Nebula 1995 August/NEBULA.mdf/Documents/FAQ/NeXTSTEP-faq/NEXTSTEP-General-FAQ.txt

Internet Message Format | 1995-03-08 | 38.3 KB

From: [e-mail]
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.announce,news.answers
Subject: NEXTSTEP-General-FAQ
Followup-To: comp.sys.next.misc
Date: 6 Mar 1995 08:39:05 GMT
Approved: [e-mail]
Expires: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 00:00:00 GMT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Summary: Frequently Asked Questions about NEXTSTEP and NeXT machines.
Originator: nathan@laplace

Archive-name: NEXTSTEP-General-FAQ
Last-modified: Mon Mar  6 03:03:59 EST 1995
Version: 3.1


These FAQs are under significant construction,
and may well change form and content over the
next weeks.

These FAQs focus on various aspects of OpenStep,
NEXTSTEP, and NeXT machines.

The FAQs are kept on-line at several ftp sites,
including:

cs.orst.edu
sonata.cc.purdue.edu

Many FAQs, including these, are available (www, ftp,
email) on the archive site rtfm.mit.edu in the
directory pub/usenet/news.answers.  The name under
which this FAQ is archived appears in the
Archive-nameline above.

Within each section each question will be preceded by
a "Subject:" field, allowing news readers to break up
the file into separate questions.  Each question has
its own unique number. Items that appear within
sections are not in any particular order, and get added
and removed over time.  Questions marked with a "+"
are new to this issue, and questions with changes since
the last issue are marked by a "!".

Submissions, corrections, comments, input, etc.,
should be directed to Nathan Janette
<[e-mail]>.

Some important NEXTSTEP & OpenStep Information WWW sites:

NeXT, Inc.
http://www.next.com/

NeXTanswers
http://www.next.com/NeXTanswers/

Stepwise NEXTSTEP/OpenStep Information Server
http://digifix.digifix.com/


TABLE OF CONTENTS:
------------------

B0. Where can I find additional information about NEXTSTEP?
B1.Are there NeXT and NEXTSTEP specific magazines?
B2.What are the names of some of the ftp sites that have NeXT-related files?
B3.If I am not on the internet, how can I get to the ftp sites via email?
B4.What are some good references on Objective C?
B5.Where can I communicate to others interested in doing music on the NeXT?
B6.What special interest groups exist?
B7.How may I let the NeXT user community know of an upcoming NeXT-related
event?
B8.What are the guidelines for posting to comp.sys.next.announce?

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: B0. Where can I find additional information about NEXTSTEP?

NeXT Technical documentation.  (How to program in the NextStep
environment)  Order from Addison-Wesley (1-800-447-2226)

0-201-63248-9   NeXTSTEP General Reference CANCELED (split into 2)
0-201-62220     NeXTSTEP General Reference Vol I (date not known)
0-201-62221     NeXTSTEP General Reference Vol II date not known)
0-201-63249-7   NeXTSTEP Development Tools (1 NOV)
0-201-63250-0   NeXTSTEP User Interface Guidelines (1 NOV)
0-201-63251-9   NeXTSTEP OOP and the Objective-C Lng  (1 NOV)
0-201-63252-7   NeXTSTEP Operating System Software (3 OCT)
0-201-63253-5   NeXTSTEP Programming Interface Summary  (1 NOV)
0-201-63254-3   NeXTSTEP Network and System Admin 3 (OCT)

These are packaged ten volumes in two slipcases; the whole stack is
8-1/2 inches high.  They look just like the other documents that come
with the machine, 8.5x11", perfect-bound paperbacks.

Operating System Software
NeXTstep Concepts
NeXTstep Reference, v. 1
NeXTstep Reference, v. 2
Development Tools
Sound, Music, and Signal Processing: Concepts
Sound, Music, and Signal Processing: Reference
Writing Loadable Kernel Servers
Technical Summaries
Supplemental Documentation


[From: R. Craig Woods <[e-mail]>]

In the NEXTSTEP-General-FAQ it states that the NeXT Technical
documentation can be ordered from Addison-Wesley.  I called
Addison-Wesley yesterday and found out that that is no longer true.

I finally tracked down Brian Zacko at NeXT (415-780-2703) and found out
that the documentation is available directly from NeXT.  Cost of the set
for educational people (personal and departmental) is $133.50. He
said that there are different part numbers for the docs for black
hardware and the docs for Intel.


