[TUHS] My EuroBSDcon talk (preview for commentary)

Larry McVoy lm at mcvoy.com
Sat Sep 14 06:06:59 AEST 2019


Sun had all their sources on one machine.  Spent many a happy hour there
reading.

On Fri, Sep 13, 2019 at 04:02:30PM -0400, Clem Cole wrote:
> BTW:  I just thought of something else....  one of the b*tched about the
> commercial redistribution license from V7 in 1979, that was not fixed until
> the SVR3 licensing the mid-late 1980s  was AT&T's source policy.   As I
> said, a commercial source license was $20K for the first CPU and 5K for
> each additional one.   Later (System V) it went to $50K for the first and
> $10K for each additional.   But what really ticked off the vendors like
> DEC, Masscomp, Sun et al, was that each system that sources on was supposed
> to one of the 'second CPU licenses' - the binary license was not good
> enough.
> 
> What most of us did, was make sure any system that was a 'source control'
> or 'master' system at any 'site' had a full source license, but we were all
> in violation of the source agreement on our personal workstations.  The
> argument was the sources on people's machines was ephemeral and not
> 'stored' there.   But it was definitely contentious.
> 
> 
> 
> On Fri, Sep 13, 2019 at 3:47 PM Clem Cole <clemc at ccc.com> wrote:
> 
> > slide 4 --  All of HP-UX, Ultrix and Digital UNIX/Tru64 are BSD kernels.
> > HP-UP and Tru64 support System V calls.
> >
> > BTW:  DG-UX and Stratus built their own kernels, but used System V command
> > systems and System Call definitions - which are not listed.
> >
> > Slide 6 - if you want it I have another picture of the GE system from some
> > of their literature has a view of all of the components.   Send me email if
> > you want it.
> >
> > Slide 8 - Sets out to write version of Fortran came up with B.  Uses B to
> > write Assembler
> >
> > Slide 9 - Wrong DEC logo.  Should be the Blue one.  The maroon version
> > does not show up until the 1990s with Bob Palmer (and has bad memories for
> > some of us).
> >
> > Slide 17 - Ken write PDP-11 assembler on PDP-7 in B. , Dennis starts to
> > rewrite B compiler to output PDP-11 code.
> >
> > Slide 18 - B begins to become different enough that Dennis starts to call
> > it nb [new B], eventually deviates enough to become new language
> >
> > Slide 19 - 4th Edition release outside of the BTL.  Lou Katz becomes 'user
> > zero'
> >
> > Slide 20 -- We need to get you the site and group name from Mash.  It was
> > not in Summit, it was not USG - but was in NJ.  I thought it was Homdel but
> > I that is purely speculation.
> >                   Also the role of Columbus team needs to be defined.
> >  Ask Mary Ann.
> >
> > Slide 21 -- I'm not going to argue - but I would ask you to add a
> > disclaimer.   This is what you could reconstruct, but there is some
> > question of some of the arrows.   Heinz might be able to help, but as
> > Stienhart and I have said, its believed to be in LA; but no one has tracked
> > him down as he has been pursuing non-computer interests.
> >
> > Slide 22 --4th Edition went to Katz that this is wrong, who sometimes
> > reads this mailing list.  If not, send me a note, I'll reintroduce you.  He
> > might be able to give you a data.  Check with Warren, my >>memory<< is that
> > some of userland is still in C although a lot assembler is still there.
> >
> > Slide 23 -- ??widespread??   -- I'm not sure I would use that. Not even
> > 100 sites yet.     Also there were not "commercial version" this was the
> > first "commercial license" -- big difference [contact me if you want
> > explanation].  IIRC fee was 15K per CPU.  Commercial redistribution doesn't
> > occur until after 7th is released and was a separate license.   I would
> > add, Mike Lesk's portable C library is starting to be used, but most C
> > program do their own I/O with read/write
> >
> >           First real install man page and Dennis build tape installation
> > system.   Earlier version released as RK05 disk copies.
> >            Also numerous new peripherals. IIRC Support for the 11/40
