From: greimann@chopin.udel.edu (John B Greimann) Subject: Re: NeXTStep & Linux Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 18:43:27 GMT
>>It took me less than an hour to setup the networking on my NeXT. I
>>can now log into it from my Macintosh with NCSA Telnet. On my linux box
>>I've been trying to get the thing to even recognize my host's name and
>>the ethernet card for about 2 weeks.
This is ever so true! For a while last year I spent a lot of time playing
around with Linux and connected it to my NeXT and got it networked, etc.
To set up the network, MOST of the time spent was getting Linux configured,
and then it was setting up flat files and the /etc/rc.net script, etc...
major pain in the ass! I learned networking, but that stuff is just not
ready for prime time. On the NeXT it was cake...just add the ip address and
hostname...NFS was easy and more reliable, too.
>>
>>> It's deadly slow on a NeXT itself. It requires a 486/66 with eisa, 16
>>meg ram,
>>> and 2 meg on the video card to run half-way decent monochrome graphics.
>> With
>>> linux on a box like that, it'd be incredibly fast. While I have not
>>seen the
>>> Intel port in action, whaddya bet it's terribly slow on even that setup?
>>
>>About 80-90% on (supposedly) of the Video speed.
I'm using an Epson Progression at work with 2 megs of VRAM and it's doing
1024x768 in 16 bit color...and it's quite snappy. And if you don't need
color, 8-bit greyscale looks really good and is really fast.
No, this machine is NOT slow!
It does NOT require EISA for good performance and 16 megs is commonplace
these days...I had a 386-40 with 16 megs for Linux and a 32 meg NeXTStation
Color...sure, the station needed more memory, but it was a hell of a lot
easier to use and way more useful. All the NEXTSTEP machines in my office
are ISA machine with LocalBus video...none are slow!
>>
>>> for, compared to most unices. What is available? No X11 stuff will be
>>> easy to port -- it'll have to be completely re-written.
One other thing that Linux taught me...I don't want to have anything to do with
X...it sucks!
>>
>>There are several ports of X to the NeXT: 2 Public domain (MouseX, and
>>one
>>by Tufts University). There are at least 2 commercial versions, that
>>support Motiff, available (Pencom's Co-Xist, and eXedous).
>>
>>> There isn't that much commercial software out there for it, and what
>>>there is is very expensive.
>>
>>True, but the same can be said for almost all unices.
>>
>> later,
>> James
>
>
--Brandon