Get NeXT's Concepts and Tutorial sections electronically from the ftp
archives.  This is perhaps the single most important reference for
people wishing to develop software for the NeXT.


Unix man pages, which are included in the online docs.


BSD unix documentation (MISC, PS1, PS2, SMM, USD). Available from to
USENIX site members.  A lot of this has been  integrated into the NeXT
documentation.  Some of this is sorely missing.  The SMM Unix System
Manager's Manual is really useful!

USENIX Association
2560 Ninth Street, Suite 215
Berkeley, CA  94710
USA
    [phone]
fax [phone]
[e-mail]

PS1 = Programmer's Supplementary Documents, Volume 1
PS2 = Programmer's Supplementary Documents, Volume 2
SMM = System Manager's Manual
USD = User's Supplementary Documents

[Carl Edman <[e-mail]>] adds:

The SMM and the rest of the berkeley documentation are also available
directly and for free via anon ftp e.g. from

ftp.uu.net /packages/bsd-sources/share/doc.

To format them properly for viewing and printing on the NeXT use nroff
with the package indicated by the file suffix (e.g. to format the
documentation file 0.t use 'nroff -mt 0.t').


Adobe documentation.  Available machine-readable by e-mail from
[e-mail].  Hardcopy available from Adobe Developer
Support Line [phone] for a nominal charge.  NeXT last shipped
these as part of the 1.0a release; hardcopies appeared in 0.9 Technical
Documentation, were omitted in 1.0, and have returned in updated form
in _Supplemental Documentation_ of the 2.0 Tech Docs (which is not
available on-line).


Get NextAnswers for Digital Librarian from NeXT.  The current versions
are actually on ftp.next.com or available via the mailserver at
[e-mail]


Get NeXT _Support Bulletin_ from the archives.  It is meant for support
centers.

Another good source of information is the archives of previously
posted notes from the comp.sys.next.*  newsgroups.  Note that since the
split of comp.sys.next, it is unclear if anyone is maintaining an
archive of all the groups.

NeXTstep Advantage book is available electronically from the archive
servers:

cs.orst.edu: pub/next/documents/NeXT/
sonata.cc.purdue.edu: ?
etlport.etl.go.jp: pub/NeXT/documents/NeXTstepAdvantage/
ftp.cs.tu-berlin.de /pub/NeXT/documents/next

The file name is NeXTstepAdvantage.tar.Z; (its compressed size is 1.3
megabytes; uncompressed, it's 9.5 megabytes).  It is a good
introduction to the NeXT programming environment.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: B1. Are there NeXT and NEXTSTEP specific magazines?

Yes.  There are also many NeXT specific newsletters, many of which are
available via ftp from the NeXT specific ftp sites (look in
pub/next/newsletters on cs.orst.edu and pub/next/Newsletters on
sonata.cc.purdue.edu - purdue seems to carry more newsletters on line
than orst.).  Some cost money, others don't.


Available from purdue:

SCaNeWS - Southern California NeXT Users Group Newsletter, first
issue came out January 1991.  Edited by Mike Mahoney
([e-mail])

BaNG - Bay Area NeXT Users Group, one item on-line on Purdue.  Edited by
Joe Barello ([e-mail])

rmNUG NeWS - Rocky Mountain NeXT Users Group Newsletter, latest issue
May 1991 (monthly).  Edited by David Bowdish
([e-mail]).

VNUS Newsletter - Vancouver NeXT Users Group The last issue  was in Nov
91.  Edited by three people, including the  Chairman of VNUS, Lawrence
Clarke ([e-mail]).

NeXT Users' Journal, latest issue December/January 1990-1.  Edited by
Erica Liebman ([e-mail]).


Hardcopy:

NeXTworld.  Published monthly with monthly ad-free newsletters
($23.95). NeXTWORLD, 501 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 415
978 3182 (phone),  415 978 3196 (fax) NeXTworld email address:
[e-mail]

NeXUS.  Published bi-monthly for $36/year. Contact Alfonso Guerra at
{emory|gatech}!nanovx!nexus.

What's NeXT?  The Boston Computer Society NeXT User group produces a
NeXT newsletter called "What's NeXT?" edited by Michael Burress
(pro-angmar![e-mail]) and Eric Celeste
([e-mail]). The Boston Computer Society,  One Kendall
Square, Cambridge, MA 02139-1562 Phone [phone], M-F 9:30-5:30

Bulletin - Gotham Users of NeXT, Inc., latest issue May, 1992
(monthly).  Edited by Robb Allan ([e-mail])

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: B2. What are the names of some of the ftp sites that have NeXT-related
files?

