Long story short, win2k is easy to install and runs more software than NT. Most ppro boards have usb, nt4 doesn't really support usb (natively).

If you choose non winblows OS, that's your own thing.

Win2k just works. Just give it at least 256mb of ram.

Win2K seems most appropriate.
You can also try MicroXP - I often use it for a quick install and test albeit a PPro seems a bit underpowered for a more "modern" OS.

luckybob wrote on 2020-07-12, 05:08:

nt4 doesn't really support usb (natively).

I wonder about that. Do you think it was special install by Digital to support USB1.0 on their NT4- portables?

IIRC it was just a standard NT4 install that made it work fine (the PC Card slots however needed the drivers and CardWare software from an external company, and was included with the purchase of the machine)?

Another option, instead of choosing just one, is to install a dual boot config. That way you can choose which of the systems you want to start the machine with. You get NT4 historically, and performance wise better choice (even if NT 3.51 would have been even better in both those regards, I do not think that supports USB) and W2K with it's PnP, and better software/hardware support. Best of both worlds! 😀

gdjacobs wrote on 2020-07-11, 21:15:

luckybob wrote on 2020-07-11, 03:21:

Windows 2000.

PERIOD. End of discussion.

Why? BSD or Solaris might be interesting options depending on OP's knowledge base. A huge amount of PPro and similar gear was used to build many of the bigger mid 90s internet server infrastructures.

It could absolutely be interesting (I used to run FreeBSD in the mid 90'ies, and try out other systems like OS/2, etc.). That said; just like with Linux today, UNIX is a great system for servers, embedded and developer machines, but both the hardware support, and software support is most often severely lacking compared to common desktop systems (different versions of Windows and macOS), which often makes the different UNICES a less good choice for normal desktop users.

That was one of the reason why I quit using *BSD, OS/2, and other systems i had setup for multiboot for many years. With arrival of NT I could have the best compromise (for me, could be different needs/priorities for others) of both worlds; stable systems and good hardware and software support by third parties, at the same time.

Firstly how much memory do you have?

Why limit yourself to just one, on my Dual Socket 8 system I have 384 MB and all of NT4 SP6a + W2K SP4 + WXP SP3 installed on an 18GB DEC RZ2EA-LA SCSI drive.

Don't you guys realize you are just feeding a troll? OP does never respond to your answers, just bringing up new questions (if even) without any relation to your statements and out of context. Most of the time he chickens out of the discussion immediately after starting a topic.

It's a bot. I know its a bot.

But when people Google this question, I hope they find an answer.

blurks wrote on 2020-07-12, 11:19:

Don't you guys realize you are just feeding a troll? OP does never respond to your answers, just bringing up new questions (if even) without any relation to your statements and out of context. Most of the time he chickens out of the discussion immediately after starting a topic.

luckybob wrote on 2020-07-12, 11:36:

It's a bot. I know its a bot.

But when people Google this question, I hope they find an answer.

If he’s a bot, that’s some pretty advanced AI. He has responded directly to others and engaged in discussion in some threads.

If he’s a Troll just trying to stimulate discussion among the other users of these forums, that doesn’t seem like a horrible thing. If it bothers you, ignoring is an option.

If I had a system like that, I would probably install some old Slackware 3.X.

blurks wrote on 2020-07-12, 11:19:

Don't you guys realize you are just feeding a troll? OP does never respond to your answers, just bringing up new questions (if even) without any relation to your statements and out of context. Most of the time he chickens out of the discussion immediately after starting a topic.

Ok, did not know that. Thanks for the warning.

luckybob wrote on 2020-07-12, 11:36:

It's a bot. I know its a bot.

But when people Google this question, I hope they find an answer.

Ehehe.... in the beginning I thought it was an app installed by the moderators in order to create a FAQ base.

martinot wrote on 2020-07-12, 09:00:

It could absolutely be interesting (I used to run FreeBSD in the mid 90'ies, and try out other systems like OS/2, etc.). That said; just like with Linux today, UNIX is a great system for servers, embedded and developer machines, but both the hardware support, and software support is most often severely lacking compared to common desktop systems (different versions of Windows and macOS), which often makes the different UNICES a less good choice for normal desktop users.

That was one of the reason why I quit using *BSD, OS/2, and other systems i had setup for multiboot for many years. With arrival of NT I could have the best compromise (for me, could be different needs/priorities for others) of both worlds; stable systems and good hardware and software support by third parties, at the same time.

I'd argue that Linux has certainly caught up to MacOS in hardware and software support these days (Adobe's intransigence notwithstanding). Talking about period or near period software, yes, paying attention to hardware compatibility is definitely an important point, although BSD and Solaris were definitely oriented to running on this type of system, so hardware compatibility should be relatively good. The critical issue remains what the OP intends to do with his rig.

luckybob wrote on 2020-07-12, 11:36:

It's a bot. I know its a bot.

But when people Google this question, I hope they find an answer.

every time I get tricked into posting in one of its threads I kick myself

gdjacobs wrote on 2020-07-12, 16:32:

I'd argue that Linux has certainly caught up to MacOS in hardware and software support these days (Adobe's intransigence notwithstanding).

I work a lot with music,both DJ and production, as well as photography, and even if Linux got some software, it does not generally have any support at all from the AAA-vendors.

