To: 386users@TWG.COM Subject: 80386 mailing list, vol 4 #4 Date: 8 Feb 89 19:30:50 EST (Wed) From: "Wm E. Davidsen" 80386 User's mailing list vol 4 #4 Feb 1, 1989 In this issue: Interactive's 386 Unix 20 MHz 386 machine from Computer Products United. 386 AMI BIOS Re: More microport puzzles Know a good 386 VGA box? 386 motherboards Re: 386 Board for AT&T 6300 Re: 80486 Re: Request for help on Intel microarchitectures Re: More microport puzzles The addresses for the list are now: 386users@TWG.COM - for contributions to the list or ...!uunet!TWG.COM!386users 386users-request@TWG.COM - for administrivia or ...!uunet!TWG.COM!386users-request P L E A S E N O T E If you want to get on or off the list, or change your address, please mail to the 386users-request address, or the message will be delayed by having to hand forward it (for your convenience, not mine). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: erast1@cisunx.UUCP (Evan Ron Aussenberg) Subject: Interactive's 386 Unix Date: 19 Dec 88 10:52:06 GMT I plan on probably running Interactive 386/ix and their VP/ix on my Wyse 386pc. I have not bought the software yet, but Interactive has been very attentive to my queries so far. I would appreciate some Email about peoples experiences using Interactive 386/ix. I intend to run Unix and MSDOS business software and do some limited C programming. I believe Wyse makes a multi-user board that I may also have to buy, since I'll be running 3 terminals plus an EGA console. I'll be happy to post a summary if there are many responces. Thankyou - Evan erast1@unix.cis.pittsburgh erast1@cisunx.UUCP ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Dec 88 19:01:47 CST From: Jan Wilms Subject: 20 MHz 386 machine from Computer Products United. I am considering the purchase of a 386 machine from Computer Products United, running at 20 MHz. The basic model costs $1,995 and has an SI rating of 23. Does anyone have any experience with this machine (good/bad)? The computer was one of the several 386 units reviewed in a recent issue of PC Magazine. Thanx G. Jan WILMS e-mail: JWILMS@MSSTATE (Bitnet) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Jan 89 08:42 N From: steinmetz!uunet!cunyvm.cuny.edu!RCSTLN@HEITUE5.BITNET Subject: 386 AMI BIOS I've an 386 PC with an AMI BIOS. This BIOS can simulate the coprosessor. (It asks if it has to in the setup routine) But it fails to work. Does any one now how I can solve this problem. Leo ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Dec 88 13:50:37 est From: steinmetz!uunet!hadron!jsdy (Joseph S. D. Yao) Subject: Re: More microport puzzles > From: rdo031@tijc02.UUCP (Rick Odle ) > Subject: Re: More microport puzzles > Date: 6 Apr 88 14:52:54 GMT > >From article <22089@tis.llnl.gov>, by bae@ati.tis.llnl.gov (Hwa Jin Bae): > > Excelan EXOS + DOSmerge + V/386 kernel: > > When going from init state 2 (multi user mode) to 3 (networking > > mode) virtual consoles gets disabled. ... > I'm not sure, but the problem might be that the getty's that enable those > virtual terminals are only in the state 2 part of inittab. You might > try editing the inittab file and copying the virtual terminal lines, changing > the run state to 3. I tend to run a bit late ... Don't copy the entry. The second field, the run level, may be any combination of 0 or more characters representing the seven run levels and three pseudo-run levels. If the field for virtual consoles has only a '2' in it, you can add a '3' right after. Of course, I don't know what that will do to the networking software, which may require a competing resource. Joe Yao jsdy@hadron.COM (not yet domainised) hadron!jsdy@{uunet.UU.NET,dtix.ARPA,decuac.DEC.COM} arinc,att,avatar,blkcat,cos,decuac,dtix,\ ecogong,empire,gong,grebyn,inco,insight, \!hadron!jsdy kcwc,lepton,netex,netxcom,phw5,rlgvax, / seismo,sms,smsdpg,sundc,uunet / ------------------------------ From: kjohn@richp1.uucp (John K. Counsulatant) Subject: Know a good 386 VGA box? Date: 20 Dec 88 21:50:28 GMT I am planning on purchasing a new computer system late in the Spring of '89. And I would like to get some questions answered so I can decide on what I want. (I am fairly new to the MSDOS world :-). 1a) What kinds of UNIX (XENIX?) are available for a 286/386 box? b) How much should I expect to spend? c) Can it run MS-DOS concurrently or as a subprocess? 