17 Oct
2023
17 Oct
'23
10 a.m.
On Mon, Oct 16, 2023 at 11:42:06AM -0700, Mary Ann Horton 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?
You mentioned the manuals in:
https://www.tuhs.org/Usenet/comp.unix.wizards/1981-December/000593.html
"Inside Bell Labs, we have ordered a bunch of 4.1BSD manuals printed
like our 3.0 manuals (6x9 with the plastic ring binders). We haven't
gotten them back yet (this is expected some time early next year) but
if they come out like our 3.0 manuals they will be a total win.
(The only disadvantage is that it's nearly impossible to add your own
local pages.) Cost seems to be (50,$2000), (100,$2000), (200,$2500)...
When we get them, if they're good, I'll publicise the name of the print
company (they're in NJ) and people can probably work out some kind of
combined deal - the demand inside the labs was incredible (900 manuals)
and since everybody in the labs runs the non-Berkeley version of UNIX,
I expect the combined demand on the outside would knock down the price
real quick."
A scan of the 3.0 manual is on bitsavers:
https://bitsavers.org/pdf/att/unix/System_III/UNIX_Users_Manual_Release_3_J… (32M)