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From: knudsen@ihnss.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro,net.micro.6809
Subject: Re: OS-9 Query
Message-ID: <2157@ihnss.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Jul-84 13:43:20 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihnss.2157
Posted: Fri Jul 20 13:43:20 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Jul-84 03:58:46 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 20

<blank leader>

Someone asked about OS-9 in general.  First of all, I read in these newsgroups
some time ago that the 68000 version project had been abandoned, but perhaps
some employees quit and are keeping it alive.  Any good rumors?
The second question concerned OS9's similarity to UNIX (trademark of AT&T
Bell Labs).  Yes, OS-9 is a scaled-down UNIX -- same hierarchical file
system, devices==files, redirected and pipelined I/O, etc.  Modular structure
allows addition, removal, and replacement of device drivers, etc.
The OS-9 Shell is very primitive (no looping, conditionals, and worst of all
no * or ? filename lists), but thjis too could be upgraded when someone
writes a better one.  On the plus side, OS-9 lets you "load" (lock in RAM)
processes that you expect to use a lot, thus reducing accesses to the
floppies.  Finally, note that a Radio Shack Color COmputer ($200-260) plus
a disk drive ($325--$400) is all you need to get it running (Radio Shack
sells OS9 for $70, full C system for $100).  Of course versions are
available for high-end 6809 systems as well, including Level II which does
a lot more than the Shack version because more RAM and MMU are available.
See this year's issues of The Rainbow magazine (Color Computer, no relation to
the DEC Rainbow machine) for discussions of OS9's pros and cons.  mike k