Dear Sun-managers,
What follows is the awful truth to the following questions:
---->I've have recently become the recipient of a Sparc Classic preinstalled
---->w/ Solaris 2.1. This is a good thing.
---->
---->However, I've found that many of my favorite 3rd party apps are not yet
---->ready for the future and from the manufacturers are saying I may have
---->wait 6-9 months before I can get back to current capabilities of my old
---->Sparc 2.
---->
---->What recommendations are there for me?
---->
---->Can 4.1.3 be coerced into working on a Classic? (The kernel loaded but wouldn't
---->exec when I tried the cdrom).
---->
---->Or
---->
---->Any thoughts on ways to convince the manufacturers to get me a alpha/beta copy
---->of new software or recompiled code that uses the binary compatibility libraries?
---->
The responses fell into the typical categories:
1) Try this
2) No
3) Me too
1) One person suggested changing the prom with a Sparc 10. An experiment I don't think would
work and don't have the opportunity to try.
Several others suggested the "Compatability Mode" which I had already tried and should explain
for those who don't know. It is 2 parts. The first being old sun 4.x executables that are not
long for this world and reside in /usr/4bin. No help for me there. The second part is similar
directories /usr/4lib and /usr/4include which are designed to make dynamically linked 4.x code
run on 5.x. The following exceptions apply to "Compatability Mode" :
1. They are dynamically linked with libc
2. They do not make any traps directly to the kernel.
3. They do not write directly to any system files.
4. They do not use /dev/kmem, /dev/mem, or libkvm.
5. They do not use unpublished SunOS interfaces.
6. They do not reley on customer supplied drivers.
Evidently the apps in question fail 1 or more of these tests.
If source code could be acquired for statically linked code it might recompile ok, but as yet
I've had no luck getting Word Perfect, dBase, or Lotus to turn over their code. Amazing!
2) Most respondents said if the "Compatability Mode" didn't work I am out of luck because 4.1.3
would never work. Sun employees, the few that know, have been put at risk of job loss and
probable lawsuit if the secrets get out.
3) As for the me too, add one more to the list. As for Solaris 2.1, I am quite happy with what
works and it does function fairly well in a network where you can run X apps, but the
"don't works" are really annoying and it is fairly useless as a standalone environment currently.
\_ Kenneth R. Lewis,
\_ Applied Software
\_ 1908 Cliff Valley Way
Atlanta, Georgia 30329
\_ \_ \_ Voice: (404) 633-8660
Fax: (404) 633-0154
\_ \_ \_ Internet: krl@asti.com
Be excellent to everyone.
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