2a) Are there any *fast* VGA controllers out there? b) Does it have better than VGA resolution and/or color capability? c) How much should I expect to spend? d) What kind of monitor do I need (MultiSync, MultiSync II, ???)? 3a) Who makes a good (read reliable/fast) 286/386 box? b) Is a 20Mhz 286 just as capable as a 16Mhz 386? 4) If you could have your own dream (read: feasible dream :-) 386 color UNIX/MS-DOS box, how would you configure it? Please respond via EMail and I will post a followup. Thanx, KJohn I can be reached at: RealTime: 1(312)418-1236 (6pm to 10:30pm central time) USmail: John Kjellman 17302 Park Ave. Lansing IL 60438 E-Mail: kjohn@richp1.UUCP or [ purdue | cs.ubc | mcdcchg ] ! richp1 ! kjohn or uunet ! richsun ! kjohn | Amiga ///.5K| Disclaimer: This is only a dream, it's only a dream ........ | | Manic/// 1K| KJohn, the man without an Amiga :-( | | \\\/// 2K| (how much is an A2500/3000 anyways? :-) | | \XX/ 2.5K| kjohn@richp1 or [ purdue | cs.ubc | mcdcchg ] ! richp1 ! kjohn| ------------------------------ From: bradd@gssc.UUCP (Brad Davis) Subject: 386 motherboards Date: 27 Dec 88 03:22:34 GMT Does anyone out there have experience with any of those AT-compatible 386 motherboards? Especially regarding AMI, Micronics and Haupagge brands as these appear to be the most popular/reputable. In particular, have you had any buss or bios compatibility problems? How does it get along with Windows 386? OS/2? Unix/Xenix? DesqView? Would you do it again? The situation is that I don't really have the budget for a whole new box, and a brain transplant seems like a much better solution than an InBoard. Any advice from anyone who has been in this position would be greatly appreciated; would you go with one of these, install an InBoard, or just put up with your (6MHz IBM) AT until you can afford a new 386 machine? Please email if possible; I will summarize to the net. Brad Davis ====== ====== ====== Graphic Software Systems == == == (503) 641-5364 == == == == == == uunet!tektronix!sequent!gssc!bradd == == == == Disclaimer: I'm a mushroom. ====== ====== ====== "Practice safe computing. Wear a write-protect tab." ------------------------------ From: ss60s@sdcc7.ucsd.EDU (Nathaniel L. Beck) Subject: Re: 386 Board for AT&T 6300 Date: 27 Dec 88 20:09:28 GMT In article <797@m10ux.UUCP> rgr@m10ux.UUCP (Duke Robillard) writes: >Hi there, > > I'm looking around for 386 processor boards for my >old 8086 based AT&T 6300. Does anyone have any >experience/suggestions in this area? Is the 6300 a >tough machine to get this boards for? Does the semi-standard >Intel one work? How about the Hummingboard (great name) >from AI Architects? How about any others? How about >under $1500 (:->)? I have two 6300's running the Applied Reasoning Elevator 386 Board. Works well except for communications (have to go down to the 086 level to talk with my Vaxen). Fits in a slot - takes five minutes to go to where it works. Have had no problems for about 1.5 years (a few programs generate 387 interrupts that cause the board not to respond, but I think that is due to bad programming). Boards cost about 2K, another .5 for 387. Comes with 1M of memory. Don't think it will run anything but DOS. (memory can be upgraded to many M with $) As far as I know must other 386 boards assume an 8088 and not an 8086 socket. When I got the AR board it was the only one I could find that would work in my ATT6300. May be more now. Applied Reasoning is at 86(?) Sherman St, Cambridge MA. Don't have their phone number at hand. In fact, I haven't talked with them in almost a year - hope they are still in business. Good luck. Neal Beck beck@ucsd.edu ------------------------------ From: mslater@cup.portal.com (Michael Z Slater) Subject: Re: 80486 Date: 23 Dec 88 04:49:27 GMT > 486 rumors This is a slippery subject, but I'll venture a few items that I'm fairly confident in. o On-chip caches, 4K or so o Versions with and without on-chip floating-point o Average clocks per instruction close to 2, for a several-times speedup over the 386 o Radically different bus interface o 33 MHz initial clock rate o Announcement around April '89 We also published a detailed article speculating that it would have downloadable microcode in some form. I've heard this from enough places that I believe