Xref: utzoo comp.unix.questions:11963 comp.unix.wizards:14902
Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!algor2!jeffrey
From: jeffrey@algor2.UUCP (Jeffrey Kegler)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: A book on the design of the UNIX operating system
Keywords: book
Message-ID: <254@algor2.UUCP>
Date: 2 Mar 89 04:02:33 GMT
References: <302@ge1cbx.UUCP>
Reply-To: jeffrey@algor2.UUCP (Jeffrey Kegler)
Organization: Algorists, Inc., Reston VA
Lines: 40

In article <302@ge1cbx.UUCP> gerald@ge1cbx.UUCP (Gerald Aden) writes:
>A co-worker mentioned a book on the design of the UNIX operating system
>that puts Bach's book to shame.  He didn't know the name of the author or
>the exact title of the book but thought that it was written by some guy in
>Australia.  Does anyone know of such a book and whether or not it is still
>available?

Sounds like you mean the pair by John Lions, "A Commentary on the UNIX
Operating System" and "UNIX Operating System Source Code Level Six", which
were produced as materials for a courses at the University of New South Wales.
They were produced in 1977, and were respectively notes on the Version 6 UNIX
Source code and the code itself.

"puts Bach's book to shame" is a little unfair.  The notes were not nearly as
helpful as Bach.  And (maybe someone better informed can elaborate) the two
books are no longer accessible due to copyright problems.  AT&T apparently
gave permission, then revoked it, for the Lions project.

Someone with a sincere desire these days to learn UNIX internals, should
get the Bach book, and also the XINU books.  The problem with even a careful
verbal (not C code is what I am trying to say) description of the operating
system is there is nothing like the actual C for convincing yourself that you
know what is going on.  The XINU books describe a very interesting UNIX
subset, and give full C code for it.  You cannot really learn UNIX internals
from Bach alone.  Lions was one volume which was a poor substitute for Bach
and another volume which was THE Version 6 source code.  Lions intended that
the student should have to rely on the source.

When people talk about the greatest thing they have ever read, I think of the
copy of Lions I used to have, and the Ritchie and Thompson V6 UNIX source.  Of
course, I feel kind of stupid when other people are talking about "War and
Peace" or the Gospel of John.  V6 may be obsolete enough that AT&T could
consider allowing circulation of Lions again.  V6 UNIX was the greatest
reading experience I have ever had.

-- 

Jeffrey Kegler, President, Algorists,
jeffrey@algor2.UU.NET or uunet!algor2!jeffrey
1788 Wainwright DR, Reston VA 22090