play@cwi.nl (The MC Funhouse Master) (10/17/87)
[Cross-posted to comp.unix.questions, rec.games.misc and rec.games.trivia
because I felt there might be interest in all groups. The first as it is
unix history, the second because it is misc-games and the last because it is
trivia. Followups should go to rec.games.misc.]
Here you have it, everything you always wanted to know about games on Unix
systems. It has been stated that Unix is the only system that contains games.
And indeed, the manual for the Unix clone I study at this moment says that
curses is to write games, and so it implements only those functions that are
required for vi (that would be none as vi uses termlib).
To compile this list I looked at distribution tapes for the following Unix
versions:
V6 We have two tapes with V6, the contents are not shockingly different.
V7 Apparently we do not have the original distribution any more, so I
had a look at some dumps of the system, and had to deduce the original
contents (we had a number of add-ons in /usr/games you know).
32V Only one distribution tape found.
System III Original distribution.
System V We have two it appears, for PDP and for Vax.
System V release 2 Original.
BSD 2.1 Original.
BSD 2.8 Original for V7. This is an add-on system, you could add it to
V6, V7, 32V or PWB Unix. Only some of the binaries would apply.
Our distribution contains bin.v7 only. Of course 2.8 had also
the games of the system it was added to.
BSD 2.9 We ought to have this, but I could not find it.
BSD 3 Original.
BSD 4.* Original. We should have 4.1C too, but I could not find it.
We have also a tape for an Interdata 8/32, if there is anybody who knows
how to read that and tells me I would be quite obliged. (We do not have
and never have had an Interdata 8/32, where that tape comes from is
beyond my comprehension, but apparently the tape does not contain any
ascii code; ebcdic perhaps?)
To decide what are games is in most cases quite straightforward: the contents
of /usr/games. However this does not hold for V6, where quiz is in /usr/bin.
Also for V6 the man pages are no indication as tbl is in section 6. So I
had to use my judgement here. The same holds for BSD 2.8 as this is an add-on
and had no /usr/games on its own.
In the table below a + indicates the game is present; a double + indicates
that sources are present too. A minus indicates something special; see the
notes. You will see that BSD is leader with respect to the number of games
supplied.
V6 V7 32V SIII SV SVR2 2.1 2.8 3 4 4.1 4.2 4.3
aardvark(3) + + + +(11)
adventure(12) + + + + + + ++ ++ ++
aliens ++ ++ ++ ++
arithmetic ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ + ++ ++ ++ ++
backgammon(6) ++ + ++ ++ ++ ++ + + ++ ++ ++
banner ++ + ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
battlestar ++
bcd ++ + ++ + ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
biorhythm +
bj + + ++ ++ ++ +
boggle + ++ ++ ++
btlgammon(6) ++ ++
canfield ++ ++
chase +
checkers(2) -(1) + + +
chess(4) + ++ + ++ + + + +
chessclock -(9)
ching(3) + + + + + + +
clock -(9)
craps ++ ++ ++
cribbage + ++ ++ ++
cubic + + + +
doctor ++ ++ ++
dungeon/zork(5) + + + + +
factor ++ ++
fish ++ + ++ ++ ++ -(9) + + ++ ++ ++
fortune(7) ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
hangman ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ + + ++ ++ ++
hunt ++
jotto + + +
mastermind ++ ++ ++
maze -(1) + + ++ ++ +
mille + ++ ++ ++
monop(13) + ++ ++ ++
monopoly(13) +
moo + + ++ ++ ++ +
number ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
ppt + +
primes ++ ++
psych -(1) ++ ++ ++
quiz ++ ++ +(10)++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
rain ++ ++ ++
random ++ ++ ++ ++ +
reversi + + +
robots ++
rogue(14) + + + +
sail ++ ++
sky -(1) +
snake + + + ++ + ++ ++ ++
trek(8) + + + + ++ ++
trk(8) ++ ++ ++
ttt + + ++ ++ ++ +
units(15) +
wargames ++ ++
words + + +
worm ++ ++ ++
worms ++ ++ ++
wump(16) + ++ + ++ ++ ++ ++ + + ++ ++ ++
(1) Can be found mentioned in the directory block for /usr/games, but is
apparently removed before distribution.
(2) Not working on 11/34, the BSD2.1 version is the only one working with
compat on the Vax under BSD, it is not known whether the SIII version
works.
(3) Vax only, ching also on PDP of course.
(4) Vax and PDP only; pdp-11 compatibility mode.
(5) This was an RT-11 program patched for Unix V6 and later for V7. We do not
have it with V6. On the Vax it runs in pdp-11 compatibility mode. With
4.1C there was an enlarged version with puzzle room (I think, it may have
been another Unix), but this later disappeared.
(6) btlgammon is the original version; backgammon is a newer one, before 4.2
there is only the original backgammon, this game is called back on SIII,
SV and SVR2.
(7) Greatly enhanced version.
(8) These are different versions.
(9) Source only.
(10) No quiz file directory.
(11) Called aard on 4.3.
(12) Different versions on different systems. I know, once upon a time on V7
there was a 365 point version (tell lauren@ucla-security that bug 25
occurred) but have not yet been able to retrieve it.
(13) Probably different implementations of the same game, but I am not sure.
(14) On the Vax only. Different versions: rogue 3.4 on Unix 2.8, rogue 3.6
on Unix 4.1, rogue 5.3 on Unix 4.2 and rogue 5.4 on Unix 5.4 (getting
buggier and buggier).
(15) You may wonder why units is only on this system. Well, only on this
system is it in /usr/games.
(16) When you look through the V6 distribution (and especially the blocks
that are not referenced) you will find parts of the sources of wump
as used in the computer museum, together with traces of other games
not normally present.
You see I found no sources for biorhythm (clearly a fortran program, do
strings biorhythm and look at all those funny formats; why not, V6 had basic),
chase, checkers, cubic, ching, dungeon/zork (but that has been distributed in
comp.sources.games), jotto, monopoly (System III and V version), ppt, reversi,
rogue (apparently nobody has it, even not the maintainer), units (but of course
it is in /usr/src/usr.bin( and words (that is trivial).
On our V7 I found also a game called zogo (or sogo) is there anybody who knows
more about the source of it?
Also quiz is quite interesting. The quizzes it knows are the same across all
versions of Unix but the library contains a few more files (without reference
in the index) on all. E.g. on system III we have a file mapping AT&T/Bell
departments to department numbers. Most interesting are the (mis)haps of
(mis)spell. Being a full-blown quiz with 15 questions in V6, only two are
retained in later versions of Unix (the last two questions; what happened to
the others?).
--
Game Keeper
Mail: play@cwi.nl