[TUHS] My EuroBSDcon talk (preview for commentary)

Warner Losh imp at bsdimp.com
Wed Sep 18 05:29:04 AEST 2019


On Fri, Sep 13, 2019 at 3:31 PM Clem Cole <clemc at ccc.com> wrote:

> BTW: I just found my PWB 1.0 manual.   The date is May 1977, authors are
> T. (Ted) Dolotta, R. (Dick) Haight and E. Piskorik
> and it lists the site as 'Piscataway' as the site on the
> acknowlegements page.
>

Yes. That's the first release of PWB. However, they took delivery of their
first PDP-11 in 1973, which is when the PWB efforts began as part of the
BIS or BISP business unit (I have conflicting sources on the exact name).

After my talk is complete, I'd planned on going back and trying to piece
together release timelines as well, since although efforts happened
starting in 73, releases, as such, don't seem to start for another couple
of years. I suspect that when the number of groups being supported was
small, the overhead of a formal release cycle likely wasn't worth the
benefits (but have no documentation from the early days to prove that).

Warner


> On Fri, Sep 13, 2019 at 4:06 PM Clem Cole <clemc at ccc.com> wrote:
>
>> Another thought -- the first commercial licensee was Rand.   Hired some
>> former Harvard students who brought UNIX with them.   You probably need to
>> add things like Rand Ports (a.k.a. named pipes) which came from there.
>> Also Chesson and Co did the original ArpaNET NCP at University of Ill
>> with some help from the Rand folks.   That was done on a V6 system ~ 1978
>>
>> You also need need Ken's famous V6 'patch' tape -- that 'leaked'
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Sep 13, 2019 at 4:02 PM Clem Cole <clemc at ccc.com> 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
>>>>>
>>>>
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