Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!bcsaic!paula
From: paula@bcsaic.UUCP (Paul Allen)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: MINIX -- why?
Message-ID: <993@bcsaic.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-Apr-87 23:18:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: bcsaic.993
Posted: Thu Apr 30 23:18:28 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 3-May-87 06:30:25 EDT
References: <2055@uwmcsd1.UUCP>
Reply-To: paula@bcsaic.UUCP (Paul Allen)
Followup-To: comp.os.minix
Distribution: all
Organization: Boeing Computer Services AI Center, Seattle
Lines: 40
Summary: Because I like it.


cmaag@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Christopher N Maag) writes:
>     What is the big deal about MINX?  It seems to me that a product such
>as this one is not real exciting.  There are many "UNIX-like" operating systems
>available that are reasonably priced.  For instance, I use a product called
>PCNX by a company called Wendin.  It retails for $99, and although it doesn't
	[description of PCNX deleted]
>     This product is available bug-free today.  (Actually, it's been around 
>for about a year now)  The company that wrote it provides excellent support.
>I guess I don't really understand what all the fuss is about with MINIX.

Christopher, you're the first person I've heard say anything really nice
about Wendin's PCNX.  Some of the comments I've heard are: it's buggy;
it doesn't run most DOS software; it's really VMS underneath, and so not
very unix-like; it crashes.  I would really like for Wendin to succeed,
so I'm happy to hear that you are a satisfied user.  

Perhaps the reason you can't get excited about MINIX is that you
*are* a user.  That's not a put-down, just an observation.  MINIX is a
hacker's operating system.  It will probably be slow.  The hard disk
driver is apparently buggy.  It won't run *any* DOS software.  But, from
a programmer's point of view, it is *very* close to V7 unix.  There are
people out there working on uucp, TCP/IP, and packet radio for minix!  I
haven't seen that kind of excitement generated by any of the other
unix-like DOS enhancements.  

I don't plan to use minix to do any useful things anytime soon.  Its going 
to take months to convert the floppy, winchester, and console drivers to 
run on my non-IBM machine.  I plan to hack on MINIX for fun!

Paul

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Paul L. Allen                           | "Look out, men! He's armed!"
Boeing Advanced Technology Center       |        "I've got a cheese grater,
                                        |        and I'm not afraid to use it!"
                                        | "Don't make it any harder 
paula@boeing.com                        | on yourself, kid! Drop it!"
...!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!bcsaic!paula      |        "Eat mozzarella, copper!"