Usenet 1994 January/usenetsourcesnewsgroupsinfomagicjanuary1994.iso/sources/std_unix/volume.23/text0013.txt

Text File | 1991-06-15 | 10.0 KB | 294 lines

Submitted-by: [e-mail] (Donn Terry)

Since I'm frequently asked how to get ahold of POSIX documents, here are
the standard answers.  This is my best understanding of the data, but
isn't official.  Please let me know of any errors (and I'll fix them),
but don't blame me for them.

Jim Isaak mailed an eariler draft of this document, which contained an
earlier version of the form that appears below, which was also posted
to comp.std.unix.  DO NOT USE THAT OTHER FORM.  The folks who do the
mailing had some specific input about the design of the form, and this
version reflects that input.

Donn Terry
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Sources of information about the POSIX Standards
                                    3/11/91

A quick picture:

    Copies of the IEEE and ISO POSIX.1 Standard (ISO 9945-1:1990,
    a.k.a. IEEE Std.  1003.1-1990) can be obtained from the IEEE
    Computer Society at [phone]. (See below for international
    sources, mail contacts, and the like.)

    Copies of Draft standards in progress can be obtained from the
    IEEE Computer Society office:  [phone].

    Information on the POSIX Conformance Test Suite used by the U.S.
    Government can be obtained from:  [phone],
    Order #PB90-500919.

    IEEE is offering a seminar on the POSIX standards, for more
    details, contact:  +1 (800) 678-IEEE (see IEEE Stds Office below).

    Uniforum publishes a set of "POSIX Explored" publications on the
    POSIX standards.  These can be obtained from Uniforum,
    [phone].

    There are also various privately authored tutorial books on the
    subject available from several sources.  (None listed here to
    avoid any implication of endorsing one over the other in case I
    miss any.)

1) Machine readable, any form: currently not available.
   (But being investigated. The current reasons are summarized at
   the end.)

2) Paper copies of Published Standards.

   There are two versions of ISO/IEC 9945-1 (a.k.a. IEEE 1003.1).  The
   ISO and IEEE documents are identical except for the covers.

   This is the only "fully approved" POSIX standard at this point, it
   replaces IEEE Std. 1003.1-1988, which is still referenced by the
   U.S. Government's FIPS 151-1.

   The ISO documents can be ordered through the various national bodies.
   ANSI in the US, DIN in Germany, etc.


   Document numbers:

    POSIX.1:
        ISO/IEC 9945-1:1990
        IEEE Std. 1003.1-1990
        IEEE Order number SH13680
        IEEE CS Catalog number 1019
        ISBN 1-55937-061-0

    (Other documents not yet available in this form.)

   IEEE availability.

       The IEEE version can be ordered from several sources.  The
       "SH" number (found on the lower left of the cover or lower
       right of the front inside cover is the key to ordering it.)

       There is a 10% quantity discounts (>50 copies) from IEEE.
       The first copy for IEEE (but not CS) members is 30% discount
       from IEEE, all others at list.  The CS has a different
       discount schedule that applies to CS members as well.

       There is an order form in the IEEE Standards Catalog about
       who can do credit purchases.  Call [phone] to
       request a copy of the catalog.

    POSIX.1: List $75.00

       Continental US:
            Computer Society: [phone]  (Ask for Customer Service)
        or IEEE Publication Sales +1 (800) 678-IEEE

       Canada:
        IEEE Canada            [phone].
        7071 Yonge St.
        Thornhill, Ontario L3T 2A6
        Canada.

       Outside Continental US or via paper.

        IEEE Service Center        +1 (800) 678-IEEE
        445 Hoes Lane, PO Box 1331
        Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331

        -or-

        IEEE Computer Society        [phone]
        10662 Los Vaqueros Cir.        Fax [phone]
        PO Box 3014
        Los Alamitos Ca. 90720-3014

       Europe:
        IEEE Computer Society        [phone]
        Jacques Kevers            Fax [phone]
        13, Ave de l'Aquilon
        B-1200
        Brussels, Belgium.

       Asia:
        IEEE Computer Society        [phone]
        Ms. Kyoko Mikami        Fax [phone]
        Ooshima Building
        2-19-1 Minami Aoyma
        Minato-Ku, Tokyo 107
        Japan

   ISO Availability:

    ISO
    1, rue de Varembe
    Gase Postale 58
    CH-1211
    Geneve 20
    Switzerland/Suisse.

    ANSI                    [phone]
    1430 Broadway
    New York, NY 10010

3) Drafts in Balloting.

     For drafts that currently are in balloting contact the
     IEEE Standards office at the Hoes Lane address above.

     There may be a per-page copying charge.

4) Drafts not yet balloting (working drafts), contact:

    IEEE Computer Society        [phone]
    1730 Massachusetts Ave N.W.    Fax [phone]
    Washington, DC 20036-1903

     There may be a per-page copying charge.

