A/UX 2.1 on a IIfx: Please tell me I'm wrong about Apple.

[Jeff Gabel]

Configuration: Macintosh IIfx w/  8 Mbytes RAM
                                  Apple 2-page display
                                  Apple 8*24 display card
                                  3Com EtherLink II Nubus
                                  Segate 160 MB internal drive
                                  1 - 1.4 MB internal floppy drive

                   
I have been a devoted Macintosh user for 6 years and know enough about UNIX
to administrate several Sun workstations in a highly networked, SunOS, 
environment. In other words, I'm not new to either of these areas by
any means.
Now, having said that, I am very much of a novice when it comes to A/UX. At
the present time I am attempting to get A/UX 2.1 to function on a IIfx, with 
just the aid of the accessory kit manuals to guide me. I have gotten through 
the installation with no hitches, but cannot get A/UX boot past the point
of bringing up the Ethernet interface. When I ran ``launch'' using the 
autoconfig option, it told me that device 39 was unrecognised.  Now, the IIfx 
I'm installing on has an *Apple* 2-page display and an *Apple* 8*24 video card 
as its monitor configuration. I called the A/UX help line and was told that 
A/UX 2.1 doesn't support the 8*24 card and 2-page display monitor 
configuration!!! I was told that it would in release 2.1.1. But, I was advised 
to switch the display to 1-bit mode, which I assume means use the Monitors 
CDEV to set the colors to simply B&W (???). Well, this didn't work, A/UX still 
hangs after ``ifconfig'' outputs its results and the screen is cleared. Am I 
doing something wrong?  I *cannot* believe that Apple would release a major,
high-end, software product like A/UX that doesn't support their own hardware.
The guy on the help-line told me to borrow a "normal" Mac II monitor and
display card. How pathetic. I know I have bunches of $400 (list price) monitors
just laying around so I can get a $900 piece of software to function on
a $13000, totally Apple, machine whose configuration it should support anyway.  
Someone out there, please tell me that I'm mistaken about this incompatibilty 
issue!!!! I *will* take the flames, I'm just looking for a solution.  Please 
tell me I am wrong about Apple!!! Tell me that they didn't really release a 
major operating system that doesn't even support their own hardware!!!! 
Considering how competitive the workstation market is these days, it is beyond 
my comprehension that Apple would even think about doing this. Please tell
me I'm wrong, put me on the roaster. One thing is for sure though, I feel
like sending the whole g**damn thing back - A/UX, Mac IIfx and all - and 
telling them to forget it.

Thanks in advance for any help on this. I'm normally a very nice person.
seriosuly, when I'm not reading comp.sys.sun, my favorite newsgroup is 
rec.music.gdead for gosh sake. I have loved Apple since I bought my first 
Mac 128K in 1984, that was 2 Macs and more than 6 years ago. Now I'm wondering 
if all good things must really come to an end  :-(


Jeff Gabel
 
 
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