gsp@ulysses.UUCP (Gary Perlman) (06/05/84)
The following are opinions of Gary Perlman and not necessarily those of AT&T (e.i., I am trying to cover my ass). Several people have asked about the availability of ksh. I don't think KSH is available outside AT&T or the former Bell System. AT&T, in marketing UNIX System (UNIX is a trademark of Bell Labs...), wants to make careful decisions about the contents of the UNIX System. This includes the shell, one of the most important programs. The care necessitates time, a lot more time than a place like Berkeley where something can go on the BSD tape when some guy uses the cp command. This is not to say that Berkeley puts less thought into the BSD, just that with less politics and potential market impact, release of software is easier. As for KSH, Dave Korn has put a lot of work into it and that means lots of changes. For release, that means lots of requirements documents, formal tests, peer reviews, and all those other `real world' procedures that make better products but slow things down a lot. I know that in UNIXLAND there is some movement to speed the process, so things might improve. It is unfortunate that the release takes time, and it always seems like too much time. It is paradoxical that people at Bell Labs are encouraged to speak publicly about new developments that are not yet available to to public. Most of us reading netnews are familiar with the early days of UNIX when every site could and would distribute software to any other site. Things have changed, but I still think publications make sense; they tell people about the thought process, and they give advance notice so that people can plan for new developments. Gary Perlman BTL MH 5D-105 (201) 582-3624 ulysses!gsp