Why use U* over VMS

[Joel Gringorten]

In article <1990Oct25.160937.28144 at edm.uucp>, geoff at edm.uucp (Geoff Coleman) writes:
|>  Well any O/S who's language of choice for opening and controlling
|> devices is FORTRAN (or BLISS) ala VMS has definite drawwbacks. I seem to 
|> remember that when I wanted to open a tape drive I had to convert the  C 
|> strings into structs with a length component etc. 

It sounds like what you are recalling is conformance to the VAX-11 calling
standard.  This standard makes it possible for languages to call routines
written any other language.  You need not a clue as to what the routine was
written in.  This is considered a major feature of VMS.  

|> THe other obvious downfall
|> of VMS from my point of view was the need to worry about the inifinite 
|> combination of file types (fixed length records, fixed block size)

Oh, I see.  You consider the fact that VMS supports multiple file and record
types to be a bug.  Some people consider things like ISAM file support built 
into the runtime library to be a feature.  

|> fixed block size) versus the
|> UNIX philosophy of a file is a file is a file.
 
You must mean the UNIX philosophy of a file is a stream of bytes.  Guess what? 
The C runtime library under VMS supports stream files as the default file type
as well as supporting the full complement of standard C lib file routines.

To stick with the subject at hand...  Fast process creation and pipes are major
features of Unix that VMS doesn't have.  Disparate existing programs can be
linked together via program or shell control.  

The VMS distributed lock manager is a major feature that Unix doesn't have.  
Disparate programs can share data to record level without stepping on each
others toes.  Process creation is heavy.  Programs can call other programs, 
but it's slow and difficult.  

But hey, they both have their philosophies, disadvantages and advantages.  
I worked on VMS for 5 years and Unix for last 6 years and have a lot of 
appreciation for both operating systems.  It just so happens that Unix is my
OS of choice now.  I find prototyping quicker in Unix.  It's simpler and more
elegant.  Being a hacker I like that.  

VMS is a better operating system for running comercial applications like banks.
It has better data, file integrity and security features.  It's also a whole
lot more user friendly.

I'd switch back to VMS if I had to.  But, it would take a lot of money :-)

-joel