Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!ames!bionet!apple!altos!altos86!ti From: ti@altos86.Altos.COM (Ti Kan) Newsgroups: comp.unix.internals Subject: Re: UNIX KERNEL SOURCE CODE ?? Message-ID: <4526@altos86.Altos.COM> Date: 4 Jan 91 00:38:43 GMT References: <1990Dec22.220835.45661@cc.usu.edu> <1991Jan3.112435.5509@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> Reply-To: ti@altos86.UUCP (Ti Kan) Organization: Altos Computer Systems, San Jose, CA Lines: 24 In article <1991Jan3.112435.5509@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> bc@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Ben Cox) writes: >Minix is terrific. It goes for around $80, not including the book (whose exact >title I forget) which is available separately for around $50. Check the group >comp.os.minix for details -- there is a monthly post which gives the details. >Minix is a very good way to learn the basics about how the kernel works, >although it's not *really* the same. Minix is not at all like real UNIX. The design and source is _completely_ different. Minix supports no virtual memory, and many customary UNIX kernel functionality (such as the filesystem and process scheduling) are implemented as user processes that communicate with the kernel via a special message scheme. Minix is useful for a student learning about a possible way to approach operating system design, but it is _not_ useful as a tool to learn about the internals of real UNIX (whichever flavor of UNIX you prefer, be it System V, BSD, Xenix, or whatever) because of the drastic differences, and it is certainly _not_ a useful OS to do real work on due to its limitations. -Ti -- Ti Kan | vorsprung durch technik! \\\ Internet: ti@altos.com \\\ UUCP: ...!{sun|sco|pyramid|amdahl|uunet}!altos!ti /// \\\ The opinions herein are not necessarily those of Altos. ////////\