[TUHS] Found: 4.1BSD User's Manual Volume 2C Comb-Bound

[Jonathan Gray]

Thanks for clarifying the 4.1 printings.

The role of Lewis Law and the Harvard Science Center in distributing
manuals is also interesting.

v6
https://archive.org/details/unix_news_april-30-1976/mode/2up
"The Science Center at Harvard is willing to undertake the task of
reproducing and distributing the manuals for UNIX."

pwb
https://archive.org/details/login_march-1978/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/login_apr98/page/n87/mode/2up

'Lews undertaking of reproduction and distribution of the UNIX manuals
meant that they would be more widely proliferated. Lou Katz told me:
"Up until that time, one got Xeroxed copies from Ken."'

"It was Lew Law who negotiated with AT&T to get permission to reproduce
Thompson’s copies."

v7, 4bsd
https://archive.org/details/login_january-1981/page/14/mode/2up

"Harvard University is continuing to act as a wholesale distributor of
manuals; currently in stock are V6, V7, PWB 1.0, and the Berkeley 4BSD."

4.1bsd
https://www.tuhs.org/Usenet/comp.unix.wizards/1981-December/000084.html
"Harvard Science Center is a local distribution center for all
UNIX (V6, V7, PWB, 4.1BSD) manuals."

On Mon, Oct 16, 2023 at 03:49:11PM -0400, Clem Cole wrote:
> Yes - I send a fairly detailed history, including pics but Warren's mailer
> did not allow them.
> 
> Here is the short form:
> 
> ber did two printings of 4.1 [white/without and later, with BTL covers],
> the second printing had the Marx supplement.
> ber helped to facilitate the 4.2 printing with the BSD daemons - although
> USENIX bankrolled it and did the distribution.
> I do not know for sure who the editor for the 4.3 [colored combs + BSD
> daemons] was [I think Keith, with help from Mike and Sam], but USENIX and
> CSRG did that printing. and the distribution.
> By the time of 4.4, USENIX approached Tim OReilly who used his own
> printing, and binding set up - hence "perfect binding" not combs.
> 
> Clem
> 
> On Mon, Oct 16, 2023 at 2:42 PM Mary Ann Horton <mah at mhorton.net> wrote:
> 
> > My vol 2C is comb bound with the Bell logo on the front and back cover.
> >
> > It matches what Matt describes below: Date November 1980, hand-written
> > part 55 (Curses) on TOC, Curses included.
> >
> > I personally wrote "4.1 BSD Vol 2C" on the spine of my comb version, and
> > "4.1 BSD Vol 1" on the spine of the other comb bound, which were clearly a
> > set. (We were expected to use the V7 vol 2a and 2b, as they were not
> > changed.) Vol 1's title page is dated June, 1981". The preface of Vol 1
> > adds 3 paragraphs beginning "This update to the fourth distribution of
> > November, 1980 provides support for the VAX 11/750 and for the full
> > interconnect architecture of the VAX 11/780. ..." This paragraph is not
> > dated but would seem to be from June 1981.
> >
> > I don't recall who ran the set of manuals in Bell Labs, but it wasn't done
> > at Columbus. Someone was kind enough to send me a set.
> >
> > I'm inclined to believe Matt is right about vol 2C not being updated
> > except by pencil and the Curses section.
> >
> > Interestingly, I also have a "UNIX 3.0 Vol 1" comb bound manual with the
> > same style of cover, same personal spine label, probably done at the same
> > time, likely by the same group. I don't recall who but I'll speculate it
> > was someone at MH or WH. Possibly Brian Redman?
> > Thanks,
> >
> >       *Mary Ann Horton* (she/her/ma'am)
> >       maryannhorton.com
> >
> > “This is a great book about an amazing journey of a woman
> > who went through hell to become the person she is today.”
> > * - Monica Helms, creator of the transgender flag*
> >
> > "Brave and Important - Don’t miss this wonderful book!"
> > * - Laura L. Engel, Intl. Memoir Writers Assn.*
> >
> >       Available on Amazon and bn.com. Audiobook on Google Play.
> >
> > <https://www.amazon.com/Trailblazer-Lighting-Transgender-Equality-Corporate-ebook/dp/B0B8F2BR9B>
> >
> > On 10/14/23 22:49, segaloco wrote:
> >
> > One thing worth noting, I think, not sure, but I think the contents
> > suggest the 4BSD rather than 4.1BSD set, I can't tell for certain because I
> > actually can't locate a 4.1BSD doc folder with the Volume 2C intro and TOC.
> > The physical article (as well as a Acco binder copy I also have) both
> > indicate November 1980 (as opposed to 4.1BSDs June 1981.) Curiously, the
> > comb bound one has one extra entry in the TOC written in by hand: the
> > curses paper. Indeed it is the last in the comb bound manual and not
> > present in my Acco-bound copy.
> >
> > Not conclusive of anything but just an observation, I can't track down an
> > authoritatively-sourced copy of the doc/vmunix folder where the original of
> > the TOC lives in 4BSD. The 4BSD typesetter sources of the TOC match what is
> > in both copies I have, minus the hand-written curses inclusion.
> >
> > It very well could be the Volume 2C version of the TOC stopped being
> > maintained around this time as I likewise don't see the doc/vmunix folder
