Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!rutgers!mtunx!lzaz!lznv!psc
From: psc@lznv.ATT.COM (Paul S. R. Chisholm)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Need DOS vi
Message-ID: <1356@lznv.ATT.COM>
Date: 9 Apr 88 02:34:09 GMT
References: <343@mitisft.Convergent.COM> <4.UUL1.3#948@fernwood.mpk.ca.us> <4731@chinet.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T
Lines: 48
Keywords: Aztec Z MKS Toolkit vi
Summary: pirated version of Aztec's "Z" with no copyright notice

< If you lined all the news readers up end-to-end, they'd be easier to shoot. >

In article <4731@chinet.UUCP>, wnp@chinet.UUCP (Wolf N. Paul) writes:
> In article <537@mccc.UUCP> pjh@mccc.UUCP (Peter J. Holsberg) writes:
> >
> >I saw a VI for the PC on a local BBS the other night.  Does anyone know
> >anything about it?
> This is probably "Z", a program distributed with older versions of the
> Aztec C Compiler by Manx Software.
>...
> The program has a banner with a copyright notice; nonetheless the program
> shows up on quite a few BBS whose sysops don't tolerate piracy, so
> although I have not expressly heard this, it is possible that Manx 
> have decided to allow free distribution of this early and rudimentary version
> of their editor.

Bad news; I've seen a copy of "Z" with the copyright notice removed.
Think of a stolen car with its serial number filed down; that's what's
been done here.  "Copyrighted software?  Gee, *I* don't see any
copyright notice (any more, heh, heh, heh)."  I recognized the same
limitations Wolf mentioned in his article.  (It's also the only version
of vi I've ever seen with a greeting screen.)

I have no reason to believe that Manx has released any of their tools
into the public domain.  (I'd call -- heck, I'd drive over to their
offices -- but it's a little late in the evening.)  I have no reason to
believe that *any* public domain version of vi exists.  I have reason
to believe that no such animal is available.  In addition, CSS has
removed their PC/VI product from the market, along with PC/TOOLS (no
relation to the excellent PC Tools from Central Point) and PC/SPELL.

So far as I know, there is only *one* source for vi under MS-DOS:

> I highly recommend the MKS Toolkit, which is available from discount mailorder
> places for as little as $109. 

What he said.  The MKS Toolkit contains vi, awk, ksh, and a hundred
other utilities similar to tools from the UNIX(R) operating system.
Vi and awk are available separately, but the Toolkit is an excellent
value.  In addition, these guys are not only accessible via UNIX mail,
but they read netnews!  Good stuff.

>	Wolf Paul, wnp@chinet, wnp@killer, wnp@dcs

-Paul S. R. Chisholm, {ihnp4,cbosgd,allegra,rutgers}!mtune!lznv!psc
AT&T Mail !psrchisholm, Internet psc@lznv.att.com
I'm not speaking for my employer, I'm just speaking my mind.
UNIX(R) is a registered trademark of AT&T.