>Hi All
>
>I've inherited a client that is running Foxpro 2.x on Unix. The app is run on dumb terminals connected to the Unix box. Question: Can a PC drive letter map to directories on a Unix box? If so, then I can make the unix box into a file server and upgrade the dumb terminals to PCs.
>
>What alternatives are available to allow a VFP app to run on Unix?

You can't run a VFP app natively on *n?x. FP 2.x was the last native *n?x version.

There are emulators available that create a Windows box on *n?x (WINE rings a bell). There is also a product called VMWare that creates a virtual machine on top of which you can run multiple OSs simultaneously. In the case of emulators, I don't know if any are sufficiently advanced to support the full, current W32 spec, which is probably required for envelope-pushing VFP. VMWare requires substantial horsepower to run which probably isn't available on FP 2.x-class hardware, and I'm not sure it's suitable to your situation anyways.

Using the *n?x box as a PC file server - this is possible only if the *n?x machine can act as a Microsoft-compatible SMB server - typically by running a process like Samba (on Linux). I don't know if an SMB server is available for the OS on the box your client has now. It might be simpler and cheaper to replace it with a W2K Pro or Server box on a new PC than to mess around with the box they have now.

I have a client with all Windows desktops and all Linux/Samba servers totalling over 240GB storage, running FPD2.x and VFP5 apps just fine. However, the Linux boxes are modern and were purpose-built for this environment, not an upgrade of old hardware they happened to have lying around.

Your best bet is probably to get the data off the *n?x box entirely (file conversion may be necessary) and migrate it to the PC environment, and rewrite as a native VFP app. Incidentally being able to run Office on users' desks, share printers etc. might be enough justification all by itself.