> > starts here, 4th & 5th needed a 45 class, and earlier used the 20 with the
> > CSS MMU.
> >
> > Slide 24 -- CMU uses it to teaches OS class.  makes student in class sign
> > a sub-license.
> >
> > Slide 25 - missing the first USENIX tapes. which include Harvard and the
> > like.  Warren and I can probably help a little here.
> >
> > Slide 26 - new licenses.  Commercial license fees change to 20K for 1st
> > CPU/5K for each CPU afterward.  CMU buys first commercial license to use
> > UNIX to make money [after Cole and Klein go on strike].  Case Western
> > follows suit 6month later.   AT&T agrees for the Universities that they
> > only had to declare one CPU as commercial and could intermix otherwise and
> > notifies all the universities that if they were using it for commercial
> > purposes, then needed a license.
> >
> > AT&T creates first redistribution license.  Needed at least one $20K
> > commercial CPU and then $150k for the rights to redistribute.   Originally
> > $1K per binary CPU.
> >
> > Slide 27 -- missing Purdue Dual Vax and CMU Mach
> >
> > Slide 28 - APS had NH which was the model the DEC plate you show.   Maddog
> > has it now on his Jeep when aps moved to CA (he also has the NH Linux plate
> > but I don't remember the car -- you can ask him).   I have had the
> > Massachusetts UNIX plate since 1983 (it's on my model S of course).   ghg
> > has indiana from around the same time (I think on a pickup).  wnj had the
> > CA vmunix on his Ferrari, but I don't know if he still has it or what its
> > on.
> >
> > Slide 29 - Look in HenrySpencer-TUHS.org -- you'll find tail but not head.
> >
> > Slide 31 - Job Control can from Europe via MIT.  Jim Kulp wrote it.   Noel
> > and I can give you the story if you want it.  It was on the PDP-11 there.
> >  Joy modified csh and added it to 4.1
> >
> > Slide 32 -- JC was not from UCB.   Joy got it from MIT   -- Dennis create
> > ENV and it was first distributed in V7.
> >
> > Slide 33 -- No Bourne supported ENV in the new shell -- see me earlier
> > email for how all this went down or ask Steve yourself.
> >
> > Slide 34 -- PCC was included, but the Ritchie Compiler (a.k.a. Typesetter
> > C) was the default compiler.  You are missing a step BTW -- typesetter C
> > was released between V6 and V7.   As is the first draft of the White Book.
> > The new compiler had stdio but targets V6.
> > Also mpx was part of DataKit support.
> >
> > Slide 35 --   Not sure that is true.   I thought Microsoft's Xenix ships
> > before Venix.    Particularly since you made the comment about System III
> > The original 8086 Xenix was a pure V7 port, with a few additions Gordon
> > brought with him from Purdue (i.e. ghg hacks).
> >
> > Slide 52/53/54/55 -- wrong logo (see above)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Sep 12, 2019 at 11:21 PM Warner Losh <imp at bsdimp.com> wrote:
> >
> >> OK. I've shared my slides for the talk.
> >>
> >> Some of the family trees are simplified (V7 doesn't have room for all its
> >> ports, for example)
> >> Some of it is a little cheeseball since I'm also trying to be witty and
> >> entertaining (we'll see how that goes).
> >> Please don't share them around until after my talk on the September 20th
> >>
> >> I'd like feedback on the bits I got wrong. Or left out. Or if you're in
> >> this and don't want to be, etc.
> >>
> >> All the slides after the Questions slide won't be presented and will
> >> likely be deleted.
> >>
> >>
> >> https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/177KxOif5oHARyIdZHDq-OO67_GVtMkzIAlDX-cHxgb4/edit?usp=sharing
> >>
> >> Please be kind (but if it sucks, please do tell). I've turned on
> >> commenting on the slides. Probably best if you comment there.
> >>
> >> I have a video of me giving this talk, but it's too rough to share...
> >>
> >> Thanks for any help you can give me.
> >>
> >> Warner
> >>
> >

-- 
---
Larry McVoy            	     lm at mcvoy.com             http://www.mcvoy.com/lm 


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