carey@m.cs.uiuc.edu (04/12/89)
We have almost all bsd machines, and a few system 5 machines.
I have done some porting of software from the bsd systems to system 5.
But I have never really kept track of the problems I have run into.
If I had to tell some other programmer what the problems are, about
all I could say is "they ain't the same."
Does anyone have a short summary of basic differences? Not all the
gory details, please, I am sure that could take up volumes. Just
something that lists the system calls that are missing from system 5,
major differences in results of calls, differences in commands,
and so on.
I don't think I am the only one who would like to have such a list.
--John Carey
carey@cs.uiuc.edu
{uu-net,seismo,pur-ee,...}!uiucdcs!careyscott@dtscp1.UUCP (Scott Barman) (04/14/89)
In article <9100014@m.cs.uiuc.edu> carey@m.cs.uiuc.edu writes: >We have almost all bsd machines, and a few system 5 machines. >I have done some porting of software from the bsd systems to system 5. >But I have never really kept track of the problems I have run into. >If I had to tell some other programmer what the problems are, about >all I could say is "they ain't the same." > >Does anyone have a short summary of basic differences? Not all the >gory details, please, I am sure that could take up volumes. Just >something that lists the system calls that are missing from system 5, >major differences in results of calls, differences in commands, >and so on. > >I don't think I am the only one who would like to have such a list. Instead of a list (which is lengthy) let me give you my source: "Portable C and Unix System Programming" by J.E. Lapin, Rabbit Software 1987, Prentice-Hall ISBN 0-13-686494-5 First, let me say the book is a little behind (i.e. it does not cover System V Release 3 or much of the changes in 4.3bsd because of when it was published). But I bought it in 1987 (it was around $25 then) because I was writting software that had to run under SunOS 3.4 and a pre-divestature version of System V (I was a consultant at Bellcore). It contains sections on portable coding practices, a "standard" at C coding (this was pre-ANSI), and some other tidbits. It also contains many pages on the differences in programs, systems calls, functions, etc. What makes it nice is it covers everything from Version 7 to 4.1bsd to 4.2bsd to System V Release 2 and the different versions of Xenix (up to 5.0). The folks at Rabbit Software did a good job (J.E. Lapin is not a real person. "The name represents the many individuals at Rabbit...") and it seems to be worth it for those who have to program under different versions of Unix. I hope that helps. -- scott barman {gatech, emory}!dtscp1!scott
ries@arcturus (Marc Ries) (04/15/89)
In article <9100014@m.cs.uiuc.edu>: [...] >Does anyone have a short summary of basic differences? >Not all the gory details, please, I am sure that could >take up volumes. Just something that lists the system >calls that are missing from system 5, major differences >in results of calls, differences in commands, and so on. >I don't think I am the only one who would like to have >such a list. Two printed reference materials that are very good: White Paper: "UNIX System V and BSD4.2 Compatibility Study", Joseph Uniejewski, Apollo Computer Inc., March 1985. Magazine: "No Longer An Outcast", Jonathan Cohler, Digital Review, January 1985. There is also a book out but I don't remember the title (although "Portability" is part of it, I think). Several UNIX and C programming books make brief mention of differences (like Marc Rochkind's book "Advanced UNIX Programming"). Marc Ries <somewhere>!ries "PHOTOVOLTAICS: safe/clean Electricity from the SUN"
domo@riddle.UUCP (Dominic Dunlop) (04/27/89)
In article <9100014@m.cs.uiuc.edu> carey@m.cs.uiuc.edu, whose name I have lost, writes: >I have done some porting of software from the bsd systems to system 5. > ... [and I want references on what the differences might be] ... As well as other references cited in this thread (Lapin etc.), you might try getting a copy of UNIX System V Release 4.0 Migration Reference Guide -- Berkeley System from AT&T. They've been handing them out at their System V, release 4 developer conferences, and they essentially list the differences between BSD 4.3 and UNIX V.4.0 (when it arrives). The copy I have is obviosly preliminary, as it does not have the AT&T magic number (select code) normally needed before AT&T understands what you're talking about. But you might try anyway. AT&T's number is (800) 432 6600 (or +44 1 567 7711 (Europe), or (317) 352 8556 (rest of world)). -- Dominic Dunlop The Standard Answer Ltd., using Sphinx' facilities (for which much thanks) domo@sphinx.co.uk
guy@auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris) (05/02/89)
>>I have done some porting of software from the bsd systems to system 5. >> ... [and I want references on what the differences might be] ... > >As well as other references cited in this thread (Lapin etc.), you might >try getting a copy of UNIX System V Release 4.0 Migration Reference >Guide -- Berkeley System from AT&T. Note that this will describe the differences between BSD (4.3BSD, probably) and S5R4 - which may not be quite as helpful if you're interested in S5R3, say, since a lot of stuff that's in BSD and will be in S5R4 isn't in vanilla S5R3 (symbolic links and job control, to give two examples).