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From: thomps@gitpyr.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Some thoughts
Message-ID: <2993@gitpyr.gatech.EDU>
Date: Sat, 31-Jan-87 14:02:10 EST
Article-I.D.: gitpyr.2993
Posted: Sat Jan 31 14:02:10 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Feb-87 00:09:15 EST
References: <17128@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Lines: 39
Keywords: AmigaDOS, MINIX, UNIX, GNU
Summary: Couple of comments

In article <17128@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>, robinson@shadow.Berkeley.EDU (Mike Robinson) writes:
> Why does everyone want to run MINIX?  Because it's like UNIX, of course!
> People don't want MINIX because it has underlying similarities to UNIX; it
> simply doesn't.  In fact, it seems that underneath, MINIX more closely
> resembles AmigaDOS than UNIX.
> People want to run MINIX because it has the look and feel of their favorite
> environment, and because UNIX software will work with it.

Many people are excited about MINIX becomes with the sources and a book

describing all the details of its design and development. People in

this news group are always complaining about a lack of information

about the guts of AmigaDos and you can't change it if you don't like it.

> It seems to me that the only thing necessary for a UNIX environment on the
> Amiga, that is even more free than MINIX, is a (loosely) organized and
> (loosely) coordinated effort to duplicate the environment, with duplication
> as the explicit goal.  This would be somewhat along the lines of the GNU 
> project, but would have a tremendous head start in that we already have an
> operating system (the hard part).  In fact, much of the software generated
> by the GNU project would be easily ported to the Amiga.

I question how closely it you have looked a the GNU software. It is huge.

GNU emacs wouldn't even come clode to fitting on a 512K Amiga so it might

not be as easy as you think. Don't forget also that the ultimate goal of the

GNU project is to produce a clone of the UNIX kernel.

I don't disagree with your conclusions on MINIX. I think it will be a
hacker's delight but not a commercially viable operating system.
-- 
Ken Thompson  Phone : (404) 894-7089
Georgia Tech Research Institute
Georgia Insitute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
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