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From: ingoldsby@calgary.UUCP (Terry Ingoldsby)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: OS/9 licensing
Message-ID: <754@vaxb.calgary.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Jan-87 22:28:40 EST
Article-I.D.: vaxb.754
Posted: Wed Jan 14 22:28:40 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 16-Jan-87 02:07:34 EST
References: <2325@well.UUCP> <2146@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> <2184@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Organization: U. of Calgary, Calgary, Ab.
Lines: 44
Keywords: Volunteers needed
Summary: Re: OS9 for Amiga

In article <2184@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>, mwm@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Mike Meyer) writes:
> In article <288@unirot.UUCP> carroll@unirot.UUCP (mark carroll) writes:
> >>>How about somebody trying to pick up where TLM left off
> >>> and doing an OS/9 port for the Amiga
> >>  Unfortunately, one needs a fair amount of money
 > >>  . . . (to get a license for OS9)

Money is talked of in relative terms.  Certainly
whatever amount of money is being asked is more
than a hacker can afford, but corporately speaking,
the price can't be too high.  Radio Shack has been
selling the 6809 version of OS9 for ~$75 for
some time now, and I presume they are making a
profit on it.  Even if OSK cost several times that
it would still be a bargain.
> 
> Just to keep things bouncing, let me point out one more alternative:
> write, from scratch, an OS that has the same system call interface as
> AmigaDOS. That's what MINIX & GNU are (for Unix), and what various
> people did for CP/M and TrsDOS. Me, I get more than enough systems
> hacking at work, and am not about to tackle any more of it in my spare
 > time

 I disagree that "Yet Another Dos" is required, or
even desireable.  Quite frankly, if something is
done well, why re-invent the wheel.  Then you also
need to re-invent all the support software unless
you can entice others to do so.  OSK has had several
design iterations so I believe it to be more polished
than AmigaDos, and certainly more polished than
anything you could possibly whip up in your basement.
I also think that porting OS9 is quite a simple task;
what may be difficult is writing a fancy window
manager, device drivers capable of managing the
Amiga's hardware, etc.

 I don't yet own an Amiga, partly because I like OS9
(and OSK) so much that I'm really not interested in
any micro that can't run it.  Short of Unix (which
is not appropriate for most micros), its the best
thing going.  Anyway, there's my 2 cents worth.

                          Terry Ingoldsby
...!ihnp4!alberta!calgary!ingoldsby