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From: jfh@killer.UUCP (John Haugh)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: UNIX - the "don't worry about it" operating system?
Message-ID: <1089@killer.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 3-Jul-87 13:27:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: killer.1089
Posted: Fri Jul  3 13:27:31 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 5-Jul-87 01:19:17 EDT
References: <17108@glacier.STANFORD.EDU>
Organization: The Unix(tm) Connection, Dallas, Texas
Lines: 43
Keywords: locking safety integrity security
Summary: But these aren't problems for the operating system.

In article <17108@glacier.STANFORD.EDU>, jbn@glacier.STANFORD.EDU (John B. Nagle) writes:
> 
>      It strikes me that problems that were solved with immense effort in
> other operating systems are generally ignored in UNIX, with amazingly
> little effect.  Consider the recent discussion on backing up "live" file
> systems.  Let me summarize the UNIX atttude.
> 
>      File system integrity: "Sometimes the dump tapes will be bad, and
>      Spoolers: "Well, sometimes the spoolers hang up, but just become
>      Locking: "Aren't lock files good enough?  Even under NFS they almost
>      Security: "Well, it isn't the system's fault if the users aren't
>      System administration: "Of course it's complicated.  What did you
> 
> Recognize that solutions are known for all these problems and there
> have been operating systems in which they were adequately addressed.
> UNIX addresses all of these problems inadequately.  Somehow this bothers me.

At my site, I like to be able to make live backups, fix the spoolers by
hand, not have to fight file locking that doesn't realize I am root, and
let users share files.  As far as system administration being complicated,
far from it.  I've been administrating unix systems for years and never
thought it was that hard.

What bothers me is how other systems are so complex that mistakes are
made as a result of their complexity.  My favorite example is VMS.  If
I remember correctly, adding users was handled by a program named
AUTHORIZE.  The number of entries required to add a single user was
large enough that it was impracticle to add more than two or three
users at a time.  So when it came time to add the CSCI students, they
created a big .COM file, and ran that.  Of course, VMS had clear-text
passwords entered when users were added, so all it took was finding
the right location for this file.  (Which had the suggestive name ADD.COM)

Unix is not a megalithic operating system like OS/360.  Everything
is not included.  I remember reading something by Dennis, or Ken or one
of those guys that said something to the effect that Unix was an
I/O multiplexor more than a typical operating system.  (Dennis, feel
free to jump in now ...)

There is a way to do what VMS or PRIMOS does within Unix.  (Well, most
of it anyway, some of the stupid things can only be done in VMS :-).

- John.