*BSD News Article 82484


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From: schaffer@wat.hookup.net
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sco.misc,comp.unix.misc,comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc
Subject: Re: which Unix to choose?
Date: 7 Nov 1996 18:30:53 GMT
Organization: HookUp Communication Corporation, Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA
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In <55r1u0$1mv@newsbr.eunet.fr>, Frederic.Marand@osinet.fr (Frederic MARAND) writes:
> ...
>Basically, my point on this issue is an OS should not require patches,
>because it should work Not work when fixed monthly with technical

It should, but usually there are bugs.  So what do you prefer: a supplier
who admits the problems and distributes fixes or a supplier who hopes that
you never discover them (and believe me, the bugs are there, even when you
don't know about them).

>support from the machine's manufacturer paid for dearly. Just work,
>period. And that is exactly what - in our experience - AIX dellivers
>and Solaris (<= 2.3) fails to deliver.
>
>>In fact, the easiest thing to do, is when a patch CD is received,
>>execute patchinstall, and simple select "suggested" patches, and off you
>>go.  What could be easier.
>This is simply unthinkable in a heavy production setting. You can't
>just patch a live OS, reboot a machine, and so on, when tens of cash
>registers are linked to it and customers lining up to pay with their
>food caddies full. In this business, even one minute donwtime means
>serious money.

I would seriously suggest that you work out a method to be able to do it.
Even if you don't want to do the monthly patchwork, you should have
something to fall back on when the system that runs your show crashes.

> ...
>An AIX fan. Sun reseller, too... nobody is perfect.

I like AIX too, but I'm sure it isn't bug free

Hartmann Schaffer