Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!ncc!alberta!access!edm!rroot
From: rroot@edm.UUCP (uucp)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: OS/2 is the result of anticompetitive practices by IBM and Microsoft
Message-ID: <3094@edm.UUCP>
Date: 7 May 88 16:25:17 GMT
References: <1612@looking.UUCP>
Organization: Unexsys Systems, Edmonton,AB.
Lines: 54

From article <1612@looking.UUCP>, by brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton):
.... 
> Like I said, it's not an easy target that is being aimed at, and OS/2
> misses in many of the following places, but here are areas where Unix
> would require a total rewrite to hit dead on:
> 
> 	a) Administration - this has been discussed a lot, so I won't
  My friend (edm!neyessa!root) owns an old altos system. Administration
needs are almost NIL (once a month, he automatically generates usage stats for
our enjoyment)
> 	b) File system integrity:
> 		Unix can't just be turned on and off with a switch like
> 		DOS can, and like users expect.
If SYNCs were automatically done whenever the file system was quiescent,
this would not be a problem. I really don't know why this isn't done now.
> 	c) Fragmented file systems:
> 		Unix fragments file systems heavily, and that means you
Use the BSD file system: It handles (prevents) fragmentation reasonably well.
(normal MS-DOS/OS-2 has the same problems as the bell FS anyways)
> 	d) Running DOS programs

I've never worried about this, so no coment
> 	e) Real time
> 		DOS programs can do real time applications because they
> 		own the machine.  Not so under Unix
Basically true for MS-DOS, and false for OS-2. RT work could PROBABLY be done
under UNIX (starting with the ability to lock an RT process into memory).
Then again, the fact that you DON'T "own the machine" makes it a LOT harder to
install a virus.
> 	f) Easy device driver installation.
> 		Typical DOS machines, if they get fancy, have special
> 		peripherals, all with their own drivers.  All unusual
> ....	dynamic mount, but better than relinking the kernel and rebooting.
No big problem here. SYSV seems to have runtime-loadable drivers (both the
3B1 and the Convergent Technologies box I am on now seem to have this
capability)
> 	g) Still run software for the old filesystem, and still use old disks.
Backwards compatibility is fine, but keeping it the standard is, as you said,
dumb.
> 	h) Convenient floppy disk use
See my answer to b): The same answer applies here.
> Some of these things could be fixed with mods, but some of them require
> essentially an entire rewrite.

As my answers indicate, most of these things can be handled with changes to the
device drivers (Hmm, even the fs compatibility could be kludged with a cute
device driver -- Then again, I don't think I really want to think about it).
Only the RT stuff is a problem, and even that has been solved by some
people (albeit with non-trivial changes to UNIX).
-- 
-------------
 Stephen Samuel 
  {ihnp4,ubc-vision,vax135}!alberta!edm!steve
  or userzxcv@uqv-mts.bitnet