RE: [TUHS] While on the subject of 32V ... - TUHS

30 Oct 2003

Arnold forwraded this to me:

...
  Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2003 09:35:40 -0400
 From: Pat Villani &lt;Pat.Villani(a)hp.com&gt;
 To: tuhs(a)tuhs.org
 Subject: [TUHS] While on the subject of 32V ...

 Folks,

 I recently copied down the 32V source, and compiled the kernel with gcc.  Much 
 to my surprise, most of it compiled.  I then split out the machine dependent 
 versus the machine independent files (loose classification :-), and compiled 
 again.  Naturally, in both cases, you could not actually build a kernel because 
 there are vax specific .s files, but the individual C files compiled.  Not a bad 
 start.

 As a result, I've been giving serious consideration to porting it to Intel IA32 
 platforms.  It's much simpler than the unix I worked on until last year (Tru64, 
 aka OSF/1 and Digital UNIX), and the 32V kernel is only a little bigger than the 
 original FreeDOS kernel I wrote.  The Caldera license is pretty much a BSD 
 license, which could be considered an open source license.  This means I should 
 be able to work on it without worrying about IP, although I'd still need 
 management approval.

 Should I undertake such an project, would there be enough interest to justify 
 the effort?

 Pat

 -- 
 You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do. -- Henry Ford 
He noted the following and asked if I'ld like it posted to this list:

	I see from subsequent mail that a project has been started.

	The members of this list seem to share some common characteristics:

	1. Some spare time for working with code.

	2. A willingness to hack on code.

	3. A desire to work with cleaner, smaller simpler versions of Unix,
	   instead of the modern, er, *full featured* open source systems
 	  (Linux, *BSD).

	I'd like to suggest that perhaps members of this list should check out
	Plan 9 From Bell Labs (http://plan9.bell-labs.com)  The Plan 9 developers
	have recently posted a request for help, for people to tackle some projects
	that need tackling.  Why should people here look at it?

	1. It's from Bell Labs: quality design and concepts guaranteed. (:-)

	2. It's an opportunity to move into the future, instead of hiding out
	   in the past.

	3. Plan 9 deserves good help.

	4. People who appreciate early Unix and current Plan 9 will be welcomed
	   warmly.

	So, check it out,

We sure would like more people using our system and our license is OSI
approved so it least has one stamp as open source.  It clearly is not as
simple 32V or our 10th edition unix.  However, it comes close and is way
simpler than either Linux or the current BSDs.