There are too many to list them all, so are here are just a few.

NeXT:

cs.orst.edu
nova.cc.purdue.edu
sonata.cc.purdue.edu
umd5.umd.edu
ftp.cs.tu-berlin.de

MIT GNU:

aeneas.mit.edu

MIT X:

export.lcs.mit.edu

music:

princeton.edu

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: B3. If I am not on the internet, how can I get to the ftp sites via
email?

cc.purdue.edu is configured as an email archive server.  This means you
can upload and download files via email.  Send mail to:

[e-mail]
[e-mail]

with the subject line help and you will get a complete description of
this service.


Submissions:

Mail should be sent to [e-mail] with the subject
of 'submission' (no ticks) if a person is submitting material to the
archives.  They need to include a 1-2 sentence description of the
submission, the OS release the product runs on, and if it is source,
binary, newsletter, etc.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: B4. What are some good references on Objective C?

Objective-C and other useful Object-oriented programming references:

Budd, Timothy, _An Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming_
(Addison-Wesley) [It discusses Smalltalk, Object Pascal, C++ _and_
Objective-C]

Cox, Brad J., _Object Oriented Programming: An Evolutionary
Approach_ ISBN 0-201-10393-1. (Addison-Wesley) [Note: 2nd edition -
ISBN# is 0-201-54834-8 and has coauthor A.J. Novobilski]

Huizenga, Gerrit, "Slides from a short course on Objective-C"
available via anonymous ftp from sonata.cc.purdue.edu in
pub/next/docs/ObjC.frame.Z, ObjC.ps.Z, or OldObjC.wn.tar.Z

Meyer, Bertrand, _Object-Oriented Software Construction_
(Prentice-Hall).

NeXT Technical Documentation

Pinson and Weiner, _Objective-C:  Object-Oriented Programming
Techniques_ (Addison-Wesley).  350 pages, ISBN 0 201 50828 1,
paperback.

User Reference Manual for Objective-C which is available from
Stepstone Corporation. [phone].  Note: There are some
differences between Stepstone's Objective-C and NeXT's.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: B5. Where can I communicate to others interested in doing music on the
NeXT?

Since NeXT has become for now the platform of choice for much of the
computer music composition and research community, the newsgroup
comp.music is one good place to find people with information and
interest in music on the NeXT.

There is also a mailing list specifically for NeXT music.

For posting to the dist list:
        [e-mail]
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change addresses, etc.:
        [e-mail]

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: B6. What special interest groups exist?

Adobe Illustrator NeXT SIG
To join, email: [e-mail]
AFS NeXT SIG
To join, email: [e-mail]
Berkeley Mathematics Software Group
Email: [e-mail]
Classroom: NeXT Courseware SIG ([e-mail])
To subscribe: send the following text message to
[e-mail] --"Subscribe next-classroom <your name>"
Communications/TeleCommunications SIG ([e-mail])
To subscribe: send email to [e-mail]
Data GROUP NeXT SIG
To join, email: [e-mail]
Create Users
To join email: [e-mail]
DataPhile Users
To join email: [e-mail]
Executor SIG
To join, email: [e-mail]
Finnish: FUNeXT (Finnish Users of NeXT)
To join, send email to: [e-mail]
 and write in body text:
HELP
LIST
SUB FUNeXT
Frame: FUN (Frame Users Network)
To join, email: [e-mail]
Frame User Network - New England (FUNNE)
To join, email:  [e-mail]
GIS(Geographical Information Services)SIG ([e-mail])
To subscribe: send email to [e-mail]
HyperSense Users
To join, email: [e-mail]
Lotus Improv Email User Group
To join, email: [e-mail]
Mathematica:Special Interest Group
To join. email: [e-mail]
Medical: NeXTMed SIG ([e-mail])
To subscribe: send email to [e-mail]
Music: NeXT Music SIG ([e-mail])
To subscribe: send email to [e-mail]
MusicKit: [e-mail] is a news group for music kit info.
To subscribe, send mail to [e-mail].
NeXT Icon Enthusiasts: [e-mail]
To subscribe: send e-mail to [e-mail]
NexLAW: Legal NeXT User Group
To join, email: [e-mail]
NeXTManagers (quick & technical answers) ([e-mail])
To subscribe: send email to [e-mail]
NeXT Q&A's
To join, email the text:
 "SUBSCRIBE NEXT-L <your> <name>"
to [e-mail]
Network & Security Management for Labs & Large Installations ([e-mail].
ca)
To subscribe: send email to [e-mail]
Programmers:  NeXT Programmers SIG ([e-mail])
To subscribe: send email to [e-mail]
Publishing Interest Group
To join, email: [e-mail]
Japanese: Kanji and Japanese on the NeXT
To join - Email: [e-mail]
SCIENCE NeXT User Group (SNUG)
To join, email: [e-mail]
United Kingdom SIG
To join, email: [e-mail]
and [e-mail]

