[TUHS] Found: 4.1BSD User's Manual Volume 2C Comb-Bound
segaloco via TUHS
tuhs at tuhs.org
Wed Oct 18 04:27:54 AEST 2023
So an update, looked around various BSD versions to try and resolve the confusion on naming/dates. From https://www.tuhs.org/cgi-bin/utree.pl?file=4BSD/usr/man/man0/pref:
> This manual reflects the Berkeley system mid-October, 1980.
> A large amount of tuning has been done in the system since the last release;
> we hope this provides as noticeable an improvement for you as it did for us.
However, looking in the preface for 4.1BSD (as buried down in here http://bitsavers.org/bits/UCB_CSRG/4.1_BSD_19810710.zip) this bit is instead:
> 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 does point to some confusion as the preface for the 4BSD manual states mid-October 1980, but then the cover page (and subsequent manuals) refer to November 1980. Both 4.1c and 4.2 contain the following:
> This update to the 4.1 distribution of June 1981 provides support
> for the VAX 11/730, full networking and interprocess communication
> support, an entirely new file system, and many other new features.
Confusingly, the cover page in the 4.1BSD collection on bitsavers says November 1980 like the 4BSD one. However, pretty much everything else refers to 4.1BSD as a June 1981 release.
Again with the "<prior version> of "<date>". Rewind back to 3BSD, and the preface starts:
> This manual reflects the state of the Berkeley system, December 1979.
So going by manuals I can identify alone:
3BSD - December 1979
4BSD - October 1980/November 1980 (The preface says mid-October 1980, all subsequent stuff refers to 4BSD as a November 1980 release)
4.1BSD - June 1981 (Although the Volume 1 cover page says November 1980, it appears unchanged from 4BSD at this point)
4.1cBSD - March 1983
4.2BSD - August 1983
Unfortunately that early 4.1BSD image doesn't seem to have the documents collection, just the manual itself, so I can't really compare what that looked like in November 1980 to June 1981 to verify if anything other than the addition of the curses paper is salient to the 4->4.1 upgrade.
Briefly, the changes from V7 up through 3BSD are mainly:
- Replacement of PDP-11-specific stuff like the installation papers, assembler manual, and several hardware capabilities mentions in papers
- Replacement of adb papers and mentions with sdb
- The V7 summary is replaced with a 32V summary
- The Learn paper is dropped
- Many documents regarding the vmunix efforts and particulars of BSD are added (/usr/doc/vmunix, this folder disappears again by 4.1cBSD, complicating some comparisons)
- Volume 2C content (such as memacros, ex, pascal) are added
So really all someone would need from 2A/2B as a BSD user that aren't in a standard V7 set are assembler and debugger papers, installation/bootstrapping/maintenance notes, and the vmunix papers, all of which were probably easily accessible enough that running off all the rest just to have a proper set with these was considered overkill.
I'll do some more thorough analysis when I've got my desk setup at my new place, I already moved all my hard-copy manuals over there. More in the future, but it's looking like the November 1980 on the cover page may not necessarily nail it as 4BSD rather than 4.1, the date may just not have been updated in the interim. Until I see a /usr/doc folder from 4.1BSD (as opposed to 4.1cBSD) I can't say for certain.
- Matt G.
------- Original Message -------
On Monday, October 16th, 2023 at 12:49 PM, Clem Cole <clemc at ccc.com> 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.
> >
> >
> > 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> 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.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > 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-1947580163
> > > > > https://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.
>
> [https://mail.proton.me/api/core/v4/images?Url=https%3A%2F%2Fmailfoogae.appspot.com%2Ft%3Fsender%3DaY2xlbWNAY2NjLmNvbQ%253D%253D%26type%3Dzerocontent%26guid%3D75c9f24a-a3ab-47ac-9d94-aad7107d5bae&DryRun=0&UID=2axgtlzcaymgrilxrunbrpuncqvuryao]ᐧ
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