doug@nixtdc.uucp (Doug Moen) (08/17/90)
I phoned the Toronto office of Prentice Hall today. They told me Macintosh Minix 1.5 is due to be released on September 15, for CAN $216. (ISBN # 013-585-0509) (Much cheaper than AUX, and you get source code) Unfortunately, the nice people in the order department don't know anything about the implementation details. Here are my questions: 1. Does Mac Minix (a) use its own file system, or (b) use the Macintosh file system? I would prefer alternative (b), so that I can read and modify Mac text files using Minix programs, and vice versa. If alternative (a) is used, then presumably I have to partition my hard disk so that I have a Mac partition and a Minix partition. 2. If Mac Minix uses it own file system, then is there any software that lets me mount a Mac-formatted file system in the Minix universe, or a Minix-formatted file system in the Mac universe? 3. Does Mac Minix follow the Mac convention of using character 13 as the newline character, or does it follow the unix convention of using character 10 as newline? This tells me whether Mac and Minix text files are compatible, or whether I need to use a conversion utility. 4. Is it possible for Mac Minix and Multifinder to run at the same time?
henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) (08/18/90)
In article <1990Aug17.164258.2806@nixtdc.uucp> doug@nixtdc.UUCP (Doug Moen) writes: >1. Does Mac Minix (a) use its own file system, or (b) use > the Macintosh file system? Considering the slightly bizarre nature of the Mac file system, and Minix's straight-Unix orientation, very probably (a). >3. Does Mac Minix follow the Mac convention of using character 13 as > the newline character, or does it follow the unix convention of using > character 10 as newline? ... One would hope that it follows the standard ASCII convention of using 10 as newline, rather than Apple's mistake. (If you read the ASCII standard, it says that if a single character is used for both CR and LF, it shall be LF, i.e. 10.) >4. Is it possible for Mac Minix and Multifinder to run at the same time? Surely you jest. -- It is not possible to both understand | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology and appreciate Intel CPUs. -D.Wolfskill| henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry
pete@tone.rice.edu (Pete Keleher) (08/18/90)
>In article <1990Aug17.164258.2806@nixtdc.uucp> doug@nixtdc.UUCP (Doug Moen) writes: >>1. Does Mac Minix (a) use its own file system, or (b) use >> the Macintosh file system? > >Considering the slightly bizarre nature of the Mac file system, and Minix's >straight-Unix orientation, very probably (a). Two months ago, the person who made the port stated that the port used it's own file system that is implemented as a single monolithic file on the mac file system. When I and several others protested vehemently, this same person (whose name I can no longer find) stated that he was looking into the possibility of using the mac file system straight. >>3. Does Mac Minix follow the Mac convention of using character 13 as >> the newline character, or does it follow the unix convention of using >> character 10 as newline? ... > >One would hope that it follows the standard ASCII convention of using >10 as newline, rather than Apple's mistake. (If you read the ASCII >standard, it says that if a single character is used for both CR and >LF, it shall be LF, i.e. 10.) > >>4. Is it possible for Mac Minix and Multifinder to run at the same time? > >Surely you jest. Mac Minix runs as an ordinary application under Multifinder. -- ============================================================================= Pete Keleher pete@titan.rice.edu =============================================================================
archer%segin4.segin.fr@relay.prime.com (Vincent Archer) (08/18/90)
Doug Moen <doug@nixtdc.uucp> says: >I phoned the Toronto office of Prentice Hall today. >They told me Macintosh Minix 1.5 is due to be released >on September 15, for CAN $216. (ISBN # 013-585-0509) >(Much cheaper than AUX, and you get source code) Now that's good news! >Unfortunately, the nice people in the order department >don't know anything about the implementation details. Now that's bad news :-) >Here are my questions: >1. Does Mac Minix (a) use its own file system, or (b) use > the Macintosh file system? > >I would prefer alternative (b), so that I can read and modify Mac text >files using Minix programs, and vice versa. If alternative (a) is used, >then presumably I have to partition my hard disk so that I have a Mac >partition and a Minix partition. A Unix-like file system bears little relation to the Mac File system. For this reason, the Minix FileSystem will probably be either (a) an independent partition on your hard-disk (if the kernel can gain access to the Mac HD driver) or (b) a special "MNIX" file that contains an image of the Minix