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From: bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: net.unix
Subject: Re: ATT SVR3 distribution
Message-ID: <1835@bu-cs.bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: Sun, 12-Oct-86 12:01:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: bu-cs.1835
Posted: Sun Oct 12 12:01:15 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 13-Oct-86 00:43:38 EDT
Organization: Boston U. Comp. Sci.
Lines: 38


Ok Guy (and others from SUN), here's a question that you cannot answer
because policy does not permit it at this time and all that, but answer
it anyhow, we won't tell...

When SUN et al migrates to a compatible 4.2/SYSV utility base will part
of that migration be:

 if [ "$DISTTYPE" = "STANDARD" ]; then
	rm -rf /usr/bin/nroff /usr/bin/troff /usr/lib/tmac /usr/man
 fi

?

Allow me to say it is this unbundling in SYSV that is making me recommend
to my institution to stay away from SYSV like a plague, future costs of
software and negotiating multitudinous licensing agreement are just too
unpredictable (and I see no reason to use our $$ to encourage it.)

Other vendors? This is not a flame at SUN, I only address them because
they are actually dealing with the issue, I suspect the other vendors
will just start hitting us by surprise when the issues start to become
more clear. Under current policies we buy SUNs like kids in a candy store.

[FLAME]

I claim that ATTIS' unbundling of pieces of UNIX and charging extra
for them is due to an utter failure by them to provide add-on, new
software to make a living off of, unbundling things that were there
already is such an unsavory way to make a living, a total admission of
failure and indicative of an organization in a serious degenerative
state (ATTIS that is), unable to do anything new, janitors of a lost
civilization roaming the great halls with brooms where hammers once
rang proudly...[enough, Barry, enough!]

	-Barry Shein, Boston University

"AT&T...we made UNIX...expensive"