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From: geoff@callan.UUCP (Geoff Kuenning)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: nroff terminal drivers - more help needed
Message-ID: <135@callan.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 30-Mar-84 20:33:05 EST
Article-I.D.: callan.135
Posted: Fri Mar 30 20:33:05 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Apr-84 01:42:50 EST
References: <367@rdin.UUCP>
Organization: Callan Data Systems, Westlake Village, CA
Lines: 49

>	The fact that they are stored under /usr/src would seem to indicate
>	that one would need a source license, but why should I need a
>	source license to create a driver table for a new printer?

		- Robert Perlberg

Sorry, Bob.  You made the mistake of assuming AT&T is (a) logical and
(b) concerned with the usability of Unix.  In fact, AT&T still (yes, even
since System V was released) assumes that *ALL* Unix installations are:

	(1) universities
	(2) with infinite funds
	(3) running on Vaxes (and no 730's or 810's, please!)
	(4) source-licensed
	(5) staffed with several Unix wizards
	(6) used only by PhD engineers and Unix gurus

This shows up time and time again when you try to run (or, god forbid, sell)
Unix on a single-drive micro with floppy backup.  Take a look at the
documentation;  it reeks of non-professionalism in both the programming and
the documentation itself.

An example:  in diff(1), under "Bugs" they say "Editing scripts produced under
the -e or-f option are naive about creating lines consisting of a single
perios (.)."  But what I want to know is this:

	WHY DON'T YOU GUYS ***FIX*** THE BUG, INSTEAD OF JUST DOCUMENTING IT
	AND CONSIDERING THAT SUFFICIENT?

It's not that hard;  I've looked at the code (and I intend to fix it as soon
as I have time).

Another example:  how many non-Bell installations use Bell modems/ACU's?
(silence).  But does Unix support the many intelligent modems on the market?
Nooooooo.

Logic does not bother Bell, nor do the realities of the market.  Nobody inside
Bell has ever taken the time to sit down, go through *all* of Unix, and figure
out what is needed to make it usable to the holder of a binary license.  Maybe
(hah!) they are planning on that for System VI (6? Version 6? 6th Edition?
Who understands about not confusing the customer with totally unnecessary
changes in numbering systems?) but I am not going to hold my breath for fear
of turning into IBM's colors.

	Geoff Kuenning
	Callan Data Systems
	...!ihnp4!sdcrdcf!trwrb!wlbr!callan!geoff

VAX?  Is that a 68000 with the bytes going the other way?