Date: Thu, 15 Jun 89 06:05:04 EDT From: Wm E Davidsen Jr <386users@crdos1.crd.ge.com> To: 386users@TWG.COM Subject: 80386 mailing list, vol 4 #35 Resent-From: List Master (agent: James M Galvin) 80386 User's mailing list vol 4 #35 Jun 15 1989 In this issue: Regulus 386 Re: Need info on 386 machines. Re: 386 as a multiuser DOS machine Source code to determing 80486 CPU THEOS, what can you tell me about it? 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: hbj@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (H Benny Jones) Ohio State Univ Computer & Info Science Subject: Regulus 386 Date: 16 May 89 20:47:42 GMT Does anyone have any information about a product called Regulus 386 that sells for about $1000? It appears to be a UNIX-like pice of software that includes a Metaware 386 C compiler. Thanks for any and all feedback. ------------------------------ From: icdi10!fr@cdin-1.uu.net (Fred Rump from home) Subject: Re: Need info on 386 machines. Date: Sun, 21 May 89 18:33:35 EDT > From: wlat_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Wayne Lattery) > Univ. of Rochester, Computing Center > Subject: Need info on 386 machines. > Date: 7 May 89 18:25:40 GMT > > > I am currently looking to buy a 386 machine for my projects and > other related work. My criteria for such a machine include: > > 1. 25 Mhz Intel 80386 chip > 2. AT or MCA Bus > 3. a 5-8 slots > 4. preferably a vertical (floor standing) model > 5. reasonably priced ($2500 -5000 price range) > > Does anyone out there in netland can tell me or offer suggestions on > their own machines, including reliability ? Can anyone offer suggestions on > the Wells American Computstar, the IBM model 80, the Compaq 386 machines, the > Northgate 386, 386 machines from Gateway 2000 and Zeos. Please email all > responses to wlat_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu. Thanks for all help given. We regularly buy boards from Mylex or some other board maker. A tower case and some peripheral equipment complete the system. It is beyond me why anyone would buy the same at a significant markup from a mailorder house. It is even more ridiculous to buy from IBM or Compaq unless money is no object. The Wells machine is completely non-standard and has been thoroughly debunked right here on the net. It may work fine if all you want is DOS, but who would want that in a powerful 386? I know nothing about any Zeos machine but assume it too just uses the same ingredients as all the others. Fred Rump icdi10!fr@cdin-1.uu.net -- W. Fred Rump or CompuData, Inc. (work)..uunet!cdin-1!fred 26 Warren St | 10501 Drummond Rd or fred@cdin-1.uu.net Beverly NJ 08010 | Phila. PA 19154 (home)..[uunet,bpa,dsinc]!cdin-1!icdi10!fr 609-386-6846 | 215-824-3000 ------------------------------ From: icdi10!fr@cdin-1.uu.net (Fred Rump from home) Subject: Re: 386 as a multiuser DOS machine Date: Sun, 21 May 89 17:04:34 EDT -From: "NJITX::HXN8477" -Subject: 386 as a multiuser DOS machine -Date: 8 May 89 11:44:00 EST -Does anybody have information on running a 386 as a multiuser (not -necessarily multitasking) DOS machine supporting at most 16 users? -What I know is that this can be done if the 386 operates -principally as a unix machine, with DOS applications being processes. -How successful is this solution? The DOS programs that I am talking about -are mainly Lotus 123, dBase III and MS Word. The users will use these -programs seprately, i.e. every one will be working on his/her own file. -As far as I know, these programs are 'well-behaved' in that they don't -try to access the bios or write directly to the screen, ....etc. -Will there be any problem, espcially if two users try simultaneously -to invoke the same DOS program? If there are no problems, then -(given a maximum of 16 user The writer has things a little screwed up. You don't want to run dos jobs in a multi-user environment. Run the same functions using programs written for the purpose but also taking advantage of the technology. There is really no 32 bit dos code out there. So you get Foxbase+ from SCO (dbase III), SCO Professional 2.0 (lotus 1-2-3), and Microsoft Word all running under Xenix 386 and all will be well. -1) What would be the lowest 386 speed needed? with up to 16 users get lots of RAM, a high speed SCSI drive and at least a 20 MhZ motherboard -2) What would be the minimum RAM needed? (see above) -3) What hardware would be needed in addition to a 'vanilla' 386, given -that 3 users would access the system via modem? None -4) Any recommendation for vendors? (any of several 386 board makers mylex, micronics, etc no big deal one way or the other. -5) Finally, is there a better solution than using UNIX as -the multiuser vehicle? NO. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. "The only stupid question is the one that is never asked." You said that right! Fred Rump ___________________________________________________________________ |Hamed Nassar |Internet : hxn8477%njitx.decnet@njitc.njit.edu | |EE Department |UUCP : bellcore!argus!mars!nancy | |NJ Institute of Technology |CompuServe: 74000,130 | |Newark, NJ 07102 |Fidonet : 1:107/701 | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ -- Fred - the frustrated Rump! -- W. Fred Rump or CompuData, Inc. (work)..uunet!cdin-1!fred 26 Warren St | 10501 Drummond Rd or fred@cdin-1.uu.net Beverly NJ 08010 | Phila. PA 19154 (home)..[uunet,bpa,dsinc]!cdin-1!icdi10!fr 609-386-6846 | 215-824-3000 or icdi10!fr@cdin-1.uu.net ------------------------------ From: rob@conexch.UUCP (Robert Collins) The Consultants' Exchange, Orange County, CA Subject: Source code to determing 80486 CPU Date: 28 May 89 02:56:58 GMT ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; CPU_Type determines the CPU type in the system. ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; Written by: ; Robert Collins ; 3361 Keys Lane ; Anaheim, CA 92804 ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; Input: None ; Output: AX = CPU type ; 0 = 8086/8088 ; 1 = 80186/80188 ; 2 = 80286 ; 3 = 80386 ; 4 = 80486 ; FFFF = Unknown CPU type ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- .radix 16 ; anybody that programs in base 10 is a wimp! .386P ; MASM 5.1 directive ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; PUBLIC statements here ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public CPU_Type ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; Local variable definitions ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT6 equ [bp-4] ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; Interrupt vector segment ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABS0 segment use16 at 0 org 6*4 Orig_INT6 dd ? ABS0 ends ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; 80486 instruction macro -- because MASM 5.1 doesn't support the 80486! ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XADD macro db 0fh,0C0h,0D2h ; 80486 instruction macro ENDM cseg segment para use16 public 'code' assume cs:cseg CPU_Type proc near ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; Determine the CPU type by testing for differences in the CPU in the system. ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; To test for the 8086/8088, test the value of SP after it is placed on the ; stack. The 8086/8088 increments this value before pushing it on the stack, ; all other CPU's increment SP after pushing it on the stack. ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- xor ax,ax ; clear CPU type return register push sp ; save SP on stack to look at pop bx ; get SP saved on stack cmp bx,sp ; if 8086/8088, these values will differ jnz CPU_8086_exit ; yep ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; When we get here, we know that we aren't a 8086/8088. And since all ; subsequent processors will trap invalid opcodes via INT6, we will determine ; which CPU we are by trapping an invalid opcode. ; We are an 80486 if: XADD DX,DX executes correctly ; 80386 if: MOV EDX,CR0 executes correctly ; 80286 if: SMSW DX executes correctly ; 80186 if: SHL DX,5 executes correctly ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; Setup INT6 handler ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- enter 4,0 ; create stack frame mov word ptr INT6,offset INT6_handler mov INT6+2,cs call set_INT6_vector ; set pointer to our INT6 handler mov ax,4 ; initialize CPU flag=4 (80486) xor cx,cx ; initialize semaphore ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; Now, try and determine which CPU we are by executing invalid opcodes. ; The instructions I chose to invoke invalid opcodes, are themselves rather ; benign. In each case, the chosen instruction modifies the DX register, ; and nothing else. No system parameters are changed, e.g. protected mode, ; or other CPU dependant features. ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; The 80486 instruction 'XADD' xchanges the registers, then adds them. ; The exact syntax for a '486 compiler would be: XADD DX,DX. ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- XADD ;DX,DX ; 80486 jcxz CPU_exit dec ax ; set 80386 semaphore inc cx ; CX=0 ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; For a description on the effects of the following instructions, look in ; the Intel Programmers Reference Manual's for the 80186, 80286, or 80386. ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- mov edx,cr0 ; 80386 jcxz CPU_exit dec ax ; set 80286 semaphore inc cx ; CX=0 smsw dx ; 80286 jcxz CPU_exit dec ax ; set 80186 semaphore inc cx ; CX=0 shl dx,5 ; 80186/80188 jcxz CPU_exit dec ax ; set UNKNOWN_CPU semaphore CPU_exit: call set_INT6_vector leave CPU_8086_exit: ret ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; Set the INT6 vector by exchanging it with the one currently on the stack. ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- set_INT6_vector: push ds push ABS0 ; save interrupt vector segment pop ds ; make DS=INT vector segment mov dx,word ptr ds:Orig_INT6; ; get offset if INT6 handler xchg INT6,dx ; set new INT6 offset mov word ptr ds:Orig_INT6,dx mov dx,word ptr ds:Orig_INT6+2 ; get segment of INT6 handler xchg INT6+2,dx ; set new INT6 segment mov word ptr ds:Orig_INT6+2,dx pop ds ; restore segment register ret ; split ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; INT6 handler sets a semaphore (CX=FFFF) and adjusts the return address to ; point past the invalid opcode. ;----------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT6_handler: enter 0,0 ; create new stack frame dec cx ; make CX=FFFF add word ptr ss:[bp][2],3 ; point past invalid opcode leave iret CPU_Type endp cseg ends end -- "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." Mat. 4:10 Robert Collins UUCP: ucbvax!ucivax!icnvax!conexch!rob HOMENET: (805) 523-3205 UUCP: uunet!ccicpg!turnkey!conexch!rob WORKNET: (805) 378-7901 ------------------------------ From: msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) M. R. Smith Consulting, New Brunswick, NJ Subject: THEOS, what can you tell me about it? Date: 30 May 89 18:31:35 GMT At work, we are running a 386 and two XT clones, in a network called 10NET. We are unhappy with 10NET, as it keeps kicking up errors in weird places, and causes the 386 (our main file server) to need rebooting every two days or so. Someone here mentioned THEOS, a 386 multitasking OS that allows other machines to run as terminals on the server. We were wondering if any of you folks have experience with this OS, and what you think. Thanks for your help! Mark -- Mark Smith (alias Smitty) "Be careful when looking into the distance, 61 Tenafly Road that you do not miss what is right under your nose." Tenafly, NJ 07670-2643 rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!msmith msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu ------------------------------ End of 80386 M/L Vol 4 #35 **************************