EXHIBIT 10 (gg)

                            DATA GENERAL CORPORATION
                                    DOMESTIC
                1997 NON-OFFICER EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
                          (Non-qualified Stock Option)

                                     * * *


        EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT made  this_______,  between DATA GENERAL
CORPORATION,   a  Delaware  corporation   (hereinafter  called  the  "Company"),
and_______,  an  employee  of the  Company  or of a  subsidiary  of the  Company
(hereinafter called the "Participant");


                              W I T N E S S E T H :
                             -------------------

        WHEREAS,   the  Company   desires,   by  affording  the  Participant  an
opportunity to purchase shares of its common stock, as hereinafter  provided, to
carry out the  purpose of the "1997  Non-Officer  Employee  Stock  Option  Plan"
(hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), approved by its directors:

            NOW,  THEREFORE,  in consideration of the premises and of the mutual
promises hereinafter contained, the parties hereto have agreed as follows:

1. Grant of Option.
   ----------------
The Company  hereby  grants to the  Participant  a  non-qualified  stock  option
(hereinafter  called the  "Option")  to purchase  all or part of an aggregate of
____________  of stock  (hereinafter  referred to as the  "Stock")  (such number
being subject to adjustment as provided in Paragraph 11 hereof) on the terms and
conditions hereinafter set forth.


2.  Incorporation of Plan.
    ----------------------
Except as  hereinafter  provided,  this  Agreement  shall be  governed by and be
subject  to all the terms and  conditions  set forth in the Plan as in effect on
the date hereof. A copy of the Plan has been delivered to the Participant and is
hereby incorporated by reference.


3.  Purchase Price.
    --------------
The purchase price of the shares of Stock covered by the Option shall be________
per share.  Payment  shall be made in cash,  by certified  check or in shares of
Common Stock in the manner prescribed in Paragraph 9 hereof.


4.  Term  of  Option.
    -----------------
The term of the Option shall be for a period  commencing  on the date hereof and
ending on___________________. The right of Participant to purchase Stock through
the  exercise  of this  Option,  wholly or in part,  shall be  available  to the
Participant at any time during the term of this Option  subject to  restrictions
on the  disposition  as provided in Paragraph 6 hereof and to the  obligation of
resale of said Stock as provided in Paragraph 7 hereof.



<PAGE>

5.  Nontransferability.
    -------------------
The  Option  shall  not be  transferable  otherwise  than by will or the laws of
descent and distribution,  and the Option may be exercised,  during the lifetime
of the  Participant  only  by  him,  more  particularly  (but  without  limiting
generality  of the  foregoing),  the  Option  may not be  assigned,  transferred
(except as  provided  above),  pledged,  hypothecated  in any way,  shall not be
assignable  by  operation  of  law,  and  shall  not be  subject  to  execution,
attachment or similar  process.  Any  attempted  assignment,  transfer,  pledge,
hypothecation  or other  disposition  of the Option  contrary  to the  provision
hereof, and the levy of any execution,  attachment,  or similar process upon the
Option,  shall be null and void and without effect;  provided  however,  that if
Participant  shall die while in the employ of the Company or a subsidiary of the
Company, his executor, personal representative,  or administrator shall have the
right to exercise the Option (to the extent that the Participant would have been
entitled  to do so at the date of his  death)  at any time  within  twelve  (12)
months  from the date of death in  respect  of the total  number of shares as to
which he would be entitled to exercise his Option at the date of his death.


6.  Restrictions on  Disposition.
    ----------------------------
Stock acquired by  Participant  pursuant to the exercise of an Option is subject
to certain restrictions on dispositions and obligations of resale to the Company
as  provided  in  Section  7 of the  Plan  and  such  Stock  shall  not be sold,
transferred,  or otherwise  disposed of and shall not be pledged to anyone other
than the  Company  or  otherwise  hypothecated  until such  restrictions  lapse.
Participant understands and agrees that, if the Stock is subject to restrictions
which have not yet lapsed,  certificates  representing such Stock will contain a
legend to the  effect  that the Stock is  subject  to  certain  restrictions  on
disposition  and  obligations  of resale as  contained in Section 7 of the Plan.
Such restrictions against the disposition of the Stock shall lapse in accordance
with the provisions of Exhibit A attached hereto;  provided,  however,  that the
1997 Non-Officer  Employee Stock Option Plan Committee (the "Committee")  shall,
in its sole discretion,  decide at the time Participant is granted an Authorized
Leave of Absence (as defined in this  Paragraph  6),  whether the period of time
during which  Participant takes an Authorized Leave of Absence shall be included
in determining whether the restrictions against disposition shall have lapsed in
accordance with th provisions of Exhibit A attached hereto.