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: B7. How may I let the NeXT user community know of an upcoming
NeXT-related event?

Please send any announcements of upcoming NeXT-related events to

[e-mail]

These events will be posted to comp.sys.next.announce.  Be sure to send
your announcement in plenty of time to have it posted prior to the event.
One to two weeks in advance would be a good idea.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: B8. What are the guidelines for posting to comp.sys.next.announce?

Submissions can be sent to [e-mail].

Since postings will be carried across many networks, commercial
announcements may be edited down to reflect network usage policies.

Look for current guidelines posted weekly in the newsgroup.

____________________________________________________________________________

Editor: [e-mail]
--
Nathan Janette
Systems Manager, Axel T. Brvnger Lab

Internet:[e-mail]
----------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.announce
Subject: NEXTSTEP-Intel-General-FAQ
Followup-To: comp.sys.next.misc
Date: 6 Mar 1995 08:39:07 GMT
Approved: [e-mail]
Expires: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 00:00:00 GMT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Summary: Frequently Asked Questions about NEXTSTEP and NeXT machines.
Originator: nathan@laplace

Archive-name: NEXTSTEP-Intel-General-FAQ
Last-modified: Mon Mar  6 03:03:59 EST 1995
Version: 3.1


These FAQs are under significant construction,
and may well change form and content over the
next weeks.

These FAQs focus on various aspects of OpenStep,
NEXTSTEP, and NeXT machines.

The FAQs are kept on-line at several ftp sites,
including:

cs.orst.edu
sonata.cc.purdue.edu

Many FAQs, including these, are available (www, ftp,
email) on the archive site rtfm.mit.edu in the
directory pub/usenet/news.answers.  The name under
which this FAQ is archived appears in the
Archive-nameline above.

Within each section each question will be preceded by
a "Subject:" field, allowing news readers to break up
the file into separate questions.  Each question has
its own unique number. Items that appear within
sections are not in any particular order, and get added
and removed over time.  Questions marked with a "+"
are new to this issue, and questions with changes since
the last issue are marked by a "!".

Submissions, corrections, comments, input, etc.,
should be directed to Nathan Janette
<[e-mail]>.

Some important NEXTSTEP & OpenStep Information WWW sites:

NeXT, Inc.
http://www.next.com/

NeXTanswers
http://www.next.com/NeXTanswers/

Stepwise NEXTSTEP/OpenStep Information Server
http://digifix.digifix.com/


TABLE OF CONTENTS:
------------------

C1.What is the current status of NEXTSTEP/Intel?
C2.What references are available for NEXTSTEP/Intel?
C3.How does NEXTSTEP/Intel differ from NEXTSTEP/m68k?
C4.What about support for NeXT Computer specific hardware features such as
the DSP?
C5.Can I use NEXTSTEP/Intel systems with my existing NeXT Computers?
C6.How do I use applications compiled for both NeXT Computers and
NEXTSTEP/Intel on the same network?
C7.Do Multi-Architecture Binaries take a lot of extra disk space?
C8.How difficult is it to recompile existing NeXT applications over to
NEXTSTEP/Intel?
C9.When developing programs, are there any portability issues I should be
aware of?
C10.What is the difference between the NEXTSTEP/Intel User Environment and
Developer Environment?
C11.What are the general requirements to run NEXTSTEP/Intel on Intel-based
Computers?
C12.If a specific I/O card is not supported by NeXT, can 3rd parties write
drivers for NEXTSTEP/Intel?
C13.How is NEXTSTEP/Intel installed?
C14.Will NEXTSTEP/Intel run on 386 machines?
C15.Will NEXTSTEP/Intel run on the Cyrix 486SLC?
C16.Will NEXTSTEP/Intel run on the future Intel Microprocessors in the x86
family?
C17.Will NEXTSTEP/Intel run on portable computers?
C18.Will NEXTSTEP/Intel be able to run Microsoft DOS and Windows programs?
C19.Will DOS and Windows compatibility be included with NEXTSTEP/Intel?
C20.How will my DOS and Windows applications perform under NEXTSTEP/Intel?
C21.Is the window I use to run Microsoft Windows applications resizable?
C22.Will this DOS/Windows compatibility system allow me to run several DOS
programs at once?
C23.Can I cut and paste between DOS/Windows sessions and NEXTSTEP applications?
C24.  Can I use both DOS and NEXTSTEP/Intel partitions on the same hard disk?
C25.Can NEXTSTEP/Intel read, write, and format DOS and Mac floppies?

