 
its your quarter, or whatever. 
-- 
Wain Dobson, Vancouver, B.C.
	...!{uunet,ubc-cs}!van-bc!seac!wain