FS. Don't forget that Minix is written with portability in mind, which means that you have EXACTLY the same FS regardless of your computer, be it an Amiga, a Mac, a PC or a ST. >2. If Mac Minix uses it own file system, then is there any software > that lets me mount a Mac-formatted file system in the Minix universe, > or a Minix-formatted file system in the Mac universe? I hope so. There's dos(dir/read/write) for PC users to allow access to DOS disks, and there's tos(dir/read/write) for ST users for the same task. I hope there's some mac(dir/read/write) utility with the same purpose! >3. Does Mac Minix follow the Mac convention of using character 13 as > the newline character, or does it follow the unix convention of using > character 10 as newline? This tells me whether Mac and Minix text > files are compatible, or whether I need to use a conversion utility. It uses LF, of course. The same compiler is used on all 68000-Minixes, so there's no reason why the MacMinix should be a special case. Better yet, it was told that any 68000-Minix compiled program would run "as is" on any other 68000 Minix. Binary compatibility precludes the option of \n = 13. Anyway, the (t/d)osread utility has a '-a' option, meaning 'ascii', because on PCs and STs, the situation is worse: a newline is CR FOLLOWED by a LF -------- >4. Is it possible for Mac Minix and Multifinder to run at the same time? Probably. If the kernel is written for, that is. Vincent Vincent Archer | Email:archer%segin4.segin.fr@relay.prime.com "People that are good at finding excuses are never good at anything else"
allbery@NCoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery KB8JRR/KT) (08/18/90)
I'll try to answer what I can --- but keep in mind that I'm working from a vague memory of an old posting, so *nothing* is guaranteed. People who truly know are invited to correct me and provide more information. As quoted from <1990Aug17.164258.2806@nixtdc.uucp> by doug@nixtdc.uucp (Doug Moen): +--------------- | 1. Does Mac Minix (a) use its own file system, or (b) use | the Macintosh file system? +--------------- I believe it uses its own, but has tools to access the MacOS file system. +--------------- | 2. If Mac Minix uses it own file system, then is there any software | that lets me mount a Mac-formatted file system in the Minix universe, | or a Minix-formatted file system in the Mac universe? +--------------- Not perhaps mount, but probably something similar to the utilities for manipulating native files in the 80x86 and Amiga versions. +--------------- | 3. Does Mac Minix follow the Mac convention of using character 13 as | the newline character, or does it follow the unix convention of using | character 10 as newline? This tells me whether Mac and Minix text | files are compatible, or whether I need to use a conversion utility. +--------------- It uses newline = 0x0A, but I believe the file manipulation utilities provide a conversion utility. +--------------- | 4. Is it possible for Mac Minix and Multifinder to run at the same time? +--------------- Yes, MacMinix is supposed to be a MultiFinder-aware application. Again, anyone who knows for certain should feel free to correct me. ++Brandon -- Me: Brandon S. Allbery VHF/UHF: KB8JRR/KT on 220, 2m, 440 Internet: allbery@NCoast.ORG Delphi: ALLBERY uunet!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!ncoast!allbery America OnLine: KB8JRR
ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum) (08/20/90)
In article <1990Aug17.164258.2806@nixtdc.uucp> doug@nixtdc.UUCP (Doug Moen) writes: >1. Does Mac Minix (a) use its own file system, or (b) use Yes. >2. If Mac Minix uses it own file system, then is there any software > that lets me mount a Mac-formatted file system in the Minix universe, > or a Minix-formatted file system in the Mac universe? No. >3. Does Mac Minix follow the Mac convention of using character 13 as > the newline character, or does it follow the unix convention of using > character 10 as newline? UNIX convention. MINIX tries to be like UNIX, not like Macintosh. >4. Is it possible for Mac Minix and Multifinder to run at the same time? Yes. Andy Tanenbaum (ast@cs.vu.nl)
ramsey@rbdc (Ramsey Dow) (08/20/90)
doug@nixtdc.uucp (Doug Moen) writes: >I phoned the Toronto office of Prentice Hall today. >They told me Macintosh Minix 1.5 is due to be released >on September 15, for CAN $216. (ISBN # 013-585-0509) >(Much cheaper than AUX, and you get source code) If and when Minix for the Mac comes out could somebody do a hefty review of it? I really desire a workable UNIX environment for my Mac SE and it would seem that Minix might be the answer. Thanks. -- "My damnable, reddening vision | Ramsey Dow, starving undergraduate That build a new world for my seeing; | A new world of reddness and darkness, | UUCP: ...!gatech!kd4nc!rbdc!ramsey A horrible coma called living." --HPL | Internet: woodward@phs.bgsm.wfu.edu