Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!unmvax!bbx!bbxsda!scott
From: scott@bbxsda.UUCP (Scott Amspoker)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Re: Some *really* basic questions
Message-ID: <417@bbxsda.UUCP>
Date: 6 Dec 89 16:28:57 GMT
References: <9309@spool.cs.wisc.edu>
Reply-To: scott@bbxsda.UUCP (Scott Amspoker)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Basis International,  Albuquerque, NM
Lines: 23

In article <9309@spool.cs.wisc.edu> rose@galtee.cs.wisc.edu (Scott Rose) writes:
>In what ways does Xenix differ from, say, System V Unix?  I notice now that
>SCO has a System V lookalike as a separate product; how does this differ
>from Xenix?  If vastly, what good is Xenix?  If not much, why two products?
>I am only interested in answers as they relate to a 386 platform.  

Xenix was originally created by Microsoft as an alternative to the 
expensive Unix license.  As I understand it, they took the actual
Unix source code, fixed some bugs, and added some features (such as
file/record locking).  Six years ago, Xenix was kind of a cross
between ATT Unix and Berkley Unix.  Xenix can be thought of as another 
"flavor" of Unix.  I have found the differences between the
two to be minor (at least as far as the kernel goes).

Today, the need for Xenix is not as great since ATT Unix is cheaper
and easier to get.  SCO understands this and is merging the two
into one system (called Unix).  Xenix will eventually go away.

-- 
Scott Amspoker
Basis International, Albuquerque, NM
(505) 345-5232
unmvax.cs.unm.edu!bbx!bbxsda!scott