8 Mar
2024
8 Mar
'24
7:48 a.m.
Tom you mentioned non-Bell compilers, but also x86, so I can't resist pointing out:
https://www.bell-labs.com/usr/dmr/www/otherports/newp.pdf
Among the handful of systems experimented with in these Bell Labs UNIX porting experiences
is the 8086 which was being used for some sort of internal project at the time. I'm
not aware of any artifacts (UNIX nor C) from that port, nor if any 32-bit and beyond x86
compiler technology out there derives from any of these efforts, but worth mentioning in
the history of C touching Intel platforms. I do seem to recall some discussion here a
while back that implied that the SGS suite may have had its genesis in some of these
efforts. The internal Bell Labs version of Release 5.0 has SGS compilers for several
BellMAC targets that I think descend from some of this work. I'd have to go looking
for proof though so consider that anecdotal for now.
- Matt G.
On Thursday, March 7th, 2024 at 4:54 PM, Heinz Lycklama heinz(a)osta.com wrote:
Marc is correct. All of ISC C compilers were based
on Bell Labs C compilers, starting with a C compiler
for the DEC VAX machine in 1978.
Heinz
On 3/7/2024 4:30 PM, Marc Rochkind wrote:
> Larry & Dave, thanks for jogging my memory. I'm pretty sure it was BDS C on
that z80 Zenith computer. (See my longer post above.)
> I should add that around 1984 I got a copy of PC/IX for the IBM XT, directly from
Interactive Systems in Santa Monica, where I knew a few people. That was true UNIX, System
III, I think, and I used it for all of the examples for my book "Advanced UNIX
Programming," which came out in 1985. It, of course, had a real Bell Labs C
compiler.
>
> Marc
>
> On Thu, Mar 7, 2024 at 5:15 PM Charles H Sauer (he/him) sauer(a)technologists.com
wrote:
>
>> On 3/7/2024 5:52 PM, Warner Losh wrote:
>>
>>> On Thu, Mar 7, 2024 at 4:24 PM Warner Losh <imp(a)bsdimp.com
>>> mailto:imp@bsdimp.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> On Thu, Mar 7, 2024, 4:14 PM Tom Lyon <pugs78(a)gmail.com
>>> mailto:pugs78@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> For no good reason, I've been wondering about the early history
>>> of C compilers that were not derived from Ritchie, Johnson, and
>>> Snyder at Bell. Especially for x86. Anyone have tales?
>>> Were any of those compilers ever used to port UNIX?
>>>
>>> MIT had several that were used for ka9q and at least the Venix x86
>>> port. They supported the popular micros of the time. Various
>>> versions of them survive to the present day.
>>>
>>> It's at bitsavers:
>>>
>>> https://bitsavers.org/bits/MIT/pc-ip/8086_C_19850820.tar
>>> https://bitsavers.org/bits/MIT/pc-ip/8086_C_19850820.tar
>>> and
>>> https://bitsavers.org/bits/MIT/trix/MIT_Compiler_Tape/
>>> https://bitsavers.org/bits/MIT/trix/MIT_Compiler_Tape/
>>>
>>> are pointers to compilers from the early 80s. Obviously not ANSI-C
>>> compilers :)
>>>
>>> Warner
>>
>> See, also,
>> https://www.program-transformation.org/Transform/CCompilerHistory.html &
>> http://www.desmet-c.com/.
>>
>> When I only had PC/IX on an XT at my office and a PCjr at home, I mostly
>> worked with C at home with DeSmet. I still have a couple of 5.25" 360K
>> diskettes labeled C-Ware, which I think are DeSmet 2.4.
>>
>> Charlie
>>
>> --
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>
> --
> My new email address is mrochkind(a)gmail.com