Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!husc6!rutgers!cbmvax!hutch!rabbit1!barber From: barber@rabbit1.UUCP (Steve Barber) Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix Subject: Re: Huh? Message-ID: <338@rabbit1.UUCP> Date: Fri, 17-Jul-87 11:49:38 EDT Article-I.D.: rabbit1.338 Posted: Fri Jul 17 11:49:38 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 22-Jul-87 03:24:25 EDT References: <143@lakesys.UUCP> <141@hobbes.UUCP> <133@ddsw1.UUCP> <199@krebs.acc.virginia.edu> Distribution: na Organization: Rabbit Software Corp., Malvern PA Lines: 26 Summary: What is System V anyway? An analysis A framework that I find very useful for comparing and understanding the difference between UNIXes in general, and Microport and Xenix in particular, is to keep in mind the geneology and histories of their evolution. Microport is an honest-to-God port of AT&T System V Release 2. Xenix started as a port of V7, was heavily hacked and extended with local (Microsoft) and BSD extensions, then brought into conformance with SVID while retaining more or less the same kernel. Xenix is fairly mature and high-priced. Microport is new and relatively inexpensive. It is not surprising then that it is not yet stable, though with time I believe it will be. There is a world of difference between conforming to the SVID (as it applies to V.2), and actually being System V. In particular, the SVID specifies a programming interface (system call, library calls and shell commands by now I guess), but doesn't cover the sysadmin stuff or certain utility subsystems like uucp, cron, etc. So the answer to the question "Is Xenix a System V?" is "It depends on what you mean by 'System V'." (P.S. to SVID folks: I'm basing my info off an old SVID spec, so I may be out of date on some details. Feel free to flame me *by mail*.) -- Steve Barber Rabbit Software Corp. ..!seismo!cbmvax!hutch!barber ...!ihnp4!cuuxb!hutch!barber (215) 647-0440 7 Great Valley Parkway East Malvern PA 19355