"Porting UNIX to the 386" Initial Root Filesystem
Latest series article deals with "chicken-and-egg" conundrum
(May 31, 2006) LOS GATOS,
CALIF.
How do you get a root filesystem when you don't have one to begin with?
The 15th year release of the critically acclaimed series that "opened the door" to open-source
systems continues with the fifth article, The Initial Root Filesystem.
The series has rekindled interest in the novelty of what it was like before Unix systems on PC's became commonplace, when even such easy to generate items as a filesystem
was nonexistent, and assembling the first by hand was the only way.
"Everybody nowadays takes for granted the easy availability of tools, other systems, and examples. "
said William Jolitz. "We didn't have any of that - we had to start with a 'blank slate', as
all other systems were either proprietary or architecturally different or both." Much of the series deals with
sketching in new parts and proving them out incrementally before moving on to the next level.
"Those that followed us benefited from this legacy", said Lynne Jolitz. "They could start with an operational system, and place in new parts, and evolve a new system from 386BSD. That's how we got so many other systems so quickly." 386BSD is said to have spawned dozens of other systems.
The series is being restored incrementally, and released monthly. More than 12 articles remain to be released over the course of a year.
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