[TUHS] Release Dates, Systems History - (was Did System V Really Prevent 5BSD?)

[Clem Cole via TUHS]

Look at my second email with this subject line;  I already
corrected it, but here is a more extensive  list of the release dates.
In my original message, I was referring to SVR2, not System V.

But first, the background for all of it:


   - January 1982: AT&T agreed to divest its local operating companies to
      settle the government's antitrust suit.
      - August 5, 1983: Judge Greene signed the final order approving the
      breakup plan, clearing the way for the Jan 1, 1984 date.
      - January 1, 1984: The divestiture took effect, creating independent
      regional companies for local calls, while AT&T kept long-distance,
      manufacturing (Western Electric), and research (Bell Labs).


AT&T UNIX System III had a single primary commercial release in 1982. An
earlier, internal release internal to the Bell System is believed to have
occurred around 1980.


   - Initial Internal Release: Some sources indicate an initial release in
      1980. This was likely a pre-commercial version known internally by names
      such as UNIX/TS 3.0.1 or UNIX Release 3.0.
      - Official Commercial Release: AT&T formally announced System III in
      late 1981, and it was first made publicly (commercially)
available outside
      of the Bell System in 1982.


AT&T's UNIX System V
<https://www.google.com/search?q=UNIX+System+V&sca_esv=3e23ed5d65d1f5ab&sxsrf=AE3TifN1ATJSS1b15dmyD-ITfcs06C2LSw%3A1767025880946&ei=2KxSaZWOOfmrptQP2NSf0QQ&ved=2ahUKEwiS7cSz1-ORAxWglokEHQE3KWkQgK4QegQIARAB&uact=5&oq=what+was+the+release+dates+of+the+different+releases+of+AT%26T+Unix+system+V&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiSndoYXQgd2FzIHRoZSByZWxlYXNlIGRhdGVzIG9mIHRoZSBkaWZmZXJlbnQgcmVsZWFzZXMgb2YgQVQmVCBVbml4IHN5c3RlbSBWSMPTAVDfB1iOyAFwA3gBkAEAmAG8AaAB3B-qAQQzOS42uAEDyAEA-AEBmAIToAL1DsICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAggQABiiBBiJBcICCBAAGIAEGKIEwgIFEAAY7wXCAggQIRigARjDBMICChAhGKABGMMEGArCAgQQIRgKmAMAiAYBkAYIkgcEMTEuOKAH5poBsgcDOS44uAftDsIHBDQuMTXIBxyACAA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp&mstk=AUtExfDwCixhB2sI7sfX_VIbG-ww9F-enZBYewFVsWfPnFa1S65jyEOcYGYSy4vl_nT37yN26Wr15kGKgceIC394RVEQ95EQ6egJp8j2LMj-fn84AobJRvIWpmndJk_-218PWL3OS0bzAZ8tDqaU7q1uX5Rhqvuv51ni2O5VGDOSZgHaVCA&csui=3>
had
major releases starting with the initial System V
<https://www.google.com/search?q=System+V&sca_esv=3e23ed5d65d1f5ab&sxsrf=AE3TifN1ATJSS1b15dmyD-ITfcs06C2LSw%3A1767025880946&ei=2KxSaZWOOfmrptQP2NSf0QQ&ved=2ahUKEwiS7cSz1-ORAxWglokEHQE3KWkQgK4QegQIARAD&uact=5&oq=what+was+the+release+dates+of+the+different+releases+of+AT%26T+Unix+system+V&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiSndoYXQgd2FzIHRoZSByZWxlYXNlIGRhdGVzIG9mIHRoZSBkaWZmZXJlbnQgcmVsZWFzZXMgb2YgQVQmVCBVbml4IHN5c3RlbSBWSMPTAVDfB1iOyAFwA3gBkAEAmAG8AaAB3B-qAQQzOS42uAEDyAEA-AEBmAIToAL1DsICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAggQABiiBBiJBcICCBAAGIAEGKIEwgIFEAAY7wXCAggQIRigARjDBMICChAhGKABGMMEGArCAgQQIRgKmAMAiAYBkAYIkgcEMTEuOKAH5poBsgcDOS44uAftDsIHBDQuMTXIBxyACAA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp&mstk=AUtExfDwCixhB2sI7sfX_VIbG-ww9F-enZBYewFVsWfPnFa1S65jyEOcYGYSy4vl_nT37yN26Wr15kGKgceIC394RVEQ95EQ6egJp8j2LMj-fn84AobJRvIWpmndJk_-218PWL3OS0bzAZ8tDqaU7q1uX5Rhqvuv51ni2O5VGDOSZgHaVCA&csui=3>
in
1983,


