Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bu-cs!bzs
From: bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: SVR3.0 vs BSD4.3
Message-ID: <20768@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: 20 Mar 88 19:12:51 GMT
References: <12414@brl-adm.ARPA> <4361@megaron.arizona.edu> <7499@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Organization: Boston U. Comp. Sci.
Lines: 35
In-reply-to: gwyn@brl-smoke.ARPA's message of 20 Mar 88 05:32:48 GMT



Doug, I tend to agree with you that SVR3 has really pushed SystemV
ahead and is promising to contribute a lot to the Unix community and
improve all variants of Unix as they move towards a common standard.

Other than job control and the user's view of the terminal handler
(both of which are probably reasonably bridged with ksh, so the Bourne
shell's lack is probably becoming moot) I'd still have to point out
the System V file system which is vastly inferior to BSD's rework in
some non-ignorable ways.

I don't see that implementing the BSD file system under SysV would
disrupt much anything either from a user's point of view (it just
gives them long file names) or the system's (it just speeds up access,
improves integrity a lot and reduces fragmentation to the point of
becoming a non-issue.) What's the issue here? Just a matter of time or
is there some real objection to adopting the BSD file system? Anyone
have a handle on this?

Similarly that should immediately give SysV dump and restore and other
utilities (eg. a better fsck), things that would vastly improve the
operational aspects which are very important in this day and age of
people like us having to manage over 100 systems and needing good,
reliable operational tools. Finc etc just don't cut it (do I need
to explain why?)

Also, adopting a standard and top-notch TCP/IP implementation with
several of the needed utilities bundled in is critical to many of
us and would force our hand if lacking.

I would have to suspect that the ATT/SUN merger is going to resolve
these issues, so I guess we wait just a little longer (heck, it's been
12 years now I've been waiting for all this to happen.)

	-Barry Shein, Boston University