🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Apr16.041911.17628@leland.Stanford.EDU>  
overlord@amy9.stanford.edu (Marcos Polanco) writes:
> 
> 
> Is there any reason why NeXT should not replace BSD4.3 with OSF/1?

Is there a functional version?  I think HP is shipping, but even they have some  
problems.

> OSF One is based on Mach, so the move would not be tremendously difficult.
> 
> It would also make NeXT a bit more friendly with DEC, HP, IBM, etc., etc.

NeXT (and probably OSF) should eventually move to the GNU hurd (GNU's Not  
Unix), which will be BSD 4.4 and POSIX, and be freely distributable (no AT&T  
code)..  It is based on Mach 3.0, which allows even more nifty stuff (OSF is on  
2.5, and NeXT is 2.0 w/some extensions).  It should be in beta by the end of  
the year, and certainly ready by the time NeXT does 4.0.

OSF/1 does not offer any signficant advantages that I am aware of [anyone  
else?], although NeXT has shared technology with them.  The GNU hurd will.

NeXT's strength (and weakness, to be honest) is that they are reluctant to be  
'compatible' just to be 'compatible' - they have to see some clear benefit to  
them and their users.  I don't think OSF/1 is widespread enough to qualify.

- Ernie P.
--
Ernest N. Prabhakar                  Caltech High Energy Physics
Member, League for Programming Freedom (league@prep.ai.mit.edu)
CaJUN President        NeXTMail:ernest@pundit.cithep.caltech.edu
"...and ourselves, your servants for Jesus sake." - II Cor 5:13a
#import <std/disclaimer.h>