In message <199706271436.KAA20032@Twig.Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA>  der Mouse wrote:
> > [...] SGI port [...]
> 
> > Is there general interest in such a port?
> 
> Depending on which SGI hardware you're talking about, definitely.  I
> know a lab that's got a bunch of Personal Irises that are being
> orphaned by SGI (we've been told 5.3 will be the last release that
> supports them).  They're the most important ones, but I'd really love
> to have a _real_ OS to run on the SGI hardware.

I was at the SGI Developer conference in San Fransico in June, and in
a talk about free-software we were told they've given at least 3
machines (Personal Irises I think) to people doing a Linux port.
They've a limited amount of machines, and I think won't loan  more machines
beifre the Linux port is done. But maybe we can get hold of the Linux
port and go from there.

I can give you the mail address of the SGI guy.

> 
> Unfortunately SGI is yet another computer company that's walked down
> the "solutions" path of good intentions.  I see it over and over: a
> company starts selling computers and does well, then some suit decides
> they need to change their focus and they start selling "solutions"
> instead and the company goes all to hell.  It's happened to DEC, it's
> happened to Sun, and I don't know if SGI ever was selling just
> computers, but if so, it's definitely happened to them.
> 

It'll be a cold day in hell, before the suits figure out that you
can't just sell solutions.

Stefan

> 					der Mouse
> 
> 			       mouse@rodents.montreal.qc.ca
> 		     7D C8 61 52 5D E7 2D 39  4E F1 31 3E E8 B3 27 4B

--
Stefan Grefen                                Tandem Computers Europe Inc.
grefen@hprc.tandem.com                       High Performance Research Center
If a group of N persons implements a COBOL compiler, there will be N-1
passes.  Someone in the group has to be the manager.
                -- T. Cheatham