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

[Operator]

In article <1991Feb14.200643.2976 at wubios.wustl.edu> jeff at wubios.wustl.edu (Jeff Gabel) writes:

A correction to my ravings here. Of course, I am referring to A/UX 2.0, not
2.1. I got it mixed up with SunOS 4.1, etc.  Sorry.

>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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