In any event,  upon the  occurrence of the earlier of the death of  Participant,
the retirement of Participant  with the consent of the Company or the attainment
by  Participant  of  the  age of 65  whether  or not  Participant  retires,  the
restrictions  against disposition which have not otherwise lapsed under the Plan
shall immediately lapse.

For purposes of this Paragraph 6,  "Authorized  Leave of Absence" shall mean (a)
any  period of leave  granted  to  Participant  by the  Company  for  reasons of
sickness or disability or for the pursuit of graduate or other academic  studies
or for government service or personal or family hardship,  or such other reasons
as the Company may in its discretion  determine  provided that in no event shall
the period of such leave  exceed the period  granted by the Company and provided
further that unless Participant  retires during such leave,  Participant returns
to the  employment  of the Company at the  termination  of such period;  and (b)
absence for  military  service in the armed  forces of the United  States  under
leave granted by the Company or as required by law, provided Participant returns
to employment within six (6) months of his releas from such military service, or
within any longer period during which his right to  reemployment is protected by
law.



<PAGE>


7. Obligation of Resale.
   --------------------
If Participant's employment terminates other than by retirement with the consent
of the Company or by Participant's  death,  then the Stock for which Participant
has paid the purchase price but on which restrictions  against  disposition have
not  lapsed  shall be  offered  for  resale to the  Company at the price paid by
Participant.  This offer of resale must be in writing and must be  delivered  to
the Company within thirty (30) days following  termination and  certificates for
such Stock shall be delivered to the Company within such thirty-day  period.  If
such Stock is not delivered to the Company within thirty (30) days following the
termination of Participant's employment,  such Stock shall remain subject to the
restrictions  against  disposition  and such  restrictions  shall  not  lapse as
otherwise  provided  herein and in the Plan.  Within sixty (60) days following a
timely delivery of the Stock,  the Company will  compensate  Participant (at the
original  purchase  price)  for such  number  of the  shares of the Stock as the
Company elects to repurchase and will return to the  Participant any such shares
not so  purchased.  In the  event  that  the  Company  declines  in  writing  to
repurchase  such Stock,  such Stock shall remain the property of Participant and
the  restrictions  against  disposition  shall  lapse at the rate stated in this
Agreement.


8.  Employment.
    -----------
Subject  to  the  provisions  of  Paragraph  5  hereof,  this  Option  shall  be
exercisable  only by  Participant  while  he is  employed  by the  Company  or a
subsidiary of the Company or upon his retirement with the consent of the Company
If  Participant  shall retire with the consent of the Company  before his Option
shall have terminated, he must exercise the Option within ninety (90) days after
the date on which he ceases to be employed by the Company or a subsidiary of the
Company.

Participant  acknowledges  and agrees that the Company is not  obligated by this
Agreement or the Plan to continue the  Participant in its  employment,  and this
Agreement  does not in any manner  constitute an employment  agreement or create
any rights, benefits, or obligations not specifically set forth herein.


9. Method of Exercising  Option.
   ----------------------------
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Option Agreement,  the Option may be
exercised by written notice to the Company at its office at 4400 Computer Drive,
Westboro,  MA 01580,  Attn:  Treasurer.  Such notice shall state the election to
exercise the Option, and the number of shares of Stock in respect of which it is
being  exercised.  It shall be signed by the person or persons so exercising the
Option and shall be  accompanied  by payment of the full purchase  price of such
Stock in cash,  by certified  check or in shares of Common  Stock.  If shares of
Common Stock are tendered as payment of the Option exercise price,  the value of
such shares shall be their fair market value as of the date of exercise.

