[rescue] Re: Another fine business decision for us axp-lovers

[Robert Novak]

On Mon, 25 Jun 2001, Joshua D. Boyd wrote:

> Oddly enough, I think that most PC software from when PCs were new can
> still be run, even on modern systems like linux. Not a 30-40 year
> tradition like IBM, but still decent.  I don't think there is any chance
> of running 20 year old Sun software on a modern sun.

I'd bet it's 100% impossible to run 20 year old Sun software on anything.
The Sun 1 came out 19 years ago if memory serves me (1982). There isn't
much 20 year old Sun software, if any. :)

Sun's big trick is that a program that runs on any SPARC under a given
OS... runs on any SPARC. That wget binary you just built on an IPC will
run on E10k without modification assuming the E10k has an equal or later
OS. And I believe there's a fair bit of SunOS compatibility in the various
Solarises, although I don't know how far back it goes. I know I've run
SunOS 4.1.4 binaries on Solaris 2.5.1 without modification or
recompilation.

You might have a good chance of running ancient Sun software after a
recompile, assuming you had the libraries. But would you really want to?

--Rob


Robert Novak, Indyramp Consulting * rnovak at indyramp.com * indyramp.com/~rnovak
        "And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe
           Maybe this year will be better than the last...." -- counting crows