Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ncar!gatech!mcnc!rti!tijc02!dss227
From: dss227@tijc02.UUCP (Debra Steffey       )
Newsgroups: comp.mail.misc
Subject: Re: Re: Bsd Unix -- for "SMALL" BBS system?
Message-ID: <255@tijc02.UUCP>
Date: 1 Sep 88 15:38:04 GMT
References: <10670@duorion.cair.du.edu> <68@volition.dec.com>
Organization: Texas Instr., Johnson City TN
Lines: 67

> [ This ends very differently than you'd imagine.  I made the mistake of
>   replying as I went instead of reading the whole original article to see
>   what was really wanted.  Some of my comments are still worth reading :-),
>   though this is a very strange place to put them.  --vix ]
> 
> # Is it possible to bring BSD down to a PC (yeah -- I know.. try not to laugh
> # to (sic) hard about this question -- even though it sounds a little primative
ZZ
> 
> You need a system with 32-bit memory addresses and a paged MMU.  You could
> probably make BSD 2.9 or even 2.10 run on a PC with 16-bit memory addressing
> and a segmented MMU, but full 4.3BSD just plain needs a lot of room.
> 
> This means: a 386 machine.  A standard 386 with 4MB of memory, some serial
> ports, monochrome video (unless you want to write an X11 server, which,
> unless you know what I mean, you don't want to do), an 80MB hard drive,
> and whatever floppies or tape you want.  An ethernet board would help if
> you've got somebody to talk to.
> 
> BUT: There Is No Such Thing.  Other than a version of SunOS that was done
> for the Compaq 386 to help build Sun's Roadrunner, BSD doesn't run on your
> average 386 box.  Sun doesn't think it's in the software business, I guess,
> since they have no interest in selling their Compaq port.
> 
> BUT: with GCC now able to generate code for the 386 (FP support coming soon,
> I hope), This Could Be Done.  All you need is a BSD system to do the devel-
> opment on, a 386 system to try your code out on, a $40,000.00 source license
> from AT&T (BSD was based on AT&T code), John Gilmore's ANSI-compliant hacks
> to the BSD source tree, a great deal of hair on your head (so you can pull
> it all out while you work), and someone else to pay your rent and buy your
> food for about six months.
> 
> I hope someone is working on this, I really do.  But so far, your options
> for PC-style machines are: Xenix and SysV/386.  Not much of a choice, I
> admit.  Want to buy a Symmetric 375 real cheap?  :-) [sort of]
> 
> # For Internet Socketing (TCP) what do you need as far as Hardware.  I guess
> # my real question is -- what is the minimum Harware needed for Internet??
> # (IE the ability to use "telnet", "rlogin", "rsh", etc??)  Is this network
> # cabled together or how it is all hooked up?  
> 
> Ah.  You can get the normal "R-utilities" and a socket library from several
> vendors, and plug it into a 386 running Microport, Bell Tech, ISC 386/ix,
> Xenix, etc.  You'll only be missing:
> 
> 	fast file system, symbolic links, filenames over 14 characters;
> 	job control; smart TTY driver that knows how to: delete words,
> 	delete tabs instead of just backing up one space, avoid backing
> 	up over your prompt; etc.  (This list goes on endlessly.)
> 
> # As a user it's all transparent to me -- so I don't know the full Harware/
> # Software needs for this Network.  I just take it for granted that if I
> # mail a message to an INTERNET address -- it will get there (most of the
> # time :-) -- even though their UNIX may *not* be listed in our /etc/hosts
> # file!
> 
> Ah, again.  You don't need TCP to send mail.  UUCP from a primitive machine
> is quite capable of sending mail which will ultrimately land on some site
> on the Internet.  But it looks from your Message-ID as though you are
> already on the Internet in some capacity -- so what's the real problem?
> -- 
> Paul Vixie
> Digital Equipment Corporation	Work:  vixie@dec.com	Play:  paul@vixie.UUCP
> Western Research Laboratory	 uunet!decwrl!vixie	   uunet!vixie!paul
> Palo Alto, California, USA	  +1 415 853 6600	   +1 415 864 7013

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