> > in 4.1c or 4.2. Either way, just something I found odd, I can't 100%
> > confirm parity with what would be in /usr/doc on a standard 4.1BSD distro,
> > I'll have to go digging and see what I have though, I feel like I archived
> > away some 4.1BSD stuff I found somewhere that had some delta with what is
> > in the UNIX tree. Not going to draw any firm conclusions until I put eyes
> > on doc sources though. That said, it wouldn't surprise me if the manual
> > amounts to more of a "4.0b", being the 4BSD set with some incremental
> > changes towards 4.1. But again, nothing to back that up, just my initial
> > impression.
> >
> > - Matt G.
> > ------- Original Message -------
> > On Saturday, October 14th, 2023 at 8:19 PM, Mary Ann Horton
> > <mah at mhorton.net> <mah at mhorton.net> wrote:
> >
> > I checked my bookshelf - my 4.1BSD manuals are the same Bell Labs printing
> > as the two Worthpoint links below. AFAIK they are a vanilla printing of the
> > soft copy from the 4.1 BSD tape.
> >
> > If there is any value to documenting this further, please let me know.
> > Thanks,
> >
> > *Mary Ann Horton* (she/her/ma'am)
> > maryannhorton.com
> >
> > “This is a great book about an amazing journey of a woman
> > who went through hell to become the person she is today.”
> > * - Monica Helms, creator of the transgender flag*
> >
> > "Brave and Important - Don’t miss this wonderful book!"
> > * - Laura L. Engel, Intl. Memoir Writers Assn.*
> >
> > Available on Amazon and bn.com. Audiobook on Google Play.
> >
> > <https://www.amazon.com/Trailblazer-Lighting-Transgender-Equality-Corporate-ebook/dp/B0B8F2BR9B>
> >
> > On 10/9/23 19:11, Jonathan Gray wrote:
> >
> > On Mon, Oct 09, 2023 at 04:17:36PM +0000, segaloco via TUHS wrote:
> >
> > Spotted this and ordered it on eBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/235246689392
> >
> > After the link is a pretty nondescript comb-bound 4.1BSD User's
> > Manual Volume 2C.  I don't think I've seen comb-bound issues prior
> > to the USENIX 4.2BSD set that introduced the Beastie cover.  Does
> > anyone know if there was a limited run produced by the Berkeley
> > folks themselves or if this is more likely a one-off someone printed
> > for themselves?  Either way, this is an exciting find for the
> > completeness of my library, this would leave 3BSD as the only VAX
> > BSD version I don't have any Volume 2C papers in my bookshelf from.
> > If this does prove to be issue from Berkeley or someone directly
> > adjacent to them, the next thing I hope to figure out is if this
> > has Volume 1 and Volume 2A/2B companions.  I find myself curious
> > because the 4BSD Volume 2C I have was following a plain Jane Version
> > 7 Volume 2A/2B rather than also 4BSD 2A/2B, so whoever curated that
> > set either got them that way or clobbered V7 and 4BSD docs together
> > themselves.
> >
> > Brian Ehrmantraut's photo has two 4.1BSD volumes:https://www.facebook.com/groups/internetoldfarts/posts/722465582733996/
> > Link from when the Wollongong Group version of the commentary was
> > mentioned here.
> >
> > There was a Bell Laboratories printing of the 4.1BSD manuals.https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1981-bell-laboratories-unix-users-1947580163https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1980-bell-laboratories-unix-1947578308
> >
> > A list of documents included with the distribution can be found in
> > doc/vmunix/cover*.  Below text from 4.1a.tar.gz included in the CSRG
> > Archives.
> >
> > 				   July 8, 1981
> >
> >
> > This is a full distribution kit for the second release of
> > the Fourth Berkeley software tape, known as 4.1bsd.  The
> > package you received should have contained:
> >
> > 1)   Either a 2400' 1600 bpi magnetic tape or two RK07 disk
> >      cartridges containing the basic system software; this
> >      is the bootstrap distribution media.  A second 2400'
> >      1600 bpi tape or a third RK07 disk cartridge contains
> >      additional material beyond the basic system on the
> >      first tape (INGRES, source for documents in the
> >      manuals, bit mapped fonts, etc.)
> >
> > 2)   Documents titled ``Installing and operating 4.1bsd'',
> >      ``Bug fixes and changes in 4.1bsd'', ``Changes to the
> >      kernel in 4.1bsd'', and ``Hints on configuring VAX
> >      systems for UNIX''
> >
> > 3)   A two sided copy of volume 1 of the programmer's
> >      manual.
> >
> > 4)   A single sided, reproduction-quality copy of Volume 1
> >      of the programmer's manual for the system.
> >
> > 5)   A copy of a document describing fsck.
> >
> > 6)   A two sided copy of volumes 2a and 2b of the
> >      programmer's manual.
> >
> > 7)   A single sided, reproduction-quality, copy of Volume 2c
> >      of the programmer's manual for the system.
> >
> > 8)   2 Vi Reference Cards and a master for reproducing
> >      cards.
> >
> > 9)   Three documents describing the Berkeley Network.
> >
> > 10)  Two documents on the internals of the Pascal system.
> >      manual and a new table of contents for volume 2c.
> >
> >
> > ᐧ