Message-ID: <52C41B218DE28244B071A1B96DD474F628016D@DC-SRVR1.dotcast.com>
From: Marty Fouts <marty@dotcast.com>
To: "'root@chaos.analogic.com'" <root@chaos.analogic.com>,
        Michael Rothwell <rothwell@holly-springs.nc.us>
Cc: Linux kernel <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Subject: RE: Advanced Linux Kernel/Enterprise Linux Kernel
Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2000 10:10:35 -0800
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Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org

Actually, you have the sequence of events slightly out of order.  AT&T,
specifically Bell Labs, was one of the participants in the program that
would develop Multics. AT&T opted out of the program, for various reasons,
but it continued apace.  The PDP-8 of fame was one that, according to
Thompson, happened to be available and unused.

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard B. Johnson [mailto:root@chaos.analogic.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 10:01 AM
To: Michael Rothwell
Cc: Linux kernel
Subject: Re: Advanced Linux Kernel/Enterprise Linux Kernel


On Tue, 14 Nov 2000, Michael Rothwell wrote:

> "Richard B. Johnson" wrote:
> 
> > Relating some "nine goals of 'Enterprise Computing'" to Multics is
> > the bullshit. 
> 
> Funny, I got those off the "Multics FAQ" page.
> 
> -M
> 


History is being rewritten. When Multics was being developed by AT&T,
it was found to be unusable on the DEC. It was a PDP-8, so the
story is told.  General Electric got the first contract to make
a machine specifically designed for Multics and development
continued.

The original DEC was "given" to W. M. Ritchie and his staff in
"Department 58213". He wanted to use it for games. To do so, required
him to write some sort of OS, which became Unix.

As I said, when Multics was designed, the only criteria as to
get it to work on a DEC. It didn't. To use this development as
an example of "enterprise computing" is absurd and belies its
well documented history.


Cheers,
Dick Johnson

Penguin : Linux version 2.4.0 on an i686 machine (799.54 BogoMips).

"Memory is like gasoline. You use it up when you are running. Of
course you get it all back when you reboot..."; Actual explanation
obtained from the Micro$oft help desk.


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