there is some kernel of truth to it, but I now doubt the microcode is "soft" on a wide scale. Another very interesting aspect of the 486 is the chip that will be promoted as a math coprocessor, code-named the N10. This is in fact a stand-alone RISC processor, with astounding floating-point performance: I've been told 50 MFLOPS double-precision. It will be coupled in some way with the 486, with the 486 offloading tasks to it. Whether or not it will be marketed separately is up in the air. As for faster MS-DOS machines, I'll admit to spending many hours in MS-DOS (mostly Ventura Publisher), and I'd be delighted to have an MS-DOS machine that was 4X faster than my 386 box. Michael Slater, Microprocessor Report, 550 California Ave, Suite 320, Palo Alto, CA 94306; 415/494-2677 mslater@cup.portal.com ------------------------------ From: wbeebe@bilver.UUCP (bill beebe) Subject: Re: Request for help on Intel microarchitectures Date: 27 Dec 88 12:48:12 GMT In article <1846@ast.cs.vu.nl> ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum) writes: >I am very interested in trying to find out about more about the implementation >of the 8088, 80286, or 80386 chips, especially the microarchitecture (data >path, ALU, microinstruction format, etc.). For your information, (and that of the general listening public), here is a listing of Intel data books as of 12/27/88. Please keep in mind that this list may (and probably will) change for 1989. 1986 iAPX 86/88, 186/188 User's Manual and Programmer's Reference order number 210911-003 1987 80286 Hardware Reference Manual order number 210760-002 1987 80286 and 80287 Programmer's Reference, order # unknown 1986 80386 Programmer's Reference Manual, order number 230985-001 1988 80386 Microprocessor Hardware Reference Manual, order number 231732-003 1987 80387 Programmer's Reference Manual, order # 231917-001 There are two other titles I can't quite remember that cover writing system software on the 80286 and the 80386, respectively. If you (Andy Tanenbaum) will send me via email a postal address, I'll send you a complete kit as quickly as possible. There are other little booklets and articles on the 80x86 family, but these represent a "core" (well, sortof) of information.. >I have seen one article that touches >on the subject a little, in IEEE Micro Magazine, Dec 1985 by Khaled A. El-Ayat >and Rakesh K. Agarwal. I called up Intel's headquarters and asked to talk to >those two people, and was told that they are unknown (although their affiliation >is listed as Intel. I then asked for the Engineering department/division, and >was told there was none. If you tried to reach two engineers listed in a 1985 article in 1988, the probability is they no longer work there, if you take into consideration the volitility of the workplace. People do tend to move around in this business :-). If there's anything else I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Dec 88 13:50:37 est From: "Joseph S. D. Yao" Subject: Re: More microport puzzles > From: rdo031@tijc02.UUCP (Rick Odle ) > Subject: Re: More microport puzzles > Date: 6 Apr 88 14:52:54 GMT > >From article <22089@tis.llnl.gov>, by bae@ati.tis.llnl.gov (Hwa Jin Bae): > > Excelan EXOS + DOSmerge + V/386 kernel: > > When going from init state 2 (multi user mode) to 3 (networking > > mode) virtual consoles gets disabled. ... > I'm not sure, but the problem might be that the getty's that enable those > virtual terminals are only in the state 2 part of inittab. You might > try editing the inittab file and copying the virtual terminal lines, changing > the run state to 3. I tend to run a bit late ... Don't copy the entry. The second field, the run level, may be any combination of 0 or more characters representing the seven run levels and three pseudo-run levels. If the field for virtual consoles has only a '2' in it, you can add a '3' right after. Of course, I don't know what that will do to the networking software, which may require a competing resource. Joe Yao jsdy@hadron.COM (not yet domainised) hadron!jsdy@{uunet.UU.NET,dtix.ARPA,decuac.DEC.COM} arinc,att,avatar,blkcat,cos,decuac,dtix,\ ecogong,empire,gong,grebyn,inco,insight, \!hadron!jsdy kcwc,lepton,netex,netxcom,phw5,rlgvax, / seismo,sms,smsdpg,sundc,uunet ------------------------------ End of 80386 M/L ****************