If such  tender  would  result in the  issuance of  fractional  shares of Common
Stock,  the  Participant  shall  purchase,  at the price which reflects the fair
market  value of the Stock as of the date of  exercise,  in cash,  by  certified
check, or cashier's check such additional  fractional  shares of Common Stock as
are  necessary to result in the  issuance to the  Participant  of an  additional
whole share of Stock.  The  Company  shall  issue,  in the name of the person or
persons  exercising  the  Option,  and  deliver a  certificate  or  certificates
representing  such  shares as soon as  practicable  after the notice and payment
shall be received.



<PAGE>

In the event the Option shall be exercised,  pursuant to Paragraph 5 hereof,  by
any  person  or  persons  other  than  the  Participant,  such  notice  shall be
accompanied  by  appropriate  proof of the right of such  person or  persons  to
exercise the Option.

Until Participant (or his  representative as provided in Paragraph 5 hereof) has
been  issued  a  certificate  or  certificates   for  the  shares  as  acquired,
Participant shall possess no stockholder rights with respect to any such Stock.


10. Additional Withholding for Tax Purposes.
    ---------------------------------------
Upon  exercise  of an Option,  if the  restrictions  on any of the shares  being
purchased  thereunder shall have already lapsed,  then the Company will require,
at the  time  of  exercise,  an  additional  payment  equal  to  all  applicable
withholding  taxes which may be imposed on the  difference  between the purchase
price of such shares and the fair market value of such shares as of the exercise
date  (which  sum shall be paid in due course by the  Company to the  applicable
agencies as income taxes  withheld on income  resulting from the exercise of the
Option).

The Company will also  require,  in each year during which  restrictions  on any
shares purchased upon exercise of the Option shall lapse, a payment equal to all
applicable  withholding taxes which may be imposed on the difference between the
purchase  price of such shares and the faimarket  value of such shares as of the
date on which the restrictions lapse.

If a  Participant  elects,  in  accordance  with  Section  83(b) of the Internal
Revenue  Code of 1986 as  amended,  and  Section  9 of the  Plan,  to  recognize
ordinary  income  in the year of  exercise  with  respect  to the  shares  being
purchased upon exercise of the Option, then the Company will require at the time
of such election an additional payment equal to all applicable withholding taxes
which may be imposed on the difference between the purchase price of such shares
and the fair market value of such shares as of the exercise date.


11.  Changes in Capital  Structure.
     -----------------------------
If all or any portion of the Option shall be exercised  subsequent  to any stock
dividend  splitup,  recapitalization,   merger,  consolidation,  combination  or
exchange of shares, or otherwise, occurring after the date hereof, the aggregate
number of shares of the Stock subject to this Agreement and the Option price may
be proportionately  adjusted,  and any other appropriate  changes may be made by
the  Board  of  Directors  or  the  Committee,   whose  determination  shall  be
conclusive.  No fractional  share shall be issued upon any such exercise and the
aggregate price shall be reduced on account of any fractional  share not issued.
In no event, however, shall adjustment be made in the rate at which restrictions
against  disposition lapse and  Participant's  obligation of resale, as fixed by
Paragraph 6 and 7 hereof.


12.  Termination of Option.
     ---------------------
In the  event  of the  institution  of any  legal  proceedings  directed  to the
validity of the Plan  pursuant to which the Option is granted,  or to any option
granted under it, the Company may, in its discretion,  and without incurring any
liability therefor to any Participant, terminate the Option.



<PAGE>
13.  Enforceability.
     --------------
This agreement shall be binding upon the Participant,  his estate,  his personal
representatives and beneficiaries.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the Company has caused this Option Agreement to be executed
by its duly  authorized  officer,  and the Participant has hereunto set his hand
and seal, all on the day and year first above written.




        DATA GENERAL CORPORATION



        By: _______________________________
                Officer



        I have read and  understood  this Agreement and agree to be bound by its
        terms.

         ---------------------------------
         *name*






<PAGE>

                                  EXHIBIT A TO

                         EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

                             Dated: ________________




        The Option is immediately  exercisable  except as otherwise  provided in
the  Agreement.  During  the  term  of this  Option,  the  restrictions  against
disposition  and  obligation  of resale to the Company shall lapse so the shares
become  freely  tradeable  ("free  shares")  in  accordance  with the  following
schedule:



  # of Years From                                         Cumulative % of
   Date of Option           % of Grant Becoming           Grant Becoming
     Agreement                  Free Shares                 Free Shares
   -------------            ------------------             --------------