Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!news.albasani.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: billg999@cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) Newsgroups: alt.sys.pdp11,comp.sys.dec,vmsnet.pdp-11 Subject: Re: Y3K for PDP-11 Operating Systems Date: 23 May 2011 15:04:43 GMT Organization: Computing Sciences Dept., University of Scranton Lines: 76 Sender: bill@server2.cs.uofs.edu Message-ID: <93vbcaF3luU1@mid.individual.net> References: <4d99c3b6$0$23756$14726298@news.sunsite.dk> <4dc1e27c.40366475@news.tpgi.com.au> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: individual.net hYqiLbwPHnGzf97nQdrsVQrtgeFcJ9XJF1nxeGxb6eGJF4iuSp Cancel-Lock: sha1:7rvDdyTwy7ptVRZ7k8tEsWon0gg= X-Newsreader: knews 1.0b.1 X-Face: #S"T9jP[OH$fbA-]+!@r#:cHoa=2+R{,NY(E9Mw0/G2D_((6`6R8@JjodwakR~(J?mCY+]yn//;$5;=/Gc'22VrB Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.sys.dec:461 In article , jjh writes: > On May 23, 12:51 am, Johnny Billquist wrote: >> On 2011-05-22 20.41, bi...@MIX.COM wrote: >> >> > In vmsnet.pdp-11 paramucho  wrote: >> >> >> With MENTEC gone the original version of RT-11 has been orphaned. >> >> Rumors have it that someone have bought the PDP-11 software from what >> was Mentec... >> >> > Various considerations have been brought up in this thread, but >> > not having the sources, to say nothing of permission to work on >> > V5.7 (which has other improvements and bug fixes, and from which >> > it would be best to continue), is a real show-stopper in itself. >> >> Agree. It seems rather silly to fix code in an old version. It better to >> base the work on the latest release, which have already fixed a number >> of issues, and gives the opportunity to improve instead of repeating things >> >> > And then, the last support email I received for the RT-11 Kermit >> > was so long ago (many years) it's now archived, so I can't easily >> > check the date.  The last for RSX was 11-Aug-2003, and the last >> > for RSTS was 20-Dec-2006.  My point being I don't think any of >> > these operating systems are still widely used.  Virtually all >> > of the inquiries over the last decade have been to ask how to >> > move data from a PDP-11 to another system. >> >> RSX is still used in a whole bunch of places commercially. I know of >> several places in Sweden at least, where RSX is still used for >> production. Mostly embedded, but some interactive use as well. >> >> I do not know of any RT-11 or RSTS/E places, though. But maybe someone >> else do? >> >>         Johnny > Mentec gone? a pointer to details please? (When?) Clarification, Mentec is still around but they have (apparently) stopped all development and even sales of PDP-11 products. > Hmmm, not that I have the cycles for this, but....What are the legal > imediments to making an open source version of RT11, RSX11?? I guess that depends on what you mean. If you mean using their code, it still belongs to them and is not free for use (although some of us are still hoping that might happen.) If you mean writting it from scratch using none of their code, that has always been a possibility. I once inquired after interest in doing it for RSTS many years ago. The result was zero interest. I expect the same would be true today. > If there were patents, I am sure they would have run out. Patents, maybe but copyrights will be in effect until long after the last PDP-11 is long forgotten. > (if this has been bantied around before, forgive me for bringing it up > again...) > The technical challenges would be interesting but to paraphrase a > quote from a "Field of Dreams", If you build it, who would come??? Probably depends on just what you build. A direct clone of any of them that only ran on PDP-11 hardware would be of little if any value. Now, a clone that ran on other hardware and allowed modernization of the OS, that would be another question. Possibly no interest there either but there is always potential. But, again, it really depends on the if the OSes do get released and what license they get saddled with. bill -- Bill Gunshannon | de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n. Three wolves billg999@cs.scranton.edu | and a sheep voting on what's for dinner. University of Scranton | Scranton, Pennsylvania | #include