Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!gatech!bloom-beacon!husc6!cmcl2!brl-adm!brl-smoke!gwyn From: gwyn@brl-smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn ) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards Subject: Re: Size of SysV "block" Message-ID: <6132@brl-smoke.ARPA> Date: Thu, 16-Jul-87 16:01:12 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-smok.6132 Posted: Thu Jul 16 16:01:12 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 18-Jul-87 08:26:52 EDT References: <218@astra.necisa.oz> <142700010@tiger.UUCP> Reply-To: gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB)) Organization: Ballistic Research Lab (BRL), APG, MD. Lines: 9 In article <142700010@tiger.UUCP> rjd@tiger.UUCP writes: >A byte IS eight bits!!! No, that started with IBM's System/360 and gained further support from the PDP-11. Before that time, and since, many architectures have either had other fundamental address unit sizes (e.g. 6 or 9 bits) or have supported variable-sized bytes (e.g. CDC). An 8-bit byte is simply not a suitable unit of measure for systems whose fundamental memory unit size is not an integral multiple of 8 bits.