Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!oliveb!sun!pepper!cmcmanis
From: cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Unix on the Amiga
Message-ID: <51577@sun.uucp>
Date: 2 May 88 18:56:46 GMT
References: <517@viscous>
Sender: news@sun.uucp
Reply-To: cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 66
Keywords: Unix SYSV 4.2 Amiga

In article <517@viscous> brianm@sco.COM (Brian Moffet) writes:

->However, things that *NIX has (personnaly, I like SYS V)
->
->The devices for a *Nix system have a consistant interface
->	for basic work.  For the most part, almost all devices
->	can be treated as files.  This allows the ability to
->	do backups to almost any media your machine has a driver
->	for, without the backup knowing anything special about
->	your device (backup 0uf /dev/console :-) )

This is a function of the backup program and *not* UNIX* per se.
All AmigaDOS devices have a consistent interface at the exec level.
Therefore this problem reduces to a SMOP (simple matter of programming :-))

->The memory managment capabilities are good.  As stated before, 
->	you don't really need *nix for this.

You need an MMU for good intertask memory protection and I agree that UNIX
is not required for this.

->The versatility of *nix is outstanding.  The power of shell commands
->	when you don't want to write a program (compiled).

Again a SMOP. Write a shell that does what the UNIX shell does. Dillon/Drew
shell does this. I saw one at DevCon (Tshell) that is extremely flexible too.

->Large User Base:  Yes, there is a fairly large user base out there.

For UNIX? Yes and no. There are probably more machines running AmigaDOS 
than there are running UNIX by now (Amiga installed base was given at
600,000+ at the DevCon, Adding up all of the workstations (about 200,000)
and all of the Vaxes (about 75,000) and all of the Tandy Xenix boxes
(Another 100,000) and giving 100,000 for misc stuff we are still under
600,000) Of course UNIX machines can and do often have several users.
[Note this is much hand waving and should not be considered the definitive
estimate for all installed machines running UNIX or UNIX derivatives]

Besides, and this is the main point, both the top C compilers are getting
to the point where most UNIX programs will compile and run with no changes.

->Multiuser support:  This is good for things like UUCP connections.
->	I have the version of UUPC for the Amiga, I really do use it.
->	but *nix has a much better tested version.

Time will cure this. 

->Networking Standards:  Well, sort of standards.  The key point is lots 
->	of people use a common TCP/IP Ethernet under *nix.
->	By having Unix with a TCP/IP connection, I could connect to
->	the Local University VAX say, and be able to transport data
->	file between my amiga and the Sun.  This would be nice.

The Ameristar folks have all the TCP/IP stuff you need to port your
UNIX programs to the Amiga. 

->Yes, A lot of this stuff is out for the amiga.  I just wish I could
->afford it all.  However, *nix allows the user a much richer command
->set and much more power than I have seen in any other PC OS.

Again a SMOP, check out the tshell, it looked like it addresses the
commands issue. 


--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: cmcmanis  ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.