[comp.sys.nsc.32k] pc532 owners consumers or producers

jkh@meepmeep.pcs.com (Jordan K. Hubbard) (01/11/91)

You're assuming that the software folks are all working along similar
lines. Our work here has two thrusts: One is to finish the new monitor
that incorporates zmodem downloading, automatic header stripping
(I.E. you don't have to prep executable files before downloading, the
magic number will be recognised for bruce execs or gld execs and
the proper number of bytes ignored), remote gdb support, memory diagnostics,
etc. The guy doing the gdb support (Gary) is on vacation, but most of the
other stuff is done. This code we plan to release.

The second thrust is to port BSD, which we cannot release for licensing
reasons. Thus we've kept quiet about it. I think a number of people
are pursuing similar goals and for legal reasons cannot share the
profits of their labour. This is a pity. The FSF kernel is in its
usual state of non-existance, the OSF 1 snapshot is now being released
only to AT&T source license holders and Mt Xinu's MSD 1.6 requires
both AT&T and BSD licenses.

Even Minix isn't all that practical since many of us are unable to get
ahold of it. I paid my $250 (125 pounds sterling) almost 7 months ago
to Prentice Hall (U.K.) and will probably never get ahold of it (or
my money back) on account of the fact that these folks are terminally
braindead. After sending me the wrong merchandise (which I sent back at
my own expense), they proceeded to lose all track of my order. After
about six phone calls on my part, each time requiring some new and interesting
form of postal documentation on their part, I'm about ready to give up.

Given similar horror stories floating around in comp.os.minix, I don't
think Minix is all that viable an option for everyone either, further
widening the shared effort gap.

Suggestions?

					Jordan

taylor@Think.COM (David Taylor) (01/11/91)

<From: Per Andersson <admin.kth.se!perand@ames.UUCP>
<Date: Thu, 10 Jan 91 23:56:16 +0100

<                      BSD 4.4 will also have a redistributable NFS if
<my ears haven't misheard.

You haven't misheard.  The 4.4BSD NFS is part of the 4.3BSD-Reno
distribution and, in fact, is part of the collection of files that are
freely redistributable -- they're in the archives on uunet.

David
--
David Taylor
taylor@think.com, ...{ames,bloom-beacon,harvard}!think!taylor