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From: phi@insearch.cam.org (phi)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Was Re: Ftp'able POSIX ANSI drafts
Message-ID: <27802@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Date: 18 Aug 90 05:50:53 GMT
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>From: ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum)
>Subject: Re: Ftp'able ANSI C and POSIX drafts.

>In article <27719@nigel.ee.udel.edu> phi@insearch.cam.org (phi) writes:
>>Hello Gurus,
>>		I have been reading here about ANSIfication and POSIXfication
>>		for Minix. Does this mean that when (v2.0 ?) Minix is fully
>>		POSIX conformant and equiped with an ANSI C compiler (next
>>		release of ACK-C for Minix ?) then I can compile and run any
>>		program written in ANSI C for POSIX conformant systems, under
>>		Minix ?

>Pretty much.  However, there are a couple of caveats.  POSIX has some
>options, such as job control.  An application that makes (incorrect)
>assumptions about which options are present will not work.  However, an
>application that only uses those features REQUIRES to be present, should
>work on MINIX, subject to the 64K + 64K address space limit on the PC.
			       ^^^^^^^^^
>That will be around for the near future, anyway.

	Oh, no, please. Memory chips are getting dirt cheap now, and it's
	getting harder and harder to find the 64K chip :-)

	Many of us are true PC-Minix followers since the time of non-
	existent ST-Minix, now suddenly find that PC-Minix is only a toy
	in comparison to ST-Minix now. Sigh.

>Also be aware that there are not many POSIX applications at present.  A
>POSIX conformant system will not necessarily run BSD or System V programs
>unless these restrict themselves to using only features mandated by POSIX.

	No problems. If you remove the 64K + 64K barrier, I believe a lot
	of the many millions bits of software (whether copyrighted or copy-
	lefted or copyfronted or copybacked :-) currently floating around
	will be POSIXized for Minix.

	Caveat: It is then harder to control the growth of Minix.

>Andy Tanenbaum (ast@cs.vu.nl)

	Thank you for giving birth to Minix and comp.os.minix.



	Phi-Ho Hoang.

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