A/UX concerns

[Huw Davies - La Trobe University Computer Centre]

In article <49611 at apple.Apple.COM>, ksand at Apple.COM (Kent Sandvik) writes:
> 
> Someone correct me if I'm wrong - I'm no DECStation expert - but
> wasn't there some fuzz with byte ordering on the DECStation that
> separates the file system design from the MIPS implementation. I'll
> remember reading something about LSB byte ordering switching so the
> DECStation would be compatible with the rest of the VAX systems.

Yes - the DECstation is little-endian (like a VAX!) whilst the MIPS
systems are configured big-endian (like almost everything else :-).

I have just completed testing an IBM RS/6000 system with NFS, using
the (patented :-) test of compiling and attempting to run the xlock 
application. Well, it failed too. The score so far:

A/UX to Mips 120/5 (Risc/OS 4.5.1) OK
        DECstation-2100 (Ultrix V4.0) No
        IBM RS/6000 (AIX 3.1) No

Given that the DECstation and the IBM are different-endian, I assume
(hope :-) that endianism is not the problem. I wonder if there are
subtle problems with the A/UX implementation?

I am _not_ having a go at Apple nor the A/UX team. In my opinion they
have done a much better job at their first port of Unix than other
companies I could name.... I would just like to see A/UX get better
and better.