Re: LINUX is obsolete Linux Inside
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Re: LINUX is obsolete

 
 I've used Minix quite a bit on a PC XT, from version 1.2 onwards, and
 a couple of points seem worth making.  Firstly that I ordered version
 1.1 from Prentice Hall, and am devoutly thankful that they delayed my
 order until 1.2 was available.  The first version of something as
 complicated as an OS is only for the dedicated, and that goes for Linux
 too I should think.
 
 Secondly Minix has evolved to a reliable OS on its original PC platform,
 but is still getting there on eg. the Mac; these things do take time.
 
 Thirdly even (standard) PC 1.5 Minix won't run a lot of current Unix
 software.  Partly this is a matter of the hardware being too limited,
 and partly a matter of Minix being too limited in eg: the tty driver.
 (And even this tty driver took a lot of sorting out in the early days).
 
 Fourthly, I bought my XT four years ago - the motherboard was $110,
 and memory (falling in price) was $7.00 per 256KB chip.  Last autumn
 I bought my wife an XT to replace her CP/M word-processor - the m/b
 was $50, and memory was $1.50 a chip.  This week I replaced a dead
 286 board for a friend - the drop-in 16MHz 386SX was $140, and memory
 was $40 for 9 x 1MB...  If I actually wanted an OS to use today, I
 think I'd go with Linux; but if I wanted to learn about OS's, I think
 I'd use Minix.  It looks as if they both do what they were designed
 to do.
 
 Will
 cwr@pnet01.cts.com