[TUHS] "A New Command Language for UNIX and Related Systems", Sturzenbecker CL (1982)

[Arnold Robbins via TUHS]

The whole point of USG -- the Unix Support Group -- was to unify the
various Unix variants in use in the Bell System into one flavor
that could be used everywhere.  Thus the fact that there are bits
and pieces from Research, PWB, and even "Columbus Unix" in Unix 3.0
and 4.0 and on to System V.

In my work at Southern Bell, Unix was used for generic computing,
not just software development. My job was to write a program that
would nightly read data read in from an HR tape and construct a
fast access database such that guards in the lobby could look people
up by name.

My point is that Unix wasn't just in the switching centers.

As to releases, odd vs. even, etc., I don't know about that. I was
told that AT&T released to the world one version behind what they
ran internally, thus Unix 4.0 inside the Bell System, Unix 3.0 (System III)
outside.  With divestiture on the way and AT&T getting ready
to go into the computer business, they decided to skip releasing
Unix 4.0 and go straight to System V both internally and externally.

HTH,

Arnold

segaloco via TUHS <tuhs at tuhs.org> wrote:

> Long musing on Release 4.x incoming.
>
> My reading of documents agrees that Release 4.x was pretty wide-spread.
> The story I've heard goes that AT&T tended to stabilize with odd
> releases and then add a bunch of new stuff on even releases, so BTL was
> probably more likely to be on a even release when available, same story
> from what I've read with PWB 2.0.  I've read anecdotes that SVR2 was
> originally to be Release 6.0 but by that time divested AT&T decided to
> just go all in on UNIX releases and stuck with the System V trademark.
> Internal BTL editions of this release are indeed also labeled System V
> Release 2 whereas the prior versions were Release 5.0 for internal use.
>
> Release 4.0 was popular enough to have a couple of nice printed volumes
> of papers from the "Documents For" collection.  One such starter package
> is available here:
>
> https://archive.org/details/unix-programming-starter-package
>
> It was also the beginning of the end for the simplicity of document
> distro, Release 4.x is the first release we see the manual split into
> u_man and a_man, and the unbundling of the secondary volume TROFF
> sources may have occurred around the same time.  By SVR2, what was a
> single programmer's manual and volume 2 is now a_man, u_man, and p_man,
> along with all the papers strewn amongst a number of different
> independent volumes.
>
> However unlikely, Release 4.x is potentially more likely to have
> survived in a cast-off tape or disk pack than earlier PWB and USG stuff.
> However unlikely one of my goals is to hopefully start finding rapport
> with nearby telco offices to see if I can suss out any old stuff from
> that time.  That said, I've got no idea how wide-spread the various BTL
> UNIX flavors were outside in the larger Bell System ecosystem, if for
> instance any random telco office would've had USG generics or PWB, or if
> most of their UNIX would be in more deeply embedded apps like COSMOS or
> ESS units.  I don't know how this bodes for the chances of a UNIX 4.0 or
> any other esoteric thing just sitting and rotting under the floor of a
> switching office somewhere.  Unfortunately my letter and gift of an old
> Bell System commemorative token have resulted in no return of contact
> from the closest office to me (360-REgent) so remains a mystery.  They
> do have what looks like a pre-divestiture 5ESS running in their
> basement at least...so maybe there's hope for some old UNIX hiding
> somewhere...
>
> - Matt G.