joachim@jrix.radig.de (Joachim Riedel) (11/11/90)
I saw the first Coherent version in 1987. In 1989 I got Coherent 2.3.43.
A friend of mine just received Coherent 3.0.0. It is an old-fashioned
UNIX based on Unix 7 and System III.
You need: an AT-compatible Computer with 1 MB (also 640KB should be enough.)
The full installation requires 5 MB HD-Space, so 10 - 15 MB for
the complete installation should be enough.
You should have small knowledge about UNIX but should not be an expert.
I would use it to learn UNIX or have a small UNIX system on a laptop.
It has most of the more expensive utilities like lex,troff and yacc, has a
good C-development-system (good old Kernighan/Ritchie, no ansi) but now
(Version 3.0.0) only uses for C-programs the small memory model (64KB)
So it would be difficult to get most of the UNIX-PD-Software to work.
But it has a complete System III-UUCP so you can do most of the communication
things with it.
For the price they want for Coherent you can't go wrong.
If you want to do more programming or use larger programs under UNIX and
have the money for a better machine you should buy the more expensive
E.., I.., S...
If people with small purses want a unix system (illegal copies not mentioned)
they only have the decision between MINIX and Coherent. Coherent has more
utilities, MINIX has the full source code and the better User-Support. But
the more Coherent's will be sold the more .....
I now use Interactive 386/ix but still ordered Coherent. When I have more
experiences with it and someone may be interested I'll write a more 'newsful'
article (although my english won't be better).
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Joachim Riedel joachim@jrix.radig.de
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