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- Path: sparky!uunet!world!geoff
- From: geoff@world.std.com (Geoff Collyer)
- Subject: Re: net.views -- which vendor is the most open?
- Message-ID: <BuCytz.1IG@world.std.com>
- Organization: The World @ Software Tool & Die
- References: <2d5yf7b@rpi.edu> <BuBx63.H64@vcd.hp.com> <1992Sep10.024324.17106@decuac.dec.com>
- Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 10:37:11 GMT
- Lines: 34
-
- Marcus J. "Buddy can you spare a clue?" Ranum:
- > What *IS* an "Open System"??
-
- Gee, that sounds like my cue. I'll give my usual commentary first and
- then elaborate a bit. "Open Systems" is a command; "Open" is a verb.
- You can probably guess what vendors mean when they utter it (it's aimed at
- your wallet).
-
- The last open system I used actively was a VAX 750; the hardware was
- documented sufficiently well that one could write operating system code
- for it (without having to beg, grovel, sign non-disclosure agreements,
- bribe your vendor, sue your vendor, or sell your soul to the devil).
-
- I'm told that 386 systems tend to be pretty well documented (allegedly due
- to competition), but I can't vouch for that claim. I do know that the
- Sun systems I've used since that VAX 750 have had miserable hardware
- documentation; the situation is improving slightly only because Sun is
- now using more third-party hardware in their systems, and you can buy the
- documentation from the third parties. The SGI systems I have used are
- essentially undocumented: the processor manual (the Kane book) can be
- bought on the open market, but the rest of the system (notably the kernel
- virtual address map) is undocumented. (MIPS looked promising, but they
- don't make computer systems any more.)
-
- Of course vendors don't care about this stuff now. `Just buy our Open
- System and run our wonderful software and all your problems will be
- solved.' `But your software stinks; I just want to use the hardware and
- write my own software.' `Sorry, the hardware in our Open System is a
- proprietary secret.' `My oxymorometer just went off; don't call us, we
- won't call you.'
- --
- Geoff Collyer world.std.com!geoff, uunet.uu.net!geoff
-
- ``Leave the evil grasping to us.'' - A. L. Arms, UNIX licensing, WECo.
-