Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!botter!star!ast
From: ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: minix reference manual?
Message-ID: <694@ast.cs.vu.nl>
Date: 18 Apr 88 10:27:05 GMT
References: <38605RON@PSUVM> <11070@mimsy.UUCP>
Reply-To: ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum)
Organization: VU Informatica, Amsterdam
Lines: 38

In article <11070@mimsy.UUCP>  writes:
>In article <38605RON@PSUVM> RON@PSUVM.BITNET writes:
>>I just received the second edition of K&R's C text from P-H. In the
>>back of the book is a C/Unix order form, which lists a "MINIX for the
>>IBM PC/XT/AT Reference Manual" ISBN-013-584400-2 at $34.50. Does anyone
>>know anything about this book? Does it include material which is not
>>in the O.S. text?
>
>No.  Or at least, not that I could tell.  It seems to contain the Minix
>specific portions of the original Book.  It hasn't been updated.

James da Silva's comments are basically correct.  The 3-ring binder thingie
is just the MINIX portion of the book (in a different order) and packaged
differently.  The paperback MINIX REFERENCE MANUAL is bit for bit the same
as the 3-ring binder.  The only reason for packaging it this way is to make
the whole thing look like "software" rather than "book" so that computer
stores will stock it.

It is not entirely correct that the manual is 1.0.  Some bugs have been
corrected in the listing, namely those that were known before it went to
press.  Still, it is not 1.2.  

I don't envision multiple versions of MINIX for academic/nonacademic users,
one book compatible and one not.  Life is too short for that.  I haven't even
resolved the problem of how (if ever) MINIX for the PC and ATARI ST will be
integrated.

On the positive side, MINIX networking is now running on our Ethernet.  MINIX
machines can remotely log in to one another, transfer files, and execute
remote commands.  They can also talk to our VAXes and SUNs.  However,
this stuff is not polished enough to go out the door yet, so no matter how you
stand on your head, you can't have it until it is good enough (or we can't
stand working on it anymore, or the programmer goes off to China for half a
year) whichever comes first).  Thus please don't ask for it.  I will post
plenty of information when the time comes. But not yet. I am foursquare
against premature ejaculation.

Andy Tanenbaum (ast@cs.vu.nl)