GNU Development Possible?

[Nick Smith]

In article <17298 at cbmvax.commodore.com> kevin at cbmvax.commodore.com (Kevin Klop) writes:
>>Is Amiga UNIX going to be sufficiently solid to enable me to get
>>GNU EMACS, GNU CC, and other GNU software up and running, and to
>>continue development of GNU Fortran (gf77) on it?  If it was and I
>>decided to do that, the gf77 would be available for the Amiga
>>sooner than most other machines (especially those not 680x0-based).
>
>GNU Emacs, and GNU CC has already been ported to the Amiga Unix system,
>as has ELM.  Probably others too, but those are the three that I know
>for sure since I'm using them...
>
>
>>I'm interested only in 68030-based machines, as powerful as
>>possible -- though my 16MHz 68030 Mac is plenty fast for work under
>>the Mac OS, I realize that an equivalent Amiga might be a bit
>>sluggish running UNIX, so I'd like to get a 25MHz or above,
>>perhaps with cache or a zero-wait-state (whatever that means)
>>memory subsystem.  What are the available high-end models?  Although
>>I've been told that the "fastest" Amiga is a model that is not the
>>high-end but enhanced with an accelerator, I don't know how well
>>this would work with Unix and such.
>
>At the moment, I'm running Unix on an Amiga 2500/030, which is the accelerated
>model that you're talking about, so the answer is, it works fine.
>
Does the Amiga Unix run on an Amiga 2500/020?  If so, how can I purchase
it?  I'm very interested in getting Unix for my 2500.

>>I also know nothing about the availability of monitors on Amiga;
>>is the architecture open enough to allow a variety of choices?
>>Although color and gray-scale monitors can be lots of fun, I'd
>>lean towards a solid monochrome display over anything fancy even
>>if I were offered a choice without having to pay.  If I saw a
>>color monitor that did B&W as well as a given monochrome, however,
>>I might be persuaded.  What's the status of this kind of stuff
>>on the Amiga?
>
>At the moment, you have your choice of many models, including virtually all
>Multi-Synch monitors, several high end color monitors (I'm partial to the
>Zenith Flat Tension Monitors), and a 19" monochrome monitor from Moniterm
>that is the equivalent of the monochrome SUN monitors.
>
>Note that for some of these monitors you will need to buy a display card.
>The Zenith requires a Flicker Fixer or Commodore display enhancer, and the
>moniterm has its own display card.
>
>>
>>If I end up getting an Amiga, I might start writing some good,
>>useful personal software on it for use under UNIX & X or perhaps
>>even the Amiga OS, and releasing it as free software.  That's
>>why I'd like to find a "personable" machine (i.e. like a Mac in
>>terms of accessibility and affordability) not sold by Apple --
>>so any efforts I expend making free software for it can
>>benefit more users than if I get a Next, Sun, or whatever, since
>>they're workstations with little need for personal software.
>>I might end up doing primarily development software for a while,
>>like Fortran and C compilers, however, so I'm not sure what is next,
>>which is why I want it to run UNIX (aside from getting me through
>>the remainder of gf77 development, if I get it in time for that).
>>
>>Anyone with good, definitive information on these topics, please
>>email me or, if it's general enough, post a response.  I don't
>>know if it's wise for me to say I'll post a summary later -- my
>>needs are probably rather unique, since I'm essentially self-
>>employed, doing the gf77 work as a volunteer, and hence plan
>>to work on my Amiga full-time (except for when I'm doing
>>contracts, when I'd like to be able to bring my Amiga along as
>>a front-end development machine with my home-grown environment on
>>it -- as I've been successful doing with my SE/30 in the past).
>>I.e. I'm not looking for an evening/weekend-hack machine only.
>>
>>(Although I enjoy playing games on computers, I no longer spend
>
>Obviously, working for Commodore, I use an Amiga every day for
>most of my work.  However, before I came to work for Commodore,
>the Amiga was my preferred working environment, even for writing
>code for other machines.  Note, however, that the Amiga OS (not
>the Unix OS, mind you) can take a while to come up to speed to
>program - it's not as easy to learn Amiga OS programming as it is
>to learn the basics of, say, MS-DOS programming.
>
>>the availability of game software.  MIDI software, however, is
>>critical -- I do have synths and use Pro 4 on my SE/30, and have
>>some ideas for unique MIDI-related software to write for
>>end-users that I'd like to pursue.  I believe the Amiga is an
>>excellent MIDI machine with lots of good software.  If this
>>belief is wrong, please correct me!)
>>--
>>
>
>The Amiga makes an excellent MIDI workstation.  I've already
>scored a movie using it, and it's my main composing station for
>a multiple Synthesizer set up.  Essentially, I support your conclusion.
>
>				-- Kevin --
>
>
>Kevin Klop		{uunet|rutgers|amiga}!cbmvax!kevin
>Commodore-Amiga, Inc.
>
>	``Be excellent to each other.''
>		- Bill and Ted's most excellent adventure
>
>Disclaimer: _I_ don't know what I said, much less my employer.
>
>>James Craig Burley, Software Craftsperson    burley at ai.mit.edu