   - followed by System V Release 2 (SVR2) in 1984
   - System V Release 3 (SVR3) around 1986-1987
   - System V Release 4 (SVR4) in 1989,
   - Later releases under Novell/USL included System V Release 4.2 (UnixWare
   1.0
   <https://www.google.com/search?q=UnixWare+1.0&sca_esv=3e23ed5d65d1f5ab&sxsrf=AE3TifN1ATJSS1b15dmyD-ITfcs06C2LSw%3A1767025880946&ei=2KxSaZWOOfmrptQP2NSf0QQ&ved=2ahUKEwiS7cSz1-ORAxWglokEHQE3KWkQgK4QegQIARAE&uact=5&oq=what+was+the+release+dates+of+the+different+releases+of+AT%26T+Unix+system+V&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiSndoYXQgd2FzIHRoZSByZWxlYXNlIGRhdGVzIG9mIHRoZSBkaWZmZXJlbnQgcmVsZWFzZXMgb2YgQVQmVCBVbml4IHN5c3RlbSBWSMPTAVDfB1iOyAFwA3gBkAEAmAG8AaAB3B-qAQQzOS42uAEDyAEA-AEBmAIToAL1DsICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAggQABiiBBiJBcICCBAAGIAEGKIEwgIFEAAY7wXCAggQIRigARjDBMICChAhGKABGMMEGArCAgQQIRgKmAMAiAYBkAYIkgcEMTEuOKAH5poBsgcDOS44uAftDsIHBDQuMTXIBxyACAA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp&mstk=AUtExfDwCixhB2sI7sfX_VIbG-ww9F-enZBYewFVsWfPnFa1S65jyEOcYGYSy4vl_nT37yN26Wr15kGKgceIC394RVEQ95EQ6egJp8j2LMj-fn84AobJRvIWpmndJk_-218PWL3OS0bzAZ8tDqaU7q1uX5Rhqvuv51ni2O5VGDOSZgHaVCA&csui=3>)
   in 1992
   - Release 4.2MP (UnixWare 2.0
   <https://www.google.com/search?q=UnixWare+2.0&sca_esv=3e23ed5d65d1f5ab&sxsrf=AE3TifN1ATJSS1b15dmyD-ITfcs06C2LSw%3A1767025880946&ei=2KxSaZWOOfmrptQP2NSf0QQ&ved=2ahUKEwiS7cSz1-ORAxWglokEHQE3KWkQgK4QegQIARAF&uact=5&oq=what+was+the+release+dates+of+the+different+releases+of+AT%26T+Unix+system+V&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiSndoYXQgd2FzIHRoZSByZWxlYXNlIGRhdGVzIG9mIHRoZSBkaWZmZXJlbnQgcmVsZWFzZXMgb2YgQVQmVCBVbml4IHN5c3RlbSBWSMPTAVDfB1iOyAFwA3gBkAEAmAG8AaAB3B-qAQQzOS42uAEDyAEA-AEBmAIToAL1DsICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAggQABiiBBiJBcICCBAAGIAEGKIEwgIFEAAY7wXCAggQIRigARjDBMICChAhGKABGMMEGArCAgQQIRgKmAMAiAYBkAYIkgcEMTEuOKAH5poBsgcDOS44uAftDsIHBDQuMTXIBxyACAA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp&mstk=AUtExfDwCixhB2sI7sfX_VIbG-ww9F-enZBYewFVsWfPnFa1S65jyEOcYGYSy4vl_nT37yN26Wr15kGKgceIC394RVEQ95EQ6egJp8j2LMj-fn84AobJRvIWpmndJk_-218PWL3OS0bzAZ8tDqaU7q1uX5Rhqvuv51ni2O5VGDOSZgHaVCA&csui=3>)
   in 1994/1995.


On Mon, Dec 29, 2025 at 2:15 PM Rik Farrow <rik at rikfarrow.com> wrote:

> I have to disagree with Clem about the date of the SysV release. As an
> example, see this PDF from a set of manuals for System V:
>
>
> https://bitsavers.org/pdf/morrow/tricep/Uniplus+_System_V_Administrators_Manual_1983.pdf
>
> I was running SVR3 on a Motorola 68010 by 1984, and used it to write a
> book about administering to System V.
>
>
> On Sun, Dec 28, 2025 at 6:12 PM Clem Cole via TUHS <tuhs at tuhs.org> wrote:
>
>>
>> ATT would not have had anything to do with it. System III was released Nov
>> 1981 and System V late 1984 - plus Jan 1, 1984 is when Judge Green breaks
>> allows ATT to be in the computer business so ATT could not have had
>> anything to say before then.
>>
>> Rik
>