Xref: utzoo comp.unix.questions:11153 comp.os.vms:11141
Path: utzoo!utgpu!tmsoft!mcl!stacy
From: stacy@mcl.UUCP (Stacy L. Millions)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,comp.os.vms
Subject: Portable OS's (was: Re: Do OS's slow down with age?)
Message-ID: <579@mcl.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jan 89 16:44:12 GMT
References: <209@imspw6.UUCP> <12872@steinmetz.ge.com> <370@siswat.UUCP> <2862@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>
Organization: Millions Computing Ltd., Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Lines: 25

In article <2862@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>, sloane@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Bob Sloane) writes:
> I have been looking for a portable operating system for some time...
>               ...        I mean one operating system that can run on several
> different machines, UNCHANGED.

While, MS-DOS must be portable, it will run on several different Brands
of computers UNCHANGED (5 * :-). Give me a break already, if you make
make any substantial changes in hardware (ie use a different processor
or bus) you are going to have to change the OS.

>                               While unix has been *modified* to run on quite
> a few different pieces of hardware, I am not convinced that it is "portable"
> and that VMS is "non-portable."  What do you consider portable versus non-
> portable?

Being able to modify the OS to run on a new peice of hardware is
what I consider portable. I challenge you to port VMS to run on
an 80286, pull that off and I will beleive the VMS is portable.

-stacy

-- 
"He to whom the early bird runs best learns wisdom and patience!
                          ... I can never remember proverbs" - Charlie Brown
S. L. Millions                                            ..!tmsoft!mcl!stacy