*BSD News Article 14897


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Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!spool.mu.edu!darwin.sura.net!dtix.dt.navy.mil!ivy!fisher
From: fisher@ivy.dt.navy.mil (Steven Fisher)
Newsgroups: comp.os.coherent,comp.os.linux,comp.os.minix,comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.os.misc
Subject: Re: Unix OS for 286
Date: 22 Apr 1993 14:29:34 GMT
Organization: Disorganization
Lines: 37
Message-ID: <1r6a4eINNk5h@dtix.dt.navy.mil>
References: <C5psFF.Jrp@unix.amherst.edu> <9304203477@drktowr.chi.il.us> <groot.735474426@baukje.idca.tds.philips.nl>
Reply-To: fisher@dt.navy.mil
NNTP-Posting-Host: ivy.dt.navy.mil

In article <groot.735474426@baukje.idca.tds.philips.nl> groot@idca.tds.philips.nl (Henk de Groot) writes:
|>In <9304203477@drktowr.chi.il.us> magus@drktowr.chi.il.us (Louis Giliberto) writes:
|>>Tim Pierce (twpierce@unix.amherst.edu) wrote:
|>>: Frankly, I think the proper "unfortunate" fact is that 386 machines
|>>Not really anymore.  If you have a 286, then you have all the hardware
|>>except for the motherboard.  You can get a 386/40 motherb 3 blocks from my house
|>
|>FLAME ON
|>I don't understand this. The guy asked for a 286 unix and all I read is how
|>to upgrade to a 386. That was not the question!
|>
|>I'm sick and tired of this, every time someone asks a question regarding old
|>hardware immediately people start saying 'its old, upgrade!' Maybe the guy
|>already has 3 486 66Mhz PC's and a Pentium but just wants to make use of his
|>old 286, or maybe a 286 is just enough for him (like it is for me). Please,
|>if the guy wanted to upgrade he would have asked a different question I'm
|>sure! 

Maybe he didn't realize that he could upgrade his hardware and use a free
unix for the cost of a commercial unix.

|>Also questions about upgrading PC's don't belong in the '.os.'
|>groups!
|>FLAME OFF
|>
|>To answer the question:
|>
|>Minix 1.5 will run fine as a UNIX system on a 286. Of course there is an
|>64K+64K limit, but that's because its a 286. As far as I know every 286 Unix
|>has this problem. I own Minix 1.5 and I'm happy with it. Only if you need
|>large programs to run you have a problem but since you asked for a 286 Unix
|>I think you were aware of it's limitation.

But don't forget, Minix costs more than a new 386sx motherboard.  And if he
decides that unix is not for him, at least he has a 386 now.

-steve