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C1.  What is the current status of NEXTSTEP/Intel?

NEXTSTEP/Intel 3.3 User has been released.  The Developer
system is at 3.2.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C2.  What references are available for NEXTSTEP/Intel?

NeXT, Inc. now operates an automatic email responce system.  Send email
to "[e-mail]" with the subject "ascii help index" to start.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C3.  How does NEXTSTEP/Intel differ from NEXTSTEP/m68k?

It doesn't. NEXTSTEP/Intel is a complete port of the NEXTSTEP 3.1
software environment to Intel-based Computers. NEXTSTEP/Intel has
the same User Interface, Development Environment, Applications,
Networking (NFS, Novell, Appleshare), State of the Art Color, Mach
UNIX, Display Postscript, 3D Renderman etc, etc.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C4.  What about support for NeXT Computer specific hardware features
such as the DSP?

NeXT computers offer additional hardware support not commonly
available for Intel systems. This includes the DSP. The DSP in a NeXT
Computer is used for a variety of functions including ISDN support and
real-time audio compression/de-compression. ISDN support for
NEXTSTEP/Intel will be provided via an add-on PC card and ISDN adapter.
Real-time audio compression/de-compression support is currently
under investigation.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C5.  Can I use NEXTSTEP/Intel systems with my existing NeXT Computers?

Yes.  NEXTSTEP/Intel is design to plug and play with existing NeXT
installations.  NeXT has addressed interoperability between
NEXTSTEP systems in the following ways:

* NEXTSTEP systems share identical networking capabilities.
* NEXTSTEP systems share the same Distributed Objects.
* NEXTSTEP systems use the same system and network administration
   services.
* NEXTSTEP systems use the same mass storage format. Yes, you can
   take a external SCSI drive, removable media (ie Bernoulli etc) or
   floppy disk and use it interchangeably between NeXT Computers and
   NEXTSTEP/Intel systems.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C6.  How do I use applications compiled for both NeXT Computers and
NEXTSTEP/Intel on the same network?

Simply. NEXTSTEP 3.1 introduced a feature called
Multi-Architecture Binaries (so called "Fat" binaries). This
capability allows developers to compile NEXTSTEP applications on
multiple system architectures, and combine them into a single
package. When an application is run, NEXTSTEP will extract the
appropriate instructions for the local system, and run the
application. This operation is completely transparent to the user, it
just works! Most of the NEXTSTEP applications in the future will be
delivered as Multi-Architecture Binaries. Tools are also provided to
"Slim" binaries for use in a one architecture environment.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C7.  Do Multi-Architecture Binaries take a lot of extra disk space?

No. Most applications consist of one or more executable programs (with
architecture dependent machine instructions) and a lot of text and
data. This machine independent data is typically data files used by the
application, help files, examples, internationalization etc. Since
only the actual machine dependent portion of the application is
duplicated, a two architecture application typically takes only
about 20%-30% more disk space than a single architecture application.
If disk space is tight, tools are provided to "Slim" binaries for use
in a single architecture environment.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C8.  How difficult is it to recompile existing NeXT applications over
to NEXTSTEP/Intel?

Very easy. Most programs will simply recompile and run, or require few
changes. We believe that any application that uses the standard
development environment and Object kits provided by NeXT should
simply compile and run. Only applications that use architecture
specific features or data formats, will require additional time to
port. Several developers have already ported applications to
NEXTSTEP/Intel.  Appsoft Draw simply recompiled and ran, Lighthouse
Concurrence took 3 hours, other programs took 1/2 a day to 2 days, and
this was all on a very early release of NEXTSTEP/Intel 3.1!

