Aucbvax.5903
fa.info-vax
utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!info-vax
Thu Jan 21 23:36:40 1982
unix vs. vms.
>From RJF@MIT-MC Thu Jan 21 23:31:03 1982
RJF@MIT-MC 01/22/82 01:10:39 Re: unix vs. vms.
To: info-vax at MIT-AI
The most telling points in this comparison are as follows, in my
opinion:
1. VMS runs on one computer line: the DEC VAX-11. UNIX runs on several
computers, and will undoubtedly run on others in the future. The
degree of portability of programs from one UNIX system to another is
substantial. Work done on VMS is less portable.
2. While UNIX may not have exactly the features you want, there is
a somewhat receptive community considering changes, and thus mis-features
may be corrected. Even whole subsystems (e.g. file system) can be
altered. VMS, by comparison, has a much more diverse constituency,
including COBOL types, the code is expensive to change (even to get
a copy of the code in machine-readable form is moderately big bucks),
and it seems that DEC is (probably for good financial reasons)
not eager to shake its own boat.
I believe these reasons are the primary ones behind ARPA's choice
of UNIX as the VAX operating system for VLSI and Image Understanding
contractors, and also the reasons for the Dept of Energy choosing
VAX UNIX as the first priority system for Applied Math software
development.
if you wish to respond to me directly, please do so. I am not on info-vax.
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