Interactive 2.2 problems

[Andrew Tannenbaum]

I have been using beta 2.2 for several months, and it has been rock
solid.  Several people in my office have been using released 2.2 for a
few weeks.  2.2 is at least as fast as previous Interactive UNIX
systems for the 386.  (I haven't checked benchmarks, but it certainly
seems similar in speed to 2.0.2.)

The problems that Jim Gottlieb mentions in his complaint may be
attributed to configuration problems, I don't know, it's hard to say
without taking a close look.  We support many different hardware
combinations, so it is possible to misconfigure the system by setting
up boards at conflicting vectors or something.  As anyone who has set
up a sendmail config file knows, it's not for the faint of heart.  We
have many 386's running sendmail pretty cleanly, but everyone's setup
will be a little different - ISC's sendmail is the latest 4.3BSD one
that I know of (5.61), we haven't changed anything about the config
files.

If a 386 can't keep up with a scrolling screen, something is seriously
wrong, and to say that it's because 2.2 is a bad release is a weak
statement.  That's sort of like buying a new car, tuning it up (the
equivalent of the configuration process which is necessary because of
the array of hardware we support), and then condemning the car model 
because maybe your timing or valves or spark plug gap or distributor
cap is out of alignment.

Again, my 2.2 beta system runs great.  Gottlieb's system has problems,
and I can sympathize with him, but until he understands the problems,
it's not reasonable for him to shoot down 2.2 in public, and I would
have preferred if I'd seen his system's problems described in a more
explicit and evenhanded manner.  It certainly doesn't make me feel
inclined to want to help him after I see a message that says,
essentially, "your system is slow, I regret the fact that I upgraded, I
want everyone to know" when I've not seen or heard of such problems
before and I don't think he's even sure that it's a problem with our
release.

	Andrew Tannenbaum   Interactive   Cambridge, MA   +1 617 661 7474