From: bdixon@wap.uucp (Bill Dixon)
Subject: Re: System36 Emulator
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 13:28:23 GMT
Organization: White Aluminum Products, Leesburg, FL

In article <1682BDE8E.SR116008@ysub.ysu.edu> SR116008@ysub.ysu.edu writes:
>Greetings,
> 
>     I have heard that there is a program that will allow the RS6000 to
>run programs written for the IBM system 36.  I was told that the program
>allows the RS6k to act like a system 36 and would run RPG, MAPICS, and
>other software commonly found on the 36.  I'm very interested in knowing
>the name and co. of this product.  Any help in locating this product will
>be greatly appreciated.
> 
>                                                -Kev

There is a product by Universal Software (714-851-8021) called Open RS/36.
We originally got it believing that we could put our S/36 software on the
RS/6000 while we converted to our new software.  Almost.

Open RS/36 is billed as a "plug-and-play" product, whereby you install it
on the 6000, and the users will not even know that they are not on the 36
anymore, except for different terminals.  This is not quite true.

When we first got our software, there was no provision for MRT programs.
Therefore, any program specifically written as a MRT, that passes values
from one terminal to another, would not work.  Specifically, our order
entry program read the next order number from a file when it started,
incremented it internally each time an order was created, and wrote the
last one back when it finished.  However, if two users were in it at the
same time, they were using the same order numbers.  We have received an
update that is supposed to have MRT support, but I am too busy trying to
get the new software installed that I haven't even loaded it yet.

The biggest problem with Open RS/36 is that THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO SUPPORT
FOR DISKETTE DRIVES!!!!!  This means that you cannot save to a diskette,
you cannot read from a diskette, you cannot catalog a diskette - the
diskette drive does not exist!  Our software (DMAS) expects that certain
information must go to/from diskette in order to work properly.  This
single limitation forces me to consider this as at best beta-version
software (if not alpha).  I could not believe it when I found out I
couldn't use the diskette drive.  The only backup option is the 1/4" tape
cartridge.

Also, keep in mind that Open RS/36 only supports the IBM 3151 and VT220
terminals.  We, however, are using Wyse 60's.  When we ordered the
software, I did not think that this would be a very big problem.  Wrong.
They developed their own terminal definition file, and did not use
termcap/terminfo.  The distributor we actually purchased the software from
(Trifecta Consulting) wrote a definition for us (and charged for it) that
almost works.  There are times, though, that the screen doesn't clear
properly, etc.  It works good enough to use every now and then, but not
for production use.

Other than the above problems, the software seems to be well-written.  It
does take up quite a bit of space, though (can't tell you exactly how
much, because I had to remove it to get more available space).  We are
keeping it, primarily to be able to reprint reports once the 36 leaves.
Open RS/36 does do a good job of reading standard S/36 1/4" tapes written
on the 6157 drive.  It also shines in the fact that you do not have to
recompile your programs, which is absolutely necessary if you do not have
source code, or if part of the program is written in assembler.  To the
best of my knowledge, none of the other S/36 emulators can do this.

Don't know if this will help you or confuse you.

Good luck.
-- 
Bill Dixon
bdixon@wap.oau.org
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aix