Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!masscomp!peora!tarpit!bilver!wbeebe
From: wbeebe@bilver.uucp (Bill Beebe)
Newsgroups: comp.os.coherent
Subject: Re: What's the difference ...
Keywords: SysVR3 diffs
Message-ID: <1991Apr6.165841.7850@bilver.uucp>
Date: 6 Apr 91 16:58:41 GMT
References: <1991Apr5.225609.19814@cbfsb.att.com>
Distribution: na
Organization: W. J. Vermillion - Winter Park, FL
Lines: 28

In article <1991Apr5.225609.19814@cbfsb.att.com> marz@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (martin.zam) writes:
>If Coherent and Minix are not System V release 3, how far off are they?
>Can all/most/some applications be ported from System V with a simple
>recompile?  If not, what's missing?  For that matter, what if anything
>is gained?  I'm wondering about buying one or both of these OS's.
>
>I would really like to hear from users of both System V release 3 and
>one of these more affordable alternatives.  
>
>Will these OS's run on a 386 machine?  What do I gain or lose here?
>BTW, Is System V release three available for the same hardware as Coherent
>and Minix from any vendor?
>
I run Minix, which has always tried to be Release 7 compliant (the last
"great" release before the split that lead to current System V and BSD).
As for 386 extensions, they exist, and are supported in the comp.os.minix.
You do _NOT_ get 386 support with the PH 1.5, although you do get 286
protected mode and virtual consoles ala SCO Xenix. Minix is a classical
hacker's OS; it comes with full source, and can be modified and twisted
to your heart's content.

If you want System V and all the assurances and hand holding that go with
it, then go buy it. Coherent gives you a shrink-wrap version of Unix that
you can bring up and experiment with, while Minix allows you to go down into
the internals of an excellent Version 7 implementation and actually learn
something meaty and useful about operating systems. Make up your mind and
pick the one that best fits your needs, and quit wishing for a Mercedes at
VW bug prices.