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From: plocher%sally@Sun.COM (John Plocher)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: Unix for a 386.
Message-ID: <123668@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 25 Aug 89 23:13:23 GMT
References: <1989Aug16.020438.5662@esegue.uucp> <7186@megatest.UUCP> <1792@crdgw1.crd.ge.com> <509@loft386.UUCP> <1989Aug24.210014.1854@eci386.uucp>
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Reply-To: plocher@sun.UUCP (John Plocher)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 31

>I would
>guess that the crippling is in getty, or login because I understand you

Microport's setup involved getty and kernel internals - if you replaced
getty with your own version then the system would fail to boot and print a "L"
on the screen.  The intent was to have a user call in and "give himself in" - 

	Hi, Tech Support? 
				Yes, who is this?
	John Q Customer
				Support Number?
	123456789
				What's the problem?
	When I Boot it hangs after printing a "L" ....
				You have a "Limited" version?
	Well, uh, yes
				Were trying to bypass the limit?
	Uh...
				Let me transfer you to Sales - they can sell you
				a Ultd user Upgrade...


Why?  Because AT&T wanted $150/copy for a ultd user system base package.  Microport
wanted to be able to charge $99/copy for their low-end product.  They negotiated
with ATT and came to an agreement that Microport would modify the system to 
prevent more than 2 users at the same time and ATT would only charge $50/copy.

I didn't like this policy, but without it the entry price for Unix back then would
have been closer to $300...

	-John Plocher