386 Unix (In)compatibilities Summary

[Michael T Sullivan]

On July 13 I posted the following:

> We have an AT&T 6386 that we _need_ Informix's C-ISAM for.  Problem
> is that Informix has ported C-ISAM to Microport V/386 but not to
> Interactive 386/ix.  They're not sure whether to Microport package
> will run on the Interactive but are shipping it to us so we can
> give it a try (obviously if it doesn't work we just send it back).

I'd like to summarize answers to the questions I raised:

> 	1) CAN the two be compatible if things are done a certain way
> 	   or is it just impossible?

The two are compatible.  We have been running the uPort package on the 6386
for several weeks and it is running just fine.  The concensus was that
since uPort and 386/ix were based on Intel's port of Unix, the binaries
should be compatible.  This appears to be the case.

> 	2) How does this relate to the whole ABI concept?

To paraphrase someone who responded, ABI is planned compatibility--this
(uPort vs. 386/ix compatiblity) is just coincidence.  

> 	3) (Just to be picky) Why doesn't Informix know whether they are
> 	   or not?  I assume they should be much more in touch with these
> 	   things than some sleazy programmers in Santa Ana.

Who knows.  We had the salesperson check with the techie people (allegedly)
and they were still unsure.  Guess we're not so sleazy after all (I'd like
to think I still am, though :-).

Thanks to all who responded and apologies to those who asked for this summary
for my slowness in posting it.

-- 
Michael Sullivan				{uunet|attmail}!vsi!sullivan
V-Systems, Inc. Santa Ana, CA			sullivan at vsi.com
"Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of eldeberries!  Pbbbt!"