🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <119792@uunet.UU.NET> rbj@uunet.UU.NET (Root Boy Jim) writes:
>In <31108@sequoia.execu.com> keith@sequoia.execu.com (Keith Pyle) writes:
>>In article <1991Jan22.032421.9098@irscscm.UUCP> mfaurot@bogart.UUCP (Michael Faurot) writes:
>>>[wants to use ports for dialin and dialout simultaneously]
>>>[asks about Symmetry upgrade]
>>
>>We've tried to get this BUG fixed for some time and have had no success
>>with Sequent.  I guess they would rather sell more ports and have us buy
>>more modems.
>
>This is not a BUG. It's an opinion about The Way Things Should Be.
>Dialin Ports are for dialing in, and Dialout Ports are for dialing out.
>No one promised you you'd be able to change configuration dynamicly.

I say tomayto, you say tomaato... (OK, the lyrics don't translate well to
this medium).  One person's bug is another person's feature.

>Several people have attempted to be clever and provide programs
>that kill off gettys, make lockfiles, edit /etc/ttys on the fly
>and kill init. And Sun (and most likely others) have corresponding
>dialout devices (/dev/cua#) that do all this in the kernel.

I'll revise my comment: In my opinion, it is a design deficiency.
Clearly, as you point out, it is possible to have dialin and dialout on
the same port.  Sequent has either chosen not to provide this
capability, perhaps with the thought that they would sell more ports,
or they simply don't care to do anything about it.  Given some of our
experiences with Sequent, I wouldn't be surprised either way.
Then, perhaps they think this is a Good Thing.  Obviously, I disagree.

[Side comment: we've had an S81 for two years and are quite pleased
with the hardware (except for the 8mm tape drive).  However, the two
of us who deal with Sequent on technical matters have fairly large
mail folders and a few hours worth of comments regarding the software
side of the system.  Yes, we've talked with Sequent, up and down the
corporate ladder.  Yes, there have been some improvements, but there
is still a long way to go and I don't feel that they are particularly
responsive.  Yes, I do have some basis for comparison.  Our computer
room presently houses hardware from Sequent, Sun, DEC, HP, Unisys, and
Prime.  We also manage systems running AIX, SCO Unix, and Interactive
386/ix.]

>I personally subscribe to the static philosophy.
>We solve our problems by having most people call us.

If you have the option of deciding that people will generally just call
you, I'm certain that this design is quite acceptable.  However, when
your user base requires both dialin and dialout service, it is not
acceptable.  We have field people who call in to prepare and run demos
and we have local folks who need to call other sites for porting projects.
So, we don't have the luxury that you enjoy and are instead forced into
the position of getting more hardware rather than making more efficient
use of that which we have.

>More hardware often means less software problems.

Ah, but doesn't that lead to more hardware problems? :-)
-- 
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Keith Pyle                                UUCP: ...!cs.utexas.edu!execu!keith
Execucom Systems Corp., Austin, Texas     Internet: keith@execu.com
"It's 10 o'clock.  Do you know where      Disclaimer: Everything I say is
   your child processes are?"               true unless I use the word 'the'.
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