On Monday 23 July 2007, Les wrote: >On Sun, 2007-07-22 at 22:26 -0700, David Boles wrote: >> on 7/22/2007 10:18 PM, Ed Greshko wrote: >> > David Boles wrote: >> >> on 7/22/2007 9:40 PM, Ed Greshko wrote: >> >>> David Boles wrote: >> >>>> Really? I have said that I am not a techie only a user of a tool. >> >>>> >> >>>> Can you name me one personnel computer that would run then, or will >> >>>> today, a true Unix OS? >> >>> >> >>> Sorry, I have to ask. What is "true Unix OS"? Does Solaris qualify? >> >> >> >> I am not sure Ed. What I had in my mind was the OS that runs on those >> >> really large cabinets in those really cold rooms. I have worked on >> >> those. The rooms and the A\C not the computers. >> > >> > Well, if you're not sure of what your definition is of "a true Unix OS" >> > then a challenge or question as to if a PC will run them kind of loses >> > its meaning. >> > >> > I venture to say that most folks would classify Solaris as a "true Unix >> > OS" and yes, they mostly ran on Sparc CPU server systems in rooms with >> > false floors and big A/C's. And yes, in the early days, the workstation >> > varieties used Sparc CPU's and not your typical Intel or AMD processor. >> > >> > But, today Solaris runs just fine on Intel. So, I would submit that as >> > an answer to your question. >> >> Like I said - I was thinking of main frame stuff on big cabinets in really >> cold rooms. >> >> I have never tried Solaris or Sparc. Are they considered what I described >> as 'a true Unix'? I was not even aware that they would run in x86 type >> equipment. >> >> I am *not* trying to be a smart *** here. I would like to know. > >Yes, Solaris is Unix, and runs on x86 and lots of other architectures. >As to the big machines in really cold rooms, most modern desktops have >more power than the early Unix systems did. In 1972 a 10Mb disk was >huge. I worked on a 40Mb disk which had air pumps, pnumatic pistons to >drive the heads and ran at 3600 RPM with platters that were about 20" in >diameter if I remember right. > > Sparc is a kind of processor, it means Sparse instruction set computer. >Generally with 32 or so registers, these cpus were capable of very fast >operations, and only have 20-50 instructions. Kind of a hardware >implementation of a P-machine for PASCAL. Humm, I wonder how the ParalaXx(sp?) 'propeller' would run one of these os's? I'd imagine it has a quite sparse instruction set, but it has 32, 32 bit processors in it, running at about 50mhz each, using microwatts each. Properly harnessed & pipelined, I'd think it could be pretty speedy & its in a 48 or 64 pin dip package! I'd think the package would make it i/o bound, but I'm just guessing. >Regards, >Les H -- Cheers, Gene "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) What's this stuff about people being "released on their own recognizance"? Aren't we all out on our own recognizance?
