Xref: utzoo comp.sys.apple2:6 comp.sys.apple:23320
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!xylogics!world!spike
From: spike@world.std.com (Joe Ilacqua)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2,comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: System programming for the Apple II (preferably the IIe)
Message-ID: <1990Mar5.234421.396@world.std.com>
Date: 5 Mar 90 23:44:21 GMT
References: <6673@hydra.gatech.EDU>
Reply-To: spike@world.std.com
Organization: Software Tool & Die
Lines: 31

In article <6673@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccastjr@prism.gatech.EDU (COOOOoooooOOOoooOOOKIE!!!!) writes:
<     Considering there are C compilers (well, atleast one) for the Apple II,
<how possible is it to write the "assembly only" sections of unix, and then 
<compile the C sources for unix on a Apple II?  I know it would require some
<of the heavy dute memory expansions that AE makes for the apple II,
<but still.

	The big problem (TM) with porting UNIX (or any
multi-tasking/mulit-user OS) to Apple //s is that no Apple // has
memory management.  This means all processes can write all of memory.
Instead of seeing "Segmentation fault (core dumped)", when you run a
program with a bug you'll just crash the system.  This also means your
system will never be "secure", you would not want to you such a system
for a BBS.

	This doesn't mean it can't be done.  MINIX runs on 8086 based
IBM PCs, which don't have memory protection.  MINIX, as some have
suggested in the past, might even be the place to start.  But if it
was that easy...

	Also keep in mind, that when people say "UNIX is highly
portable" they mean "UNIX is highly portable *for* an operating
system".  There will be quiet a bit of effort in doing the port.

	Someone is bound to say "UNIX ran on PDP-11s which had as
little a 64k".  This is true, but it is like saying "Apple // DOS ran
in 16k".  So what.

->Spike
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