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Ask Slashdot: Finding Legacy UnixWare Installation Media?

Posted by timothy on from the check-the-wine-cellar dept.

First time accepted submitter lukpac writes "We have an old (ancient) Unisys server in production that hosts a legacy system and are attempting to virtualize it. Unfortunately we don't have a generic UnixWare (2.1.2) installation CD, just a Unisys-specific one, and given the recent unpleasantness (see Groklaw for details), SCO isn't much of an option. We're not looking at pirating it (as above, we do still have the Unisys-specific media), but do need a generic copy of UnixWare. What options, if any, are available?"

6 of 193 comments (clear)

  1. Re:no p2v for unix? by MightyMartian · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yes, it's called dd.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  2. Re:dd by Billly+Gates · · Score: 5, Informative

    Update

    You need Unixware 7.1 to run. DD wont work as it is not a VMWare image disk file.

    I know the cost of a new license is $699 per CPU plus $1999 for a TCP/IP, but I would upgrade. The business reason is your ancient 15 year old server is going to die. All it takes is a single prolonged power outage like the one in New York City that your APC can keep on forever and your ancient PSU is TOAST! Systems that old do not reboot reliable.

    So your business case it to virtualize it so it can run on newer hardware forever and you wont be caught with your pants down if something happens and it will on such an ancient beast. So buy a new shiny Linux box, install VMWorkstation (VSX or VSPhere is waaaay too expensive unless you run a server farm/data center) and install a fresh copy of Unixware 7.x on a virtual machine and over the network copy the program, config files, and database files. With virtualization you can consolidate and you can put more things on the same box to save power like your DNS Server or a Windows file share too on a different vms to cut down on the amount of servers.

    Good luck.

    --
    http://saveie6.com/
  3. Re:no p2v for unix? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Seriously, systems this old need to be retired.

    Seriously, that isn't always an option.

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  4. Re:Private Message Me? by AdamHaun · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've been ... oddly, collecting original installation CDs, and licenses (valid) for dozens and dozens of OSes for years. I have early versions and later ones, slackware, unixware, irix, and many others.

    Send me a message ...

    You know you posted as AC, right?

    --
    Visit the
  5. Re:dd by Billly+Gates · · Score: 5, Informative

    Newer Update

    The poster is screwed. If it is u6000 Unisys model it uses a iAPX-86 family cpu. No it is not x86 compatible. So if something does happen your employer goes out of business! Find out asap what kind of Unisys system it is!!

    Newer business plan ...
    My recommendation is to migrate to another platform and start over. Your boss will hate that! Your workers will hate that! Your accountants will hate that! But you need to be able to migrate to a platform that can at least run on a virtual machine forever and ever and not be caught with your pants down again. I do not know how important this server is or what it does or hopefully does not have ancient database records needed for daily operation GOD FORBID.

    Make a business case with the owners or IT department depending on size and say we have A LIABILITY. Liability gets there attention fast and explain you are one outage or parts failure from disaster that you can't recover from. It will cost money and workers who resist change will hate you and complain how great the other product is, but ask them how much it will cost when it dies?

    Believe it or not there are workers who hate leaving IE 6 and 7 behind too. Just because it was what htey used for 10 years even though they used Firefox from home. Your intentions of just replacing SCO in a VM are a good one but from how I see it you just discovered a big problem that a good IT employer would recommend to fix.

    Again Good Luck

    --
    http://saveie6.com/
  6. Old SCO by iCEBaLM · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Slightly off topic but I'd like to share it:

    Old SCO was pretty classy, they had their "Free license" Unixware 7 advertized on their site, but you had to pay for a "media kit" for about $100. Being a poor uppity teenager, I emailed them asking where I could download the media in order to take advantage of their free license. They asked for my address.

    Three days later I had a DHL shipped media kit box with over 20 discs in total. I was sad to see them sell Unixware off.