*BSD News Article 33596


Return to BSD News archive

Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.misc
Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msuinfo!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!netcomsv!netcomsv!calcite!vjs
From: vjs@calcite.rhyolite.com (Vernon Schryver)
Subject: Re: AIX (was I hope this wont ignite a major flame w)
Message-ID: <CttEFs.2uu@calcite.rhyolite.com>
Organization: Rhyolite Software
Date: Sun, 31 Jul 1994 17:11:51 GMT
References: <311omd$bve@server.st.usm.edu> <313v75$onl@wsiserv.informatik.uni-tuebingen.de> <9407302107.59@rmkhome.com>
Lines: 22

In article <9407302107.59@rmkhome.com> rmk@rmkhome.com (Rick Kelly) writes:

> ...
>From what I understand:
>
>The original AIX was a BSD port to Intel processors and the RT.
>
>IBM then rewrote the entire OS in their own image so that they
>wouldn't have to pay anyone royalties.
>
>AIX is a UNIX clone.

AIX may be a UNIX clone, and it may be the IBM image of UNIX, but do
you really think that IBM did a clean-room re-implemenation or that if
IBM had that USL would believe or that IBM pays no money to USL or that
IBM has changed their long standing policy of paying practically all
license fees instead of fighting?  (I guess in order to support their
own silly patents.)  If so, I bet you're wrong.  IBM may have a paid-up
license, but that's not the same thing as no royalties at all.


Vernon Schryver    vjs@rhyolite.com