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C9.  When developing programs, are there any portability issues I
should be aware of?

Yes. As stated above, any applications that use the standard tools
provided by the NEXTSTEP development environment, should just
recompile and work. To make sure developers are aware of  portability
issues, NeXT is producing a guide to address source code portability
between different architectures running NEXTSTEP. This guide should
be available in November.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C10.  What is the difference between the NEXTSTEP/Intel User
Environment and Developer Environment?

The NEXTSTEP/Intel User Environment consists of the entire NEXTSTEP
3.1 environment, minus the developer tools. The Developer
Environment includes the developer tools such Interface builder,
Project Builder, C compilers, Object Kits, example source code and
developer documentation.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C11.  What are the general requirements to run NEXTSTEP/Intel on
Intel-based Computers?

A specific NEXTSTEP/Intel Hardware Compatibility Guide is available
from the NeXTanswers service.


[Eric Hermanson <24gdbq$[e-mail]>]

I am posting this to clear up the confusion surrounding NEXTSTEP
hardware requirements.  There have been many incorrect postings as to
the requirements for NEXTSTEP.  There have also been many people
inquiring about the requirements.  These are the correct numbers,
source: NEXTSTEP CD-ROM.

THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR NEXTSTEP 3.1 (Intel and Motorola)

NEXTSTEP *Requires* 8 MB Memory for 2-bit Greyscale
NEXTSTEP *Requires* 12 MB Memory for 8-bit Greyscale
NEXTSTEP *Requires* 16 MB Memory for 16-bit Color

NeXT *Recommends* 12 MB Memory for 2-bit Greyscale
NeXT *Recommends* 16 MB Memory for 8-bit Greyscale
NeXT *Recommends* 24 MB Memory for 16-bit Color

*SUMMARY* of NEXTSTEP Hard Drive Space *Requirements*:

NEXTSTEP *Requires* 120 MB for User Environment
NEXTSTEP *Requires* 330 MB for User Environment + Developer Tools

NeXT *Recommends* 200 MB For User Environment  (full install)
NeXT *Recommends* 400 MB For User Environment + Developer Tools  (full install)

Full User Environment:       136 MB   (NeXT *Recommends* 200 MB for User)
Compressed User Environment:   109 MB
Bare User Environment:         50 MB

All Developer Tools:       100 MB  (These numbers are the dev TOOLS only)
Compressed Dev. Tools:       78 MB
Bare Developer Tools:        66 MB

FULL USER + DEVELOPER:     **236 MB  (NeXT *Recommends* 400 MB for User+Dev)
Compressed USER + DEV:         187 MB
Bare USER + DEVELOPER:         116 MB

THE ENTIRE USER+DEVELOPER RELEASE OF NEXTSTEP TAKES UP APPROXIMATELY 236 MB.

*Detailed* Hard Drive Requirements:

NEXTSTEP consists of a number of independent packages, some of which
can be optionally installed.


USER ENVIRONMENT:

** INDICATES OPTIONAL PACKAGE

NEXTSTEP Essentials

This is the required software, including user environment, UNIX,
Renderman, NeXT Software (network stuff, NeXT Mail, etc), root & me
accounts.

Installed Size 47.1 MB

Languages

Users can install up to six languages on the system, each one takes up 3 MB
English, Italian, Sweedish, German, French, Spanish

**DigitalWebster.pkg

This package contains the Digital Webster application, the
electronic edition of Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary.

InstalledSize 18.8 MB
CompressedSize 16.3 MB

**Literature.pkg

This package contains the complete works of Shakespeare, the Oxford
Dictionary of Quotations, and the pictures for Digital Webster.

InstalledSize 40.7 MB
CompressedSize 29.9 MB

**Documentation.pkg

This package contains the NEXTSTEP Network and System Administration
manual and the UNIX manual pages. It also contains the complete set of
PostScript Printer Description (PPD) files.

InstalledSize 18 MB
CompressedSize 8 MB

**NeXTTeX.pkg

This is a full implementation of TeX (LaTeX) and METAFONT.

