lim ((n -> infinity) UNIX System V Release n) == Multics ?

[Chris Rende]

In article <422 at ubbpc.UUCP>, wgh at ubbpc.UUCP (William G. Hutchison) writes:
> 
>  When I was a student programmer I remember laughing at the huge size of the
> Multics Systems Programmer's manuals -- imagine: a whole shelf of books just
> to document an operating system!
> 
>  Well, I have just seen the UN*X System V Release 4.0 Software Developer Notes
> and I'm not laughing.  To Quote Han Solo "I've got a bad feeling about this!".
> I'm wondering if UN*X System V might be getting just a tad too big?

I started using Multics at college about 8 years ago. I started using Unix
about a year ago. It is facinating(sp?) to see the "common roots" between
Multics and Unix. It is also interesting to watch as Unix seems to be evolving
into Multics. Items like: directorys with size limits, file access lists,
security in general, password expiration, shared memory, real time computing,
handling large numbers of users and resources, multi-processing, etc... are
all fundamental Multics services.

I think that the reason that Multics did not prosper they way Unix has is
due to advances in hardware technology. Multics requires a mainframe, Unix
doesn't. Since there are lots more smaller computers than big ones, Unix has
been able to flourish. Let's be glad that the philosophies that originated
from the Multics project are alive and well: Hiearchical file system,
multi-tasking, etc..

It's just a shame that the wheel has to be re-invented. And, it's being
re-invented by all sorts of companies. Now there are standards groups
forming just to try and get some UNInity out of all the various Unix flavors.
Take a look at Larry Wall's configure stuff sometime. I'm not Unix bashing,
I think that Unix is fantastic (it's the closest thing to having a Multics
on your desk :-).

car.
-- 
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