Mach kernel and Unix over 68k : well before OS X (Was: Status of 6.0 for production systems)

[Gilbert Fernandes]

> Consider that when MacOS moved to UNIX that all the UNIX software
> vendors could now easily port their applications to Macintosh.

Excuse me, sir.

Your discussion is pretty impressive and I have been reading it
with care. Honestly, I am far from having a distant enough picture
of the whole say to comment about what the discussion is about
(and to be honest, I am not even sure I do know exactly what
the point of the discussion is - please forgive me).

But "Unix" has been available for MacOS users for a long time,
far before MacOS X went out and using a Mach kernel.

It has been since 1996, over a Mach kernel.

Years ago, I worked for the crypto military branch of my country. We
used Unix-based programs for some of our work.

I had a Powerbook 190 and I needed Unix over it. After some time
thinking it was not possible, I have found that MachTen did sold a Unix
for x86 that worked upon a Mach kernel. You installed it on your MacOS
and launched it from there. And you then had Unix running there, over a
Mach kernel, with X too. You had both at the same time, running friendly
together on screen and inter-operable.

Vendors did not wait for Apple to let them run Unix software by using
MacOS X. Before MacOS X got out, you could already run a Mach kernel
over your Mac and compile almost anything there (anyway, all crypto
programs I ever needed compiled there - it took a few monthes). I used
it over MacOS 7.5.2 then 7.5.3 and 8.1 but I came back to 7.5.3 later.

Motorola-based Powerbook with Mach kernel, happily compiling and running
Unix programs with a perfect X working.

I still got the product box and everything in mint condition :

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/gilbert.fernandes/remembering2.html#190

The first MacOS X release went out in January 1999 (and the first public
beta a year after, 2000 - I bought it from the Paris Apple Expo).

I hope you will both find this information interesting. Most people I
talk about MachTen product and running Mach kernel and Unix over my old
Motorola-based 68k get pretty surprised about it.

Now I got to start to read all this thread all again, so please excuse
me. Looks like I'm going to need.. some time :o)

--
unzip ; strip ; touch ; grep ; finger ; mount ; fsck ; more ; yes ;
fsck ; umount ; sleep