[Info-vax] Unix on A DEC Vax?

[Howard S Shubs]

In article <50fb3662$0$6358$e4fe514c at dreader35.news.xs4all.nl>,
 MG <marcogbNO at SPAMxs4all.nl> wrote:

> It's not /just me/, it's simply a fact that Linux is frankly a
> bit of a deadbeat operating system on the desktop for _serious_
> (i.e. professional) usage.

Linux's strength is as a development platform, kind of like VMS.  You 
wouldn't find Photoshop on VMS either, though I remember WordPerfect and 
MS Word there.  As a desktop platform, it left much to be desired.

When I said Linux is the only long term viable platform, that's what I 
meant.  Software can be developed there.  The debugger isn't what I 
consider up to the level of VMS, but then no UNIXish platform is.  Or I 
might admit that I don't know the debuggers there as well, nor do I 
*trust* them like the VMS DEBUGGER.  But other development tools are way 
past what is available for VMS, unless there are ports of things like 
git for VMS.  Even if there are, the original platform is UNIXish.

Other than Windows, UNIXish platforms are all we've got left.  OpenVMS, 
as I understand the situation, is not being ported again.  Given that, 
and that Tru64 is gone, HP-UX is going, is raw AT&T UNIX actually still 
available anywhere?  BSD is, as far as I know, in the same place as 
Linux regarding "professional software", what do you suggest?  AIX?  
Other than Linux, that's all that's left unless you want to go for IBM 
big iron, which I don't pretend to understand!

I've nothing against AIX.  I learned UNIX system management under AIX.  
smit is wonderful for that purpose.  And IBM is unlikely to disappear 
soon.  But it runs, as far as I know, only on silicon from IBM.  Linux 
doesn't have that limitation.  It runs on everything!  It ran on my Palm 
TX, for crying out loud.  With a graphical desktop!  Why??  Doesn't 
matter.  It runs on a Raspberry Pi!  It runs on x86 and ARM.  It runs on 
IBM big iron!  Does it run on car computers?  I seem to remember hearing 
there are chopped down versions for that purpose, so it can be used for 
real time applications.  What does it not work for?


> What is "the average PC user"?  I don't think there's one, unless
> you mean the 'PC user about to get a smartphone/tablet'.

The average home computer user reads/writes e-mail and browses the web.  
They may also use Office and play a few games.  They are not power 
users.  There's nothing wrong with this.  While there are plenty of us 
in comp.os.vms and alt.sysadmin.recovery and such, we are NOT REMOTELY 
similar to the normal Joe Computer User regarding how we see and use 
computers.  Not.  Even.  Close.

I'm deleting most of your arguments as grasping at straws.

Linux will continue to be refined.  More professional software will be 
created.  The operating system itself will get easier to work with.  
Complaining right now that what you're aware of RIGHT NOW is not up to 
snuff is just lack of patience.  You KNOW how these things can change.  
Bide.

-- 
May joy be yours all the days of your life! - Phina
We are but a moment's sunlight, fading in the grass. - The Youngbloods
Those who eat natural foods die of natural causes. - Kperspective