Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!jsq From: sp@gregoire.osf.fr (Simon Patience) Newsgroups: comp.std.unix Subject: Re: recent history of Unix evolution Message-ID: <17710@cs.utexas.edu> Date: 7 Feb 91 10:08:32 GMT References: <17653@cs.utexas.edu> <17405@cs.utexas.edu> <17631@cs.utexas.edu> <17653@cs.utexas.edu>, Sender: jsq@cs.utexas.edu Reply-To: sp@gregoire.osf.fr (Simon Patience) Organization: OSF Research Institute Lines: 42 Approved: jsq@cs.utexas.edu (Moderator, John S. Quarterman) X-Submissions: std-unix@uunet.uu.net Submitted-by: sp@gregoire.osf.fr (Simon Patience) In article <17653@cs.utexas.edu>, rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) writes: > sp@gregoire.osf.fr (Simon Patience) writes, among explanations of OSF > history and status, that: > > > OSF/1, simplistically, is the integration of Mach 2.5 microkernel and > > BSD 4.4... > > This is incorrect on two counts. First, Mach 2.5 is not a "microkernel" > implementation--it still contains conventional kernel functions. By this statement I was trying to imply that it was only the microkernel part of the Mach 2.5 distribution that was used and not the Unix part (although for the pedants, I'm sure a line or two slipped in). In fact the Mach 3.0 kernel was based on the 2.5 "microkernel" and only the IPC interfaces changed significantly (although again I'm sure other changes have been made, sigh, the things you have to do to protect against flames) > Second, OSF/1 could not have > integrated BSD 4.4, because BSD 4.4 is not done yet--at least not accor- > ding to the folks at Berkeley! Probably what is meant here is that OSF/1 > has incorporated some of the Berkeley "Reno" code, Reno being the name > attached to a pre-4.4 release of code intended for developers who want to > try it out and shake out the bugs. Well, I did say *simplistically*. In fact OSF and Berkeley worked closely sharing what was to become 4.3 Reno and will become 4.4. Bugs found and fixed at OSF will be in 4.4 and vice versa. If you had wanted a technically precise and accurate description then you can always attend the OSF/1 internals course. Simon. Simon Patience Open Software Foundation Phone: +33-76-63-48-72 Research Institute FAX: +33-76-51-05-32 2 Avenue De Vignate Email: sp@gr.osf.org 38610 Gieres, France uunet!gr.osf.org!sp Volume-Number: Volume 22, Number 115