unix in the real world

[Richard Welty]

> 
> 	1. What is the operating system(s) most often used by DEC?
> 	2. Same question as above, but as it regards multi user systems.
> 	3. Do the other systems offer the inter/intra communications
> 	   capabilities of a Unix system?
> 	4. Is there a movement by DEC towards one particular operating
> 	   system over another (i.e) VMS ?
> 	5. And more generally, is there a growth in the use of commercial
> 	   Unix, or is it still the 'baby' of the universities?
> 
1.&2.
    VMS is most common for vaxen.
    RSX-11, RT-11, and RSTS are all available for pdp-11s, and the
    choice is influenced by the application.
    TOPS-10 and TOPS-20 are available for pdp-10 type hardware.
    All of the above attempt to be multi-user except for RT-11 (unless
    something has changed since I last used it ...)
    All are distinguished by the fact that they were written by DEC
    (except for RSTS, I believe).
3.  Some facilities are available, but they are often clumsy or slow.
4.  DEC is pushing Vaxen, and thus VMS ...
5.  There is an increasing recognition of UNIX in the industry.  There are
    some very good economic reasons to bring up UNIX rather than write a new
    opsystem for a new machine.
    The company I work for is considering porting some of our VMS-C software
    to an Apollo-Domain system.  We asked one of our potential customers for
    such a port whether they prefered a native mode port to Apollo's AEGIS
    system or a port to Apollo's UNIX enviroment, and there was an extremely
    strong pro-UNIX reaction, despite the fact that the particular customer
    is not currently a heavy UNIX user.
    The extent of the developing UNIX steamroller becomes clear when you
    consider the fact that IBM has broken down and started to admit that
    UNIX exists.
-- 
				Rich Welty

	(I am both a part-time grad student at RPI and a full-time
	 employee of a local CAE firm, and opinions expressed herein
	 have nothing to do with anything at all)

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