tbetz@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Betz) (10/13/88)
From MISWeek, October 10, 1988 -
One Environment OSF, AT&T Topic
-------------------------------
By Virginia Dudek
Lawrence, MA - In the midst of regular speculation that
AT&T is close to joining the Open Software Foundation (OSF),
inside observers have said that OSF held meetings here over
the past week with AT&T and representatives from other non-
OSF members to discuss specifics on future UNIX development
and whether the companies would join OSF.
...AT&T has discussed whether to turn over complete Unix
operating systems development to OSF - allowing OSF to be the
sole licensee of Unix 5.4 - over a transitional period of time.
...Besides the possibility of substituting Unix 5.4 for AIX,
the source at a Unix software firm said AT&T's agenda ranged from
exempting AT&T from paying a significant OSF member fee, to
allowing AT&T to become a sponsor, contributing Unix code, and to
work on merging Unix 5.4 with AIX.
...Regarding control of Unix development and licensing, the OSF
sponsor source said AT&T has discussed willingness to let OSF be the
sole licensee for Unix. The result would be that the next version
of Unix would contain the OSF name, would be OSF property, and Unix
development activity would belong to OSF.
"AT&T is willing to spin off Unix development outside AT&T," the source
said. "OSF is obviously the only organization set up to do that. (AT&T)
has already made the decision intellectually, what they are trying to do
is do it in a way that they can walk away from it with their heads held
high, and also in a way that makes business sense."
------------------------------------------------------------------
I have deleted much of the article, focusing on the main points
of the issue. Can anyone here confirm/deny/amplify on the
implications of the above?
--
MY CURRENT FAVORITE ADVERTISING LINES: |Tom Betz
"Look what they done to old Duke! |ZCNY, Yonkers, NY 10701-2509
Next year I'm plantin' corn." |UUCP: tbetz@dasys1.UUCP or
"It's not >that< crazy! Rosemary..." | ...!cmcl2!phri!dasys1!tbetzgwyn@smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn ) (10/14/88)
In article <6927@dasys1.UUCP> tbetz@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Betz) writes: >One Environment OSF, AT&T Topic I don't know how true or likely it is, but any development that would (a) incorporate work through SVR4 and (b) prevent major variants of UNIX from arising would be welcome indeed. My technical objection to OSF so far has been that it was moving contrary to these goals, therefore not in the best interests of the UNIX user community.
davidsen@steinmetz.ge.com (William E. Davidsen Jr) (10/18/88)
Can it be that ATT is going to give up UNIX before the market has a
chance to decide? Can they break their contracts with Sun and SCO and
not give their co-developers the right to license the software? Why do I
find it possible that ATT will give up UNIX and then have to pay for the
license to use the hacked version of their operating system?
I hope this isn't true. DEC and IBM would love to see the one version
of UNIX so cut down in features that everyone would go back to
proprietary operating systems. What a stab in the back to any vendor
planning to release V.4.
I hope someone will tell us this isn't true, or that OSF is bound to
sublicense the unmodified software.
--
bill davidsen (wedu@ge-crd.arpa)
{uunet | philabs}!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -mewnp@dcs.UUCP (Wolf N. Paul) (10/18/88)
According to an article in this week's INFOWORLD which I received yesterday, AT&T just announced a V.4 Developer's Group INDPENDENT of the OSF, and will go it without OSF, competing with OSF. However, the AT&T executive quoted admits that eventually the AT&T and OSF products will converge, as both groups incorporate the other's better offerings and features into their own product. If there is enough interest (expressed in e-mail to me) I will type in a substantial part of the article. Wolf Paul -- Wolf N. Paul * 3387 Sam Rayburn Run * Carrollton TX 75007 * (214) 306-9101 UUCP: killer!dcs!wnp ESL: 62832882 DOMAIN: dcs!wnp@killer.dallas.tx.us TLX: 910-380-0585 EES PLANO UD
fangli@ihlpl.ATT.COM (Chang) (10/20/88)
In article <6927@dasys1.UUCP>, tbetz@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Betz) writes:
] From MISWeek, October 10, 1988 -
]
] One Environment OSF, AT&T Topic
] -------------------------------
]
] By Virginia Dudek
]
] Lawrence, MA - In the midst of regular speculation that
] AT&T is close to joining the Open Software Foundation (OSF),
] inside observers have said that OSF held meetings here over
] the past week with AT&T and representatives from other non-
] OSF members to discuss specifics on future UNIX development
] and whether the companies would join OSF.
] (the reset of the article deleted)
]
] Can anyone here confirm/deny/amplify on the
] implications of the above?
]
No I cannot confirm/deny/amplify what you heard.
That was also what I heard for a while but the latest rumor was that
the the talk broke apart because OSF insisted on using AIX as the
developing base in spite of AT&T's offer of SVR4. If what I heard is
true, the implication is that the UNIX(R) world will remain divided
for a long time (maybe forever who knows).
]
]
] --
] MY CURRENT FAVORITE ADVERTISING LINES: |Tom Betz
] "Look what they done to old Duke! |ZCNY, Yonkers, NY 10701-2509
] Next year I'm plantin' corn." |UUCP: tbetz@dasys1.UUCP or
] "It's not >that< crazy! Rosemary..." | ...!cmcl2!phri!dasys1!tbetz
Fangli Chang