mishkin@apollo.UUCP (Nathaniel Mishkin) (07/10/87)
Over the last several months, there have been a number of messages posted
to "comp.sys.apollo" concerning Apollo's future plans for our software,
especially changes expected in some future major release. After
considering the matter carefully, we decided it is necessary to respond
to those messages. I was nominated as the person to make the response
(based on the input of a number of people). Here goes:
Apollo's next major release will NOT be a "native Unix port", although
many of the problems with our current implementation will be addressed.
We continue to believe that "Unix" doesn't have to mean "Unix kernel
source code as delivered by AT&T or Berkeley". Our goal is to make our
Unix as easy (or easier!) to port Unix applications to as any other version
of Unix.
The "Aegis environment" is NOT going away, although Unix will be an
integral part of the system. We would never abandon our base, nor cause
them any grief in compatibility if we can possibly help it.
It is our intent that people who choose to do so can view our system
as a "Unix plus" system; i.e. that it is Unix with extensions such as
typed files, global libraries, dynamic loading/linking, distributed file
system including concurrency control, mapped files, extensible I/O system,
etc. (All of the foregoing features have been in our system for years.
Other "Unix vendors" are just realizing that such features would probably
be nice to have and are some are just gaining their first experiences
with such features.) "Unix users" (an ill-defined class, but you know
what I mean) should feel comfortable using these extensions. We will
continue adding functionality not in "standard Unix". Obviously, users
who feel that the advantage of using such extensions is outweighed by
compatibility/portability concerns will continue to use only "standard"
Unix features (available in our systems, of course).
-- Nat Mishkin
Apollo Computer Inc.
-------Erstad@HI-MULTICS.ARPA (07/12/87)
Nat, what about rumors that with SR10 Unix will be the default operating system? Dave Erstad, Honeywell SSED