5) Subscriptions to the POSIX mailings:
   Note that this form tends to get a bit out of date rapidly.  However, it
   should get you reasonably plugged into the process.   Explanatory
   notes follow the form.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

        IEEE TCOS-Standards Document Distribution Service       3-13-91
            INVOICE and Fee Schedule

Name:    ________________________________  Date:  _______________________

Address:________________________________________________________________

    ________________________________________________________________

    ________________________________________________________________

Phone:    ________________________    E-Mail: ________________________

Master Card/Visa/AmEx #:  _______________________  Expiration: _________
         (circle one)
Signature:    ________________________________________________________

Instructions: Indicate what project(s) and types of materials you would like
          to receive.  Mark only one column.  Fees are charged per-page to
          defray the actual cost.  Billing is in units of 500 pages.  All
          accounts are prepaid, and debited at the time of mailing.
          Invoices are sent when accounts become depleted.

Group: choose one of a, b, or c below:                  All    Drafts
                                  Materials    Only

a)  Status only  (notices, status reports, document lists)    ____    n/a

b)  All Groups    (You will receive materials for new groups    ____    ____
        automatically as they are created)

c)  Individual Projects (see attachment for descriptions)

            All      Drafts         All   Drafts         All   Drafts
      Materials      Only     Materials   Only     Materials   Only

    1003.0  ___   ___   1003.1      ___   ___   1003.2   ___   ___
    1003.3  ___   ___   1003.4   ___   ___   1003.5   ___   ___
    1003.6  ___   ___   1003.7   ___   ___   1003.8   ___   ___
    1003.9  ___   ___   1003.10  ___   ___   1003.11  ___   ___
    1003.12 ___   ___   1003.14  ___   ___   1003.15  ___   ___
    1003.17 ___   ___   1003.18  ___   ___   1201.1   ___   ___
    1201.2  ___   ___   1224     ___   ___   1237     ___   ___
    1238    ___   ___

Should this selection completely replace
your existing subscription?            Yes     No

Number of 500 pages units:                  ____ x US$45    _______

International Express Mail fee:                ____  US$400    _______

Total amount due for above services:                    _______

Receipt Requested?                  Yes    No

Payment: Payment may be made by charge card (above), or by check or money order
payable to IEEE 1003.  Please retain a copy of this form for your records.

**********BE CERTAIN TO INCLUDE THIS FORM WITH YOUR PAYMENT.****************

Notes:

An average mailing of all materials is over 2000 pages.
Regular delivery to international addresses can take up to 8 weeks.

Project Number and Title list:

   1003.0    POSIX Guide,            1003.11 Transaction    Processing AEP
   1003.1    System Interfaces,        1003.12 Protocol Independent Interf
   1003.2    Shell &    Util.            1003.13 Real Time AEP,
   1003.3    Test Methods,            1003.14 Multiprocessing AEP,
   1003.4    Real Time,            1003.15 Batch Services,
   1003.5    Ada Bindings,            1003.17 Directory Service API,
   1003.6    POSIX Security,            1003.18 POSIX Platform AEP
   1003.7    System Admin.,            1201.1  Windowing Toolkit API,
   1003.8    Trans. File Access        1201.2  User Interface Driveability
   1003.9    Fortran    Bindings        1224    X.400 Gateway API,
   1003.10    Supercomputing AEP        1238    Common OSI API & FTAM API

Send the materials to:        For inquiries about current subscription:

TCOS Standards Subscriptions        Charles Habermann
c/o Lisa Granoien             NAPS International
IEEE Computer Society            117 Mackubin St.  Suite 6
1730 Massachusetts Ave. NW        St. Paul, MN  55102
Washington DC  20036-1903        [phone]
202-371-0101                [e-mail]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

On machine readable:

Machine readable copies of the standards, in any form are currently
not available.  Period.

   Reasons:
   a) Document integrity.  There is a real risk (in that apparently
      it has happened) that slightly modified documents are passed off
      as the "real" standard.  (Although not impossible, it's harder
      with paper, and more blatantly illegal.)

      Secondarily, when you obtain a copy how do you know, for sure,
      that it hasn't been tapered with?  You'd have to have some
      trusted source.  (Particularly critical for purchasing litigation.)

   b) Loss of income to ISO or IEEE (although an important reason,
      cynicism aside, it is less important than the first.)  Without
      that income, IEEE would be able to progress the standards process
      forward.  Much of the development process is "free" to the IEEE
      volunteers who do the work (for example, editorial support,
      much of the balloting process, and lots of logistical support).
      This is supported by sales of the document.  Ditto ISO.

   Nevertheless it is being investigated as a recognized need, and if
   the problems above can be dealt with, some form of machine readable
   will be available in the future.

Other notes:

   The other POSIX standards will (mostly) become IEEE and ISO standards
   in time, but for many there will likely be a period where there is
   only an IEEE version.

   The IEEE has a plasticized cover, blue with orange trim, identified on
   the spine (and they tell me that the orange is a color code).  The
   ISO cover is the standard ISO white cover.  Both are on A4 paper.


Volume-Number: Volume 23, Number 14