*BSD News Article 30920


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From: balister@maddog.async.vt.edu ()
Newsgroups: comp.os.misc,comp.os.lynx,comp.os.os2,comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.os.ms-windows.programmer,comp.os.os2.programmer,comp.os.lynx,comp.os.mach,comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: Need good OS for intel X86 platform. LINUX!!!
Followup-To: comp.os.misc,comp.os.lynx,comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.os.lynx,comp.os.mach,comp.os.minix
Date: 28 May 1994 12:54:43 GMT
Organization: Mad Dog Enterprises
Lines: 87
Message-ID: <2s7euj$ahp@solaris.cc.vt.edu>
References: <1994May27.141723.13104@eplrx7.es.duPont.com> <n9044144.770068471@honeydew> <JRICHARD.94May27170016@charon.uml.edu>
Reply-To: pbaliste@vt.edu
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NNTP-Posting-User: balister
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]

Well I tried to mail this. It bounced and the rest of the Linux crowd joined
in. Some of the earlier posts indicated linux is has a real time scheduler.
It doesn't. I think preempitive multitasking means a high priority task can
interupt a lower priority task even if it's in the kernel. If someone has
a better explanation please mail me so I can get smarter.

I use both Linux and LynxOS. If I had to choose between the two I would only
pick lynxos if I had to use the real time features. For any other task
Linux is FAR superior.





Check out Linux. It's a free unix for 386/486 type machines. For more info
look in comp.os.linux.announce. I'll put some comments below.


In article <1994May27.141723.13104@eplrx7.es.duPont.com> you wrote:
: -
:   I would like some advice on choosing an operating
: system for an 386/486 standard PC-AT box. Any help
: would be appreciated.

: core requirements (have to have):

: 1 - Memory map access to isa / eisa bus,
:     no device drivers needed.
:     eg.
: 	int i, *ptr = 0x00C00000;

: 	read would be i = *ptr;
:         write would be *ptr = i;

With the mmap call you can do this (I think) There is a book called the
kernel hacker's guide that has an example with a vga card.

: 2 - Flat memory, ability to malloc available memory
:     in system without having to do some sort of 
:     translation.

Yes.

: 3 - TCPIP and Socket support.

Yes.

: end of core requirements.
: #########################
: Would be nice if:

: 4 - preemptive multi-tasking.

: 5 - Real-time (not necessarily fast but able to 
:     execute an instruction at a specific time)

Linux makes no pretense of being a real time system. But it's pretty quick.

: 6 - NFS support.

Yes.

: 7 - ROM'able / Small.

Not Rommable. Smaller than NT and OS/2. (Well I don't know how to put
it in a ROM, ask in the newsgroups maybe someone has)

: 8 - Good documentation / support.

You get what you pay for. Yggdrasil will sell support. The Linux documentation
project has some excellent books available. (electronically)

: 9 - X windows (yea right).

Yes.

: please e-mail me any help and or post if you think others
: would be interested.

Good Luck,

Philip
--
Linux: The choice of a GNU generation!

--
Linux: The choice of a GNU generation!