InstalledSize 8.1 MB
CompressedSize 4.5 MB

=============================================================================
TOTAL USER ENVIRONMENT:136 MB Full Install
                            109 MB Compressed Optional Stuff
50 MB No Optional Software Installed


DEVELOPER TOOLS:

** INDICATES OPTIONAL PACKAGE

DeveloperTools.pkg

This package contains applications and files you need for NEXTSTEP
development.

InstalledSize 36.4 MB
CompressedSize 18.6 MB

DeveloperLibs.pkg

This package contains software libraries you need to develop NEXTSTEP
software.

InstalledSize 30 MB
CompressedSize 14.5 MB

**DeveloperDoc.pkg

This package contains the on-line edition of the NEXTSTEP Developer's
Library.

InstalledSize 30 MB
CompressedSize 10 MB

**Demonstrations.pkg

This package contains demonstration applications and images.

InstalledSize 3 MB
CompressedSize 2 MB

=============================================================================

TOTAL DEVELOPER TOOLS:100 MB Size of All Developer Tools
78 MB  Size with Optional Stuff Compressed
66 MB  Size with no Optional Software Installed

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C12.  If a specific I/O card is not supported by NeXT, can 3rd parties
write drivers for NEXTSTEP/Intel?

Yes. NEXTSTEP/Intel uses a newly developed object-oriented driver
architecture that brings the benefits of object-orientation all the
way down to the I/O card driver level. Complete documentation for this
new "Driver Kit" architecture will be available later this year.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C13.  How is NEXTSTEP/Intel installed?

NEXTSTEP/Intel will come with a boot floppy and a CDROM. To install
NEXTSTEP/Intel, the system boots from the floppy, and then installs
the minimum NEXTSTEP environment from the CDROM (SCSI CDROM drive).
The user may then chose from several optional packages depending on the
available disk space and user requirements.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C14.  Will NEXTSTEP/Intel run on 386 machines?

No. NEXTSTEP/Intel uses several 486 specific features that enhance
the performance of NEXTSTEP. NEXTSTEP/Intel will support any true
486.

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Subject: C15.  Will NEXTSTEP/Intel run on the Cyrix 486SLC?

[NeXT states:]

No. The Cyrix chip not a true 486.

[several other users state:]

Yes.  Slow performance, though.

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Subject: C16.  Will NEXTSTEP/Intel run on the future Intel Microprocessors in
the x86 family?

Yes.  NEXTSTEP/Intel will not only support them, but will take
advantage of any performance enhancements available with future
Intel CPU's, just as NeXT has taken advantage of the 486.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C17.  Will NEXTSTEP/Intel run on portable computers?

Yes. Many portables and notebooks with 486 CPU's and sufficient system
resources (8+MB RAM and 120+MB hard disk space) are available. Since
NEXTSTEP/Intel will support 640x480 VGA displays in grayscale,
NEXTSTEP 486 can run on these systems. Do be aware that NEXTSTEP's user
interface and applications were not designed for low-resolution
screens, and consequently will impose limitations on the use of some
applications. Also, typical battery management systems do not work
with multi-tasking operating systems. Future versions of
NEXTSTEP/Intel will provide driver support for portable-oriented
peripherals such as pocket Ethernet, SCSI and Sound adapters and
PC/MCIA cards. We expect additional device drivers for portable
peripherals to be available in Q3-Q4 1993. Until drivers are available
for portable SCSI adapters, NEXTSTEP/Intel can be installed on
portables by using a docking station with SCSI adapter and CDROM. The
docking station can then be used for a local area network card. NeXT is
investigating future Intel microprocessors that may provide battery
management support for advanced operating systems such as NEXTSTEP.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C18.  Will NEXTSTEP/Intel be able to run Microsoft DOS and Windows
programs?

Yes. NEXTSTEP/Intel will support a DOS and Windows compatibility
package. This software will allow DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1 programs to
run within a NEXTSTEP window. Support will include DOS "Protected"
mode and Windows 3.1 "Standard" mode (Win-16). Support for Win-32
applications is planned for the second half of 1993.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C19.  Will DOS and Windows compatibility be included with
NEXTSTEP/Intel?

A demo of SoftPC is included with NEXTSTEP/Intel.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C20.  How will my DOS and Windows applications perform under
NEXTSTEP/Intel?

The DOS/Windows compatibility package for NEXTSTEP/Intel
takes full advantage of the 486 microprocessor.  Depending on system
hardware configuration and type of DOS/Windows application,
performance should vary between 386 and 486 native DOS/Windows
performance.  In addition, to enhance the performance of Windows
applications, a MS Windows specific Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
driver which maps Microsoft Windows calls directly to the NEXTSTEP
window server will be part of the system.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C21.  Is the window I use to run Microsoft Windows applications
resizable?

