Subject: C on an SGI R8000

From: Phil Bays <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 22 Feb 1995 09:40:15 -0500 (EST)

Here is a question about development software as it relates to 
computaitonal chemistry.  

There are many sources of good free software for unix boxes in various 
ftp sites about which most of us are aware.  That software, for a variety 
of good reasons, is availble is source code format (both so that users 
can modify for their own purposes, and so that compilation can be 
machine and locally specific.)   

My problem is that SGI does not supply a c compiler with their hardware 
when purchased.  You have to buy the separate package.  I currently have 
an R8000 and as far as I know, gcc has not yet been ported to that platform.

I talked with my local SGI rep yesterday and was told that the list price 
for C is $1500 (not too bad) and the yearly maintenence contract lists at 
$1440 (absurd!).  

Here is the question:  Does this pricing represent the standard approach 
by vendors?  Have any of you used the current version of C on the R8000 
and is it stable.   I would hate to sepnd the purchase price without the 
maintenece and then find the next week that the code was buggy and needed 
updated.

Phil Bays
[email-masked]
[email-masked]