Nemnich%mit-multics@sri-unix.UUCP (06/14/83)
From: Bruce Nemnich <Nemnich@mit-multics>
About 6 months ago, I sent a query to this list asking for pointers to
literature which could serve as an overview of unix for an operating systems
class. I fully intended to post the responses, but I never got around to it.
Proceeding on premise that late is better than never, here goes:
Most responses pointed to an issue of the Bell System Technical Journal
devoted to Unix. I have included only one such reference in the msgs which
follow.
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Date: 6 Dec 1982 11:03:52 EST (Monday)
From: Deborah Brown <brown at MITRE>
I'm sure you either already know about the BSTJ on Unix, or will get
a dozen pointers to it. But just to be sure: Check the Bell System
Technical Journal, July-August 1978, Vol. 57, No. 6, Part 2.
This is a collection of papers describing the inception of Unix, the
philosophy of the system, some porting exercises, etc. I think it may
cover some of the info you want. It can be purchased for $2 from
Bell Laboratories
Circulation Group
Whippany Road
Whippany, N.J. 07981
(Or ask any Unix user - the BSTJ tends to be in wide circulation.)
Also, paper #32 of the Unix user's manual Vol. 2 (The UNIX I/O System,
by Dennis Richie) is a good overview of the Unix system.
Good luck.
Deb Brown (deb at mitre)
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Date: 3 Dec 1982 0959-EST
From: Michael B McIlrath <MBM at MIT-XX>
...
For historical anecdotes, you might call Jon Sieber at RTS. I think he
he was in an Explorer post for which Ken THompson was the adviser, during
the very early days of unix.
--mike
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Date: 6 Dec 1982 at 1034-CST
From: Bill Lee <lee@UTEXAS-11>
... and the Lyons books that document version 6 Unix. I don't know if AT&T
is distributing them anymore.
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Date: Monday, 6 Dec 1982 11:14-PST
From: Jeff Mogul <mogul%Shasta at SU-Score>
...
There's also a Bell Labs report by Dennis M. Ritchie, "The UNIX I/O
System", which describes virtually all the interesting features of
the kernel.
Finally, there are some papers by Bill Joy at Berkeley on their
extensions to make a virtual memory system for the Vax, and their current
major changes.
...
-Jeff Mogul
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Date: 6 Dec 82 15:47:39-EST (Mon)
From: the soapbox of Gene Spafford <spaf.gatech@UDel-Relay>
...
"The Evolution of the UNIX Time-Sharing System" by Ritchie, D. M.
in Proceedings of the Symposium on Language Design and Prog. Methodlogy
held in Sydney, 10-11 Sept. 1979
"Using a Command Language as the Primary Programming Tool" by
Dolotta, T. A. and Mashey, J. R. in the book
Command Language Directions, edited by D. Beech, North Holland
Publishing Company, 1980.
Both of those have nice bibliographies that you can examine for
further references.
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Date: Sun Dec 5 17:29:13 1982
From: decvax!utzoo!utcsrgv!utcsstat!geoff@Berkeley
There's a good article on the history of UNIX up to the Sixth Edition
system (mid-1975) by Dennis Ritchie in Lecture Notes on Computer Science
(I think number 79) published by Springer-Verlag.
Geoff Collyer
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