Yes. You can set the Windows session to any size you wish up to the maximum
screen size available to the NEXTSTEP/Intel system you are using.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C22.  Will this DOS/Windows compatibility system allow me to run
several DOS programs at once?

Yes. Since NEXTSTEP/Intel is a multi-tasking, virtual memory
operating environment, several DOS/Windows sessions can be run at
once.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C23.  Can I cut and paste between DOS/Windows sessions and NEXTSTEP
applications?

Yes. You can cut and paste text and graphics between DOS/Windows and
NEXTSTEP applications.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C24.  Can I use both DOS and NEXTSTEP/Intel partitions on the same
hard disk?

Yes.  NEXTSTEP/Intel will support multiple operating systems on the
same local hard disk. When the system boots, the user can chose to boot
another operating system (such as DOS) or NEXTSTEP. If the local
partition contains DOS, NEXTSTEP/Intel will be able to access the
local DOS partition and read/write files to it.


[From: [e-mail]]

Executive Summary: It is possible to install DOS, Windows NT with NTFS,
and NEXTSTEP/FIP on the same disk, and select which partition is booted
at boot time.

I spent some time experimenting with a 200MB SCSI disk.  I wanted to see if
the following configuration would be possible:

Partition 1Primary DOS
Partition 2Extended DOS
Partition 3Windows NT NTFS
Partition 4NS/FIP 3.2

Since Windows NT requires at least 70MB for installation, and NS/FIP
requires at least 120MB, there wasn't much room for DOS!  Ultimately, I
only tested a three partition system (DOS, NTFS, NS/FIP), but I have no
reason to believe that the extended DOS wouldn't also work.

The recipe is as follows:

* Preparation.  You need a bootable DOS floppy that has FORMAT.COM
  on it.  You need another (blank) floppy for installing NT.

* Start with the NS/FIP installation.  When it asks you how you want
  to configure your disk, it gives you three choices, which are
  basically 1) erase the whole disk and use it all for NS/FIP,
  2) save some room for DOS, 3) advanced.  Choose the advanced
  option, which places you in NS/FIP fdisk (not to be confused
  with DOS FDISK.EXE).

* Create three partitions in this order:
  1) Primary DOS (if more than 32MB desired, use the "large" FAT option)
  2) HPFS (this is a placeholder for NT, and can be any non-DOS format)
  3) NEXTSTEP

* Proceed with the rest of the NEXTSTEP installation.

* When NEXTSTEP is safely installed and tested out, boot DOS from
  your bootable DOS floppy.

* FORMAT the DOS partition (which should be Drive C if you made it
  the first partition).  You want to FORMAT C:/S, to install
  the boot code to make the DOS partition bootable.

* Once DOS is safely formated and tested out, insert the NT installation
  floppy and reboot.

* Proceed with the NT installation.  Tell Setup to install NT
  in the second partition (which shows up as "Unformatted").
  You can select NTFS for FAT format.

* Insert the blank floppy when asked.  Don't bother to format it,
  NT unconditionally formats it.

* If you select NTFS, there is a scary part of the installation that
  makes it seem like NT can't reboot.  In fact, it is converting the
  installed files from FAT to NTFS in place.  Just let it keep
  rebooting until it finishes, don't interrupt it like I did.

* Finish setting up NT and test it out.  It should be able to see
  the DOS partition in FileManager.

* Likewise, there should be a DOS filesystem in / on NS/FIP.
  If you configured NT for FAT instead of NTFS, there should be
  two DOS filesystems in /.

That's it.  When you boot, you see the familiar NS/FIP multibooter.  If
you select DOS, it boots NT, which in turn offers you a chance to boot DOS
or NT (not NS/FIP, of course).  Kinda weird that you have this two tiered
boot, but it's probably because the bootsector has been modified by NT.
I haven't tried setting the active partition to DOS -- that might avoid
the two tiers.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subject: C25.  Can NEXTSTEP/Intel read, write, and format DOS and Mac floppies?

Yes.

____________________________________________________________________________

Editor: [e-mail]
--
Nathan Janette
Systems Manager, Axel T. Brvnger Lab

Internet:[e-mail]
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