Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!umich!yale!husc6!husc4!huang
From: huang@husc4.HARVARD.EDU (Howard Huang)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: UNIX on the Apple II?
Message-ID: <1299@husc6.harvard.edu>
Date: 19 Jan 90 00:54:02 GMT
References: <113300242@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> <6935@wpi.wpi.edu>
Sender: news@husc6.harvard.edu
Reply-To: huang@husc4.UUCP (Howard Huang)
Organization: Harvard University Science Center   Cambridge, MA
Lines: 33

In article <6935@wpi.wpi.edu> greyelf@wpi.wpi.edu (Michael J Pender) writes:
>In article <113300242@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> saa33413@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu writes:
>>
>>Here's my question.  UNIX was written in C.  Given this fact, one could
>>theoretically run UNIX on any computer with a C compiler.  The Apple II has
>>several C compilers.  Theoretically, you could therefore run UNIX on an Apple
>>II. 
>
>If a person developed a new file system, they'd have to develop the 
>utilities to use the system: disk copiers, recreation tools, editors,
>etc.  It COULD be done, but it would be easier to add a c shell
>to the existing prodos system.  

I would say the main reason to use UNIX instead of ProDOS, MS-DOS, etc.
is to support a multi-user environment -- e.g., many people logged onto
terminals connected to a VAX. If all UNIX handled was files and compilers,
it wouldn't have any advantages over any other PC operating system. 
Actually, its cryptic commands like "ls" and "cp" would put it at a
disadvantage unless someone added a GUI. 

Trying to keep track of several people sharing resources on a single computer
presents many problems.  For example, synchronizing processes, deciding 
which user gets how much CPU time, allocating RAM to individual users, 
protection and privileges to avoid other people reading your files, etc.

This all requires lots of processing power and lots of RAM and lots of
storage space.  I think A/UX for the Mac ships on an 80MB hard drive.
Putting UNIX on a IIgs is a pretty big task.  Without lots of additional
equipment and a faster processor it doesn't seem very promising.


Howard C. Huang
huang@husc4.harvard.edu