Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!mejac!orchard.la.locus.com!fafnir.la.locus.com!fafnir.la.locus.com!richard From: richard@locus.com (Richard M. Mathews) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards Subject: Re: Dual Universes Message-ID: Date: 26 Apr 91 01:35:24 GMT References: <130311@uunet.UU.NET> Organization: Locus Computing Corporation, Los Angeles, California Lines: 35 rbj@uunet.UU.NET (Root Boy Jim) writes: >Given this state of affairs (pre POSIX) how do y'all feel >about the relative merits of dual universes vs merged systems? The survival of Unix depends on portability. The marketplace perceives portability (rightly or not) as being the biggest advantage of Unix, so portability must be a major concern of Unix system developers. New systems with new features will always come up. If we do not periodically push everything back together, the set of Unix systems will diverge to the point of uselessness. The split between BSD and AT&T is becoming less significant with merged systems such as AIX and SVR4. On the other hand, new splits (OSF versus UI?) will pop up. The universe model will fall apart when it turns into a huge menu system: choose one from each column BSD OSF X FOO AT&T UI Y BAR POSIX Let's merge BSD and SysV now, resolve the conflicts, then start over inventing new features to create the next generation of splitting. At least that split will have started from just one place. On AIX there are only a few commands left (nm and tr are the only ones which come to mind) which are not completely merged. It is wonderful to not have to remember whether each particular feature I use comes from this system or that one. I don't have to worry about which universe I'm in right now -- I know that each feature I want is always there. I can just type "stty crt -ixany", and I know it will work. Richard M. Mathews D efend richard@locus.com E stonian-Latvian-Lithuanian lcc!richard@seas.ucla.edu I ndependence ...!{uunet|ucla-se|turnkey}!lcc!richard