Message-ID: <961@ihuxq.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 1-Jun-84 15:04:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxq.961
Posted: Fri Jun  1 15:04:58 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 6-Jun-84 02:35:31 EDT
References: <425@hogpc.UUCP> <2727@brl-vgr.ARPA> <1971@rlgvax.UUCP> <2762@brl-vgr.ARPA>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
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Xref: 228 633 1656

This is going a little too far.  People are jumping to all sorts of
conclusions with too little information.  (I know, I know, so what else
is new on the net?  :-) )

Command partitioning is happening.  Period.  It makes a lot of sense
($$$ savings) to a lot of people.  If *you* want lex(1) and yacc(1),
then *you* can buy it.  Someone trying to run a business probably
doesn't need it, although they can buy it.

And, yes, some commands will be deleted.  Where commands don't make sense,
they won't be offered.  Release 1.0 of the AT&T 3B2 system does not offer
a phototypesetter interface.  Therefore, the 3B2 software does not include
commands to talk to a phototypesetter.  It also lacks an RP06 disk driver.
It also lacks a blender interface.  Big deal.  If someone builds an RP06
or blender interface to the 3B2, they will sell any necessary commands.

In the end, the average user will end up spending less.  Software developers,
I guess, will end up spending more than average (far more people use vi(1)
than cc(1), so cc is optional), but less than they might otherwise.  For
example, a software developer need only buy their favorite language, they
don't have to pay for all the others.

Finally, if there is enough demand for a product (a command), I feel sure
that it will be offered.  Of course, I AM NOT SPEAKING FOR THE COMPANY,
but business sense will prevail.

By the way, the back end of the SGS (software generation system) was
disconnected from the front end because almost all the front ends use
the same back end (assembler, linker, loader,...).  When you buy your
first compiler, be sure to order the back end.  When you buy your next
compiler, you don't have to buy the back end again.

	-andy kegel
	just one more employee of AT&T Bell Labs