Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: $Revision: 1.6.2.16 $; site datacube.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!think!datacube!berger
From: berger@datacube.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.68k
Subject: Re: Re: Info on OS9 Operating System
Message-ID: <9500001@datacube.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 19-Sep-85 22:14:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: datacube.9500001
Posted: Thu Sep 19 22:14:00 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 22-Sep-85 06:19:59 EDT
References: <347@wlbr.UUCP>
Lines: 65
Nf-ID: #R:wlbr:-34700:datacube:9500001:000:2919
Nf-From: datacube!berger    Sep 19 22:14:00 1985


We use OS9/68k  as a  real time  kernel /  executive as  opposed to a
development system.  I would never  want to  use it  as a development
system  though  since  I  think  unix  is  such  a  nice  development
environment.    

My feeling is this is where Microware is making a BIG  mistake.  They
should be promoting it against VRTX and MTOS.   Not  against UNIX and
MS/DOS.  (I'd rather develop under OS9 than MS/DOS though! At least
Microware got the slashes to go in the right direction!).

We do all our development on a nice Pyramid 90x that runs both SYSTEM
V and Berkley 4.2 (We hardly ever  use SYSTEM  V).   We cross compile
using the Microware C Cross compiler to prom  based OS9  68000 on the
VME and Multibus.  We have a binary downloader and make extensive use
of OS9 trap libraries to minimize download time.  

OS9 has some great features over the other prom executives:
	- Price
	- Flexiblity
	- Unix likeness (Not as much as it should though...)
	- I/O system and file managers, heirarchical file system.
	- Data Module / Trap library concept (This is the best thing about it!)
	- You could use it as a disk based development system if you had to.
	- Plus all the other things mentioned in the previous note.

We have added more unix likeness to it.  Especially the ability to
write unix style device drivers in C, and System V style ioctls and
other system calls for easy source code portability.

We  have  also  developed  a  tool  for  automatically  building trap
libraries from object modules.  This technique still  needs some work
to  make  it  completly   general,  in   particular  handling  memory
allocation.  

We payed  Microware to  port the  Cross Compiler  to the  Pyramid.  I
would like to see them make  it a  regular product.   Officially they
only support the VAX (running unix or vms), PDP-11 (running unix) and
OS9 disk systems as cross hosts.  (I'd like  to see  them support SUN
as well).  

Overall I am pretty happy with OS9 as a target system.  We will be
getting an upgrade any day now that will hopefully fix most of our C
compiler complaints.  OS9 is significantly less expensive than other
routes. About half of what it would cost to get something like VRTX
and the Greenhills compiler.  And VRTX does not have as much
functionality.

Of course VRTX might have better real-time context switching, etc and
Green Hills is probably a better compiler... Its all trade offs.

Also I think Microware WILL sell source for  OS9 and  the C compiler.
They  just  charge outragous  amounts for  source.   They charge very
reasonable amounts for port-paks (everything you need to  port to new
hardware including source for key things).  Their  licensing fees are
also significantly less than VRTX.  


			Bob Berger 

Datacube Inc. 4 Dearborn Rd. Peabody, Ma 01960 	617-535-6644
	
ihnp4!datacube!berger
decvax!cca!mirror!datacube!berger
{mit-eddie,cyb0vax}!mirror!datacube!berger