*BSD News Article 65675


Return to BSD News archive

Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.os.linux.advocacy
Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.cs.su.oz.au!inferno.mpx.com.au!goliath.apana.org.au!news.syd.connect.com.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!swrinde!gatech!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!utcsri!cdf.toronto.edu!jdd
From: jdd@cdf.toronto.edu (John DiMarco)
Subject: Re: Historic Opportunity facing Free Unix (was Re: The Lai/Baker paper, benchmarks, and the world of free UNIX)
Message-ID: <jdd.829341760@cdf.toronto.edu>
Sender: news@cdf.toronto.edu (Usenet News)
Nntp-Posting-Host: coke
Organization: University of Toronto Computing Disciplines Facility
X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 #6 (NOV)
References: <4ki055$60l@Radon.Stanford.EDU> <jdd.829261293@cdf.toronto.edu> <bnelsonDpqpz3.M1D@netcom.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 20:42:40 GMT
Lines: 34
Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc:537 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:3121 comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:2907 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:17122 comp.os.linux.advocacy:44826

bnelson@netcom.com (Bob Nelson) writes:

>On Thu, 11 Apr 1996 22:21:33 GMT, John DiMarco wrote:

>>> Why is it a good thing to turn a nice development operating system into a
>>> glorified program loader? Easy: a platform to run applications -- and only
>>> this -- is exactly what most users want. If no BSD or LINUX-based operating
>>> system exists that does this in a straightforward and simple fashion, such
>>> users will go elsewhere, as they have up until now. And where the users go,
>>> the application developers follow. Then Gates and Co. will continue to
>>> dominate the desktop application computing market with operating system
>>> software that many - including myself - consider technically inferior to 
>>> most of the alternatives, free UNIX-like systems included.

>Wouldn't such a plan really only serve to ultimately destroy unix? Is
>not one of its primary strengths predicated upon the notion that unix
>is indeed not _meant_ to appeal to "most users"? The use of Windows and
>other Microsoft platforms by some should be of no concern to the unix
>community.

UNIX as a development operating system more-or-less as it is today will remain.
I am proposing an _addition_ to what we have today, not as a replacement.  If 
you prefer it rephrased: "UNIX-like operating system(s) ought to contribute a 
kernel and related technology to an as-yet-unnamed application-focused 
operating system".  Is that better?

Regards,

John
--
John DiMarco <jdd@cdf.toronto.edu>                        Office: EA201B
Computing Disciplines Facility Systems Manager            Phone: 416-978-1928
University of Toronto                                     Fax:   416-978-1931
http://www.cdf.toronto.edu/~jdd