Path: utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!scs!spl1!laidbak!att!pacbell!ames!ncar!oddjob!kaon!nucsrl!naim
From: naim@eecs.nwu.edu (Naim Abdullah)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: 4.4 bsd will include OSI support
Message-ID: <11410002@eecs.nwu.edu>
Date: 3 Jun 88 09:02:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: eecs.11410002
Organization: Northwestern U, Evanston IL, USA
Lines: 56

Here is some interesting information about 4.4 bsd that I picked
up from a rag (called "Connectivity" dated May 31, 1988). Since
the people developing 4.4 bsd rarely say anything about it, we
might as well pool all the information and rumors that we have.

Anyway, here is a synopsis of the article which is mostly about
OSI support in 4.4.

    * 4.4 bsd is scheduled for release next year.
    * It is expected to include a complete implementation of
      the OSI protocols, in addition to TCP/IP (the article
      doesn't say anything about XNS; I assume that will still
      be there).
    * "Transport level bridges and application layer gateways"
      will be required to allow TCP/IP and OSI networks to interoperate.
      Several vendors are currently at work to develop these products.
      DoD is funding this part. Work is expected to commence in July
      and run for 18 months.
      
    * University of Wisconsin at Madison is writing the software to
      implement the transport and network layers of the OSI model
      within 4.4 bsd. It is also developing subnetwork support protocols
      that will allow multiple departmental networks to coexist on
      an enterprisewide OSI network.
      
    * The NBS is developing software to implement the directory
      services application protocol of the OSI model.
      
    * The MITRE Corp. is working on a virtual terminal protocol.
    
    * University College, London is designing the X.400 message handling
      system protocol.
      
    * Wollongong is working on presentation and session services,
      reliable transfer, remote operations and association-control
      protocols.
      
    * DoD will conduct conformance and interoperability tests on
      the revised BSD Unix before it's release, to ensure that the
      OSI implementation actually conforms to the standard.
      
    The best part:
    
    *** The (networking) code will be free!!! No licensing arrangements
        will be required. Hurray. Another major piece for GNU!!!
	
    Given these rumors, would any of the people working on 4.4 bsd,
care to give us some more information about 4.4 bsd ? (are you listening
Chris ?) More rumors welcome.

		      Naim Abdullah
		      Dept. of EECS,
		      Northwestern University

		      Internet: naim@eecs.nwu.edu
		      Uucp: {ihnp4, chinet, gargoyle}!nucsrl!naim