Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!pyramid!decwrl!cookie.dec.com!devine
From: devine@cookie.dec.com (Bob Devine)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Ultrix == Unix
Message-ID: <8803112014.AA05869@decwrl.dec.com>
Date: 11 Mar 88 20:14:20 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 25

Subject: Re: Help us defend against VMS!
 
In article <867@unmvax.unm.edu> mike@turing.UNM.EDU (Michael I. Bushnell) writes:
 
> Now, we all know that Ultrix isn't really UNIX, and that it probably
> should be thrown out the window, but [...]

  Ok, so *what* is Unix.  Is it something that comes out of
UC-Berkeley?  Out of Mt. Xinu?  Is it Version 7?  System III?
Reimplementations like Venix, or Minix or RMS's current effort?
Or is just what AT&T packages as System V?  In that case, is it 
Release 1, 2, 3, or 4?  And release for which machine -- 3b5s? 3b20s?
What about research versions?  An old line is that "Unix is
whatever is currently running on Dennis Ritchie's machine".

  Or is your working definition based upon a test like SVVS?
If so, what do you call all the past versions that never passed
SVVS?  How about making the test something that is not controlled
by one of the vendors.  That is what Posix is for!  And when
Posix is ready, DEC has said Ultrix will be compliant.

  Just because you "all know" something does not make it true.
Something to consider is that Berkeley runs Ultrix on its
department machines because of the support available.

Bob Devine