OT: Coolest thing... SCO on 2003 server!

[John Esak]

> > Okay, I'm going to assume I'm only talking to people who care.
> :-)  Rick did
> > the coolest thing for me recently. He set up virtual pc for me
> on my 2003
>
> My question is this:  Is the Virtual PC card-based (like the old PC board
> for Macs, and the X-Box devsys board for PC's) or sofware-only?
>

It is just software.

> Assuming software-only, is it actually running the entire system, or is it
> running the binaries under emulation.

Currently, it is a black art to me. I have no idea how in the hell it can
run all the things SCO has going for it, when it is just ONE file on the
system! You'd think a zillion binaries would have to be running all the
time... extracted from this file as needed. Unbelievable.
>
> Assuming it's running the entire system, how's the speed?  It's still
> through some sort of emulation, so what does the performance loss "feel"
> like.  I'm not one of the performance extremists that demands a picosecond
> benchmark set--I just want to know if it "feels" 95%, 75%, 50%,
> whatever...

It runs as fast or faster than any SCO system I have ever seen. There is
zero performance problem. It just goes as fast as I have ever seen things
go. I did an Edge backup through ftp to my old SCO box across the 10/100
network and this took WAY more time than a regular backup to tape, but I
would expect it to...  I'll be getting a fast tape drive for the system
soson. I decided to put the jukebox somewhere at Nexus.

>
> Given all that, can I assume it would run Linux just as easily?
>
Without any doubt. I think Rick runs some Linux or another... SuSe I think
on his box in this way.


> > old SCO system there. I can now lose one entire machine, one
> keyboard, one
> > source of noise and heat, one system that needs backing up
> every night. I
> > save the space and the noise, but there are so many benefits besides. It
>
> I collect old systems.  :)  J/K
>

Remember that fork, Mark.  You're done...  :-)


> Now the question I have is, how much access does it give you to Windows
> while it runs the virtual system?  Can you minimise the Virtual PC to
> systray and let it run as a service unless you otherwise need to
> access it,

Yes, goes minimized and keeps on ticking without any problems. And I'm
experimenting with the access both ways. It allows you to assign the
devices, say F: to be the DVD-R and it accesses the physical floppy, etc.
You can arrange the mouse to work on both systems in the same way... I think
there is a clipboard too!


> or does it commandeer the entire system?  I wouldn't say it'd be pointless
> to not be able to, as it'd be handy to just fire up linux for some things
> and not have to reboot all the time.  However, if you get access to both,
> how's the priority sharing feel?

There is an elaborate Settings menu that lets you assign how much priority
you want the virtual system to have vs. the host system. Lots, not much, a
reasonable default blend...all the way to shutting down the priority of
either system to almost nothing...

> Got a URL for this thing?  It does sound cool.  Tell me it'd work under
> Windows 2000 Pro, not just 2003 or XP-SP2.  :)
>
> mark->

Will post a URL later... once I find one. :-)  Unfortunately, it requires at
least 2000 server, not 2000 pro. Sorry. I believe it took getting SCO 6 to
make it work... but I think most any Linux would work without hassle.

John