[comp.sys.3b1] Plan 9

templon@copper.ucs.indiana.edu (jeffrey templon) (05/18/91)

In article <117@fbits.ttank.com> Mariusz@fbits.ttank.com (Mariusz Stanczak)
writes:

>> I remember hearing Rob Pike at Usenix picking on billing Mach as a
>> microkernel, and telling how much of Plan 9 you could get for the same
>> number of lines of source.  It included the entire OS, the compiler
>[a list causing extensive salivation deleted]
>
Speaking of which, what is PLAN 9 (other than the original Unix guys'
next unix.)  Where can I get more info about it?  Why does noone
on this group talk about getting a Plan 9 port to the 3b1 instead
of a Mach port or minix port or whatever.

Would like any info about Plan 9.  Also, what machines are now running
it and who sells them.

					Jeff

yarvin-norman@cs.yale.edu (Norman Yarvin) (05/20/91)

templon@copper.ucs.indiana.edu (jeffrey templon) writes:
>Speaking of which, what is PLAN 9 (other than the original Unix guys'
>next unix.)

It is an operating system designed to work well with networks.  Other than
that: well, it's got some extremely nice stuff.

>  Where can I get more info about it?

ftp doc/plan-9.ps.Z from cs.toronto.edu.  This is a PostScript file.  They
ask that you not ftp during high-use hours.

>  Why does noone
>on this group talk about getting a Plan 9 port to the 3b1 instead
>of a Mach port or minix port or whatever.
>
>Would like any info about Plan 9.  Also, what machines are now running
>it and who sells them.

It is running on machines at Bell Labs.  The distribution policy is, from
what I have heard, the same as that for V8, V9, and V10 Unix, i.e.  "You
can't have it."  A pity.  Especially since it is so easy to port (they
mention one port as being done in 19 hours).

Mariusz@fbits.ttank.com (Mariusz Stanczak) (05/20/91)

In article <1991May18.155116.22200@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu>, templon@copper.ucs.indiana.edu (jeffrey templon) writes:
> Speaking of which, what is PLAN 9 (other than the original Unix guys'
> next unix.)  Where can I get more info about it?  Why does noone

...and not quite unix.  Let me reffer for to a recent article in Unix
World called (I think) Plan 9 From Outer Space (just like the movie).
Unfortunatelly, I do not have the article handy to give you more details 
'cept it was still in this year' issue.


> on this group talk about getting a Plan 9 port to the 3b1 instead
> of a Mach port or minix port or whatever.

Reasons are many, and they will be obvious to you after you read the article,
but two should be enough to quote here;  first, it is a multiprocessor/network
OS with servers for files, compute needs, etc.  The other is that it's being
kept under covers, and if I remember right; it's not even yet made available
to academia.

-Mariusz
-- 
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UUCP: ..!uunet!longbow!ttank!fbits!Mariusz

yarvin-norman@cs.yale.edu (Norman Yarvin) (05/23/91)

I wrote:
>It is running on machines at Bell Labs.  The distribution policy is, from
>what I have heard, the same as that for V8, V9, and V10 Unix, i.e.  "You
>can't have it."

Apparently what I heard was either wrong or out of date; Plan 9 has in fact
been made available to interested educational institutions.  I don't know
much more.