Xref: utzoo comp.unix.microport:1612 comp.sys.intel:536 Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!pyrdc!pyrnj!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!hedrick From: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu (Charles Hedrick) Newsgroups: comp.unix.microport,comp.sys.intel Subject: Re: Pity the poor 286 folk Message-ID:Date: 22 Sep 88 08:57:33 GMT References: <326@siswat.UUCP> <472@uport.UUCP> <9695@ico.ISC.COM> Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 16 The whole discussion about doing VM on the 286 may have been misleading. The fact is, it isn't entirely Microport's decision. They just do device drivers and various details for what is basically an ATT/Intel product, System V/286. I don't think Microport has the resources to do their own 286 port of System V from scratch. If I'm right, we won't have VM on the 286 until ATT and Intel decide to produce a 286 port of SVr3 or SVr4. I've not seen any evidence that they are interested in doing that. ATT seems to be concentrating on putting new features into SVr4, and on getting the 386 port right. They aren't even doing VAX ports anymore. So I find it hard to believe that they're going to do a new 286 port. We can reasonably expect Microport to fix the various problems with SV/AT, including serial line performance, floating point, give us support for newer disks, and do various other neat new things. But I'd be very surprised to see them do a basic new kernel. Happily surprised you understand, but surprised.