Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!uoregon!rankin From: rankin@uoregon.uoregon.edu (6eorge Rankin.) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.rt Subject: Re: Inquiries for "Bad Aspects" of the RT Summary: IBM/RT C compiler, GCC, AIX, gnu Message-ID: <3265@uoregon.uoregon.edu> Date: 30 Nov 88 06:57:57 GMT References: <7963@dasys1.UUCP> <815@kimbal.UUCP> <3707@pt.cs.cmu.edu> Reply-To: rankin@tillamook.cs.uoregon.edu (6eorge Rankin.) Organization: University of Oregon, Computer Science, Eugene OR Lines: 53 The lack of a "good" C compiler for the IBM/RT is a serious limitation. Has anybody tried to port the gnu C compiler? We have had very good results with gcc on our Suns, so the effort could be worthwile. Now, for my gripes about the RT: 1) It is very silly to market a U**X machine without support for a half-inch tape drive. My other job (Springfield Public Schools) bought an RT to support assessment data services. (Remember the standardized tests that you hated in high-school?) We use data that is created by sites who still believe in EBCDIC, and think that a cartridge tape is something that you store Commodore/64 programs on. There are a suprising number of these places in world -- take a look at the operations center of your local bank. The half-inch standard is a format that almost all data processing sites can handle. 2) The VRM (Virtual Resource Manager) that AIX runs under (over?) makes it difficult to get support from second-source software companies. The company that developed our tape driver (CFN Industries) had experience developing PC and Unix applications, but had difficulties implementing the VRM code. There have been repeated rumors that the "next" version of AIX will not have the VRM in it, which makes it not worthwile for a company to spend time developing applications for it. 3) IBM does not know how to support the RT. I have been annoyed by representatives who, even now, say "RT? You must mean the XT." One of them recently told me that IBM doesn't know whether to support the RT as a personal computer or a minicomputer yet. (I was asking about a software support contract.) This is a problem, because the machine has been available for about three years. 4) RT components (disk drives, software upgrades, etc.) take several months to arrive. The hardware is fine: the only components that have failed us were the battery for the real-time clock and a latch on our floor-standing case. I would not recommend the IBM/RT for the faint-of-heart, at least until IBM has some more direction with the product. A PC-386 with lots of memory and disk (and SCO Xenix or the like) is probably the safest IBM U**X route for now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These comments do not represent the official opinions of any person, entity, or anything else that I work for. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George Rankin (rankin@cs.uoregon.edu) Mail: George Rankin 625 E 43rd. Eugene, Oregon 97402