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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd Path: sserve!manuel!munnari.oz.au!mips!mips!darwin.sura.net!eng.ufl.edu!wasp.eng.ufl.edu!john From: john@wasp.eng.ufl.edu (John Paul O'Brien) Subject: Re: Funding 4.4BSD Development Message-ID: <1992Jun29.230559.10925@eng.ufl.edu> Sender: news@eng.ufl.edu (Usenet Diskhog System) Reply-To: john@wasp.eng.ufl.edu (John Paul O'Brien) Organization: U of Florida Engineering Comuputing Services References: <18729@plains.NoDak.edu> <1992Jun27.160309.21709@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 92 23:05:59 GMT In article <1992Jun27.160309.21709@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg> eoahmad@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg (Othman Ahmad) writes: >In article <18729@plains.NoDak.edu> tinguely@plains.NoDak.edu (Mark Tinguely) writes: > >: >: Let us all admit there is a want for support code -- be it from DEC, >: SunSoft, BSDI, etc. There is a need for BSDI-like support. As a personal >: thought, I wish it did not come at such a high price (a wedge between >: 386bsd and bsd386 forces). >I am not sure about US. My experience here is that we do not really get >much support even from such companies such as DEC on their VMS. For example >we still have problems printing from ultrix to out printers which are >connected via decnet to Vax running on VMS. > You may say that it is exceptionally difficult but I also have >experience with much simpler programs written by local(Malaysian) programmers in >interpretive basic working for NCR. When we try to extract more data for further >processing, they cannot give us the format of their data storage. Let alone >the source code when we are the only customer for that program. > Of course they do get work done but not to my efficiency standard. >We could have done better. > The best support is the source code itself. The only role played >by developers is in releasing new versions which may be called support also. >: >: Previous BSD releases have not been free. The charge was nominal, but >: there was a charge. I think we paid $1000.00 for BSD 4.2 a long time >: ago; maybe a $400 (?) for the upgrade to 4.3. There was a small charge >: if we elected to go to Tahoe, and Reno. BUT IT WAS WORTH THE NOMINAL >: CHARGE! >: >: The important thing, is BSD was fixed base that we learned kernel and system >: techniques. I provided working utilities (that vendors were slow or unwilling >That is the whole point! >: to fix). It gave us source to customize our environment. I gave us the common >: ground to experiment. Some of the experiments worked, some did not. In the >: process, BSD gave Unix the features we see in "commercial" Unix. BSD MADE >: what Unix is today (even look at System V R4). >: >: Yes, the CSRG is made up of very talented individuals, and also there >: is many minds from across the country that contributed to BSD software. >: >: I think we need to finish BSD 4.4 by either purchasing the software or >: set a private fund. We also need to keep BSD software active. We need >: a common environment to do our research and our learning. Commercial software >: is too restrictive and not a common ground. If we fail to keep a research >: environment, Unix devolopement will only happen in big companies, and >: new features will be acquired by those with big money or cross-licenses >: agreements. >: >: I know what I am saying involves A TREMENDOUS amount of time and money. >: We are also looking a the future of Unix. > >What is needed is proper marketing. That involves proper pricing and >salesmanship. I have a lot of ideas on this but not sure if it is proper >to discuss in usenet. >-- >Othman bin Ahmad, School of EEE, >Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 2263. >Internet Email: eoahmad@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg >Bitnet Email: eoahmad@ntuvax.bitnet > -- John Paul O'Brien, Manager of Network Services and Distributed Systems Nova University, Network Services and Distributed Systems 3301 College Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. 33314 Phone: (305) 475-7633 Internet: john@solar.nova.edu