[Info-vax] Alternative _legal_ operating systems for VAX ?

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2022-01-05 00:33, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
> On 1/4/22 5:28 PM, chris wrote:
>> On 01/02/22 08:39, Simon Clubley wrote:
>>> Before deleting my simh instances, I thought I would look for
>>> other operating systems which ran on VAX and try them out.
>>>
>>> The only current one I have found is NetBSD (which certainly has
>>> a _very_ retro 1980s Unix feel to it. :-)).
>>>
>>> OpenBSD dropped VAX as an architecture a number of years ago.
>>>
>>> Does anyone know of any other operating systems (including any
>>> experimental ones) for VAX that are still legal to run under simh ?
>>>
>>> If so, do you have any links to them ?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Simon.
>>>
>>
>> Some old unix distributions, Ultrix32, 
> 
> Ultrix32 is not legal for use without a license which you can not get.
> 
>>                                        for example. 4.3 BSD works
>> on Vaxen up to MicroVAX II and possibly later. Having installed
>> 4.3 bsd on both a Vax 730 and 725 many years ago, can confirm
>> that it is stable, works with most interfaces including mscp and
>> tmscp disk and tape controllers and good for serious work. 
> 
> Why run 4.3 BSD when NetBSD is the continued development from there.

One reason would be that something that takes a few seconds to run in 
4.3BSD might take an hour or three under NetBSD...

However, depending on needs and preferences, one might want to go with 
4.3Reno...

>>                                                            Iirc,
>> I installed from 9 track magtape, but can be done via TK50 if you
>> can find a way to write the tape. I used an Emulex QD33 and UD33
>> smd disk controllers and disks for the work here.
>>
>> All that stuff is available online for free now and probably far
>> more robust than NetBSD Vax, for example...
> 
> I really don't see how 4.3 can be more robust than the versions
> developed from it.  :-)

Believe it or not, but it's likely true for the moment, and have 
probably been for a number of years now.
NetBSD/vax have been suffering from a gcc that generates bad code for 
some situations for quite a while, making the who system somewhat 
unstable and totally unable to rebuild itself natively for about 10 
years at least.

   Johnny