I have no problem with software for my Mac machines. macOS is generally equal to Windows regarding software in all types of creative areas, and even better in some cases (like Apples own Final Cut Pro and Logic).

gdjacobs wrote on 2020-07-12, 16:32:

Talking about period or near period software, yes, paying attention to hardware compatibility is definitely an important point, although BSD and Solaris were definitely oriented to running on this type of system, so hardware compatibility should be relatively good.

For server things; sure. Great support for *BSD and other UNICES (including Solaris x86).

For general desktop apps, like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, etc; not so much.

For printers, scanners, sound cards, graphics cards, and other desktop stuff; it is often the same (generally poor) situation.

gdjacobs wrote on 2020-07-12, 16:32:

The critical issue remains what the OP intends to do with his rig.

But why not install several systems and multiboot? Choose what you want when you start up. 😀

That is what I used to do in the beginning and middle of the 90:ies. Had multiboot menu on my computer for MS-DOS 6/Win3.11, FreeBSD 2.x, OS/2 Warp 3/4 and Windows NT 3.x/4 (and for some time also Windows 95, until I got tired of it's crashes).

Come to think of it, the USB support criterium is difficult...

* Pentium Pro boards come with USB - therefore W2K

but...

* W2K is from 2000, and PPro was discontinued with the introduction of Xeon, ie. 1998
* In the PPro era, there was virtually no USB devices, USB was even nicknamed "Useless Serial Bus", it finally began to change with the release of W98 - the first system with mature(*) USB support
* USB - especially its first versions - was consumer-oriented, definitely not something you would want to use with a powerful dual PPro

So, if you care about your machine being period-correct, then install NT4, and don't connect any USB stuff, instead use eg. external SCSI

(*) - well, it was supposed to be mature, but: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKy9fV_zX_o

lolo799 wrote on 2020-07-10, 10:49:

The title should have been "what is the best Windows OS for a dual PPro"! […]
Show full quote

The title should have been "what is the best Windows OS for a dual PPro"!

Cause the answer concerning compatibility and driver support is this:
https://web.archive.org/web/20000815094229/ht … list_intel.html
But it all comes down to what you want to do with the computer anyway...

Or maybe OPENSTEP can be a good candidate too:
http://www.shawcomputing.net/resources/next/h … tibility_1.html

OPENSTEP does not support more than one processor (SMP). Its eventual successor Mac OS X does.

I would second in saying BeOS would be a fantastic choice for a dual Pentium Pro system. It's period-accurate and has excellent performance, it was written from the ground up with SMP in mind. Of course, it's not compatible with DOS and Windows software, so you might want to install DOS or Windows on a different partition and dual boot.

martinot wrote on 2020-07-12, 20:19:

I work a lot with music,both DJ and production, as well as photography, and even if Linux got some software, it does not generally have any support at all from the AAA-vendors.

Not all of them, no, but there is support from some AAA vendors and in some categories, proprietary software has been completely supplanted. If you want to stick with a specific application, though, you go where the ISV sends you.

martinot wrote on 2020-07-12, 20:19:

I have no problem with software for my Mac machines. macOS is generally equal to Windows regarding software in all types of creative areas, and even better in some cases (like Apples own Final Cut Pro and Logic).

Logic and FCP aren't the best of breed any more, though. Logic is competing with Cubase, Reaper, Studio One, and others. FCP lost a lot feature wise with the Great Redesign and competitors have definitely picked up the slack.

martinot wrote on 2020-07-12, 20:19:

For server things; sure. Great support for *BSD and other UNICES (including Solaris x86).

For general desktop apps, like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, etc; not so much.

Well, Windows NT wasn't even the greatest desktop operating system circa 1995.

martinot wrote on 2020-07-12, 20:19:

For printers, scanners, sound cards, graphics cards, and other desktop stuff; it is often the same (generally poor) situation.

For period correct software, yes.

martinot wrote on 2020-07-12, 20:19:

But why not install several systems and multiboot? Choose what you want when you start up. 😀

I don't disagree. Which operating systems do you recommend multi-booting?

OP still needs to decide what he wants to do.

* In the PPro era, there was virtually no USB devices, USB was even nicknamed "Useless Serial Bus"

Who cares? It's <insert current year> now and you can use some USB mouse or drop files from flash.

* W2K is from 2000, and PPro was discontinued with the introduction of Xeon, ie. 1998

Yet again, who cares, if it's objectively better to install W2K on Pentium Pro?

Don't see the point of USB on any retro rigs at all, Don't even use it on my XP rigs
Keyboard/Mouse either set legacy support in bios or even better the PS2 ports and let a converter do all the work.
File Transfer, CD for the big things like OS and once that's up network is more convenient and reliable.
Maybe a game controller? by this point Win98 will probably be a viable option.
Is there something else I'm missing?

chinny22 wrote on 2020-07-13, 10:27:

Don't see the point of USB on any retro rigs at all, Don't even use it on my XP rigs Keyboard/Mouse either set legacy support in […]
Show full quote

Don't see the point of USB on any retro rigs at all, Don't even use it on my XP rigs
Keyboard/Mouse either set legacy support in bios or even better the PS2 ports and let a converter do all the work.
File Transfer, CD for the big things like OS and once that's up network is more convenient and reliable.
Maybe a game controller? by this point Win98 will probably be a viable option.
Is there something else I'm missing?

USB is a life saver for other reasons, I can move my joystick and gamepad around seamlessly without having to turn anything off