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System V/68 Computing

billdeg

Technician
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Nov 18, 2003
Messages
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Landenberg, PA USA
I have V/68 manuals. What is a good basic V/68 system to learn on? I would prefer something older than 1986...HDS200? I have been paying little attention to V/68 but I thought I'd learn more about it. Is V/68 the "same" as UNIX 5, close?
Bill
 
I have V/68 manuals. What is a good basic V/68 system to learn on? I would prefer something older than 1986...HDS200? I have been paying little attention to V/68 but I thought I'd learn more about it. Is V/68 the "same" as UNIX 5, close?
Bill

1986 is pretty early for System V. HDS200 would have been a Moto development system.
 
The manuals I have are from Late 1983-Aug 1984, "blue" system docs put out by Motorola. These Motorola V/68 manuals are hardware agnostic although a few Textronix and HP terminals are mentioned specifically by model. They refer only in general or comparatively to hardware as it would be running UNIX V in particular. Basically they're saying this is a UNIX for the Motorola 68000 family type systems (I presume), right?

Cutting to the chase what would then be a good starter system for exploring v/68? It does not have to be rare or expensive as I am more interested in the OS than the underlying hardware. I assume there are emulators too. Who used this OS - AT&T for it's phone systems?

V/68 is also known as M68KUN

Bill
 
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doing more research...This version of UNIX might have a command set similar any UNIX ports (?) found on 680x0-based MACs or Amigas, but they're too new to be candidates for the 1983-84 docs I have.

My Motorola-based CPU SWTPc 6800 came with a 6800 microprocessor manual. With that in mind I am thinking that the M68KUN manuals I have were included with a mystery computer system that ran 68K UNIX. The same manual might have been shipped along with a number of different make/models that ran 68KUN or "V/68". I did not see any errata to indicate what system my copy of this doc set came with.

Candidates

Dataindustrier_AB's DS90
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dataindustrier_AB

SAGE II?

http://pctimeline.info/workstation/ says:
Fortune Systems introduces the Fortune 32:16 computer system. It features a 6 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 256 kB RAM, and runs Unix v7. Price is US$5000-11,000.

Silicon Graphics IRIS 1400?
 
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doing more research...This version of UNIX might have a command set similar any UNIX ports (?) found on 680x0-based MACs or Amigas, but they're too new to be candidates for the 1983-84 docs I have.

My Motorola-based CPU SWTPc 6800 came with a 6800 microprocessor manual. With that in mind I am thinking that the M68KUN manuals I have were included with a mystery computer system that ran 68K UNIX. The same manual might have been shipped along with a number of different make/models that ran 68KUN or "V/68". I did not see any errata to indicate what system my copy of this doc set came with.

Candidates

Dataindustrier_AB's DS90
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dataindustrier_AB

SAGE II?

http://pctimeline.info/workstation/ says:
Fortune Systems introduces the Fortune 32:16 computer system. It features a 6 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 256 kB RAM, and runs Unix v7. Price is US$5000-11,000.

Silicon Graphics IRIS 1400?

It would have had to have been for a system manufactured by Motorola. SGI and Fortune (and Charles River Data Systems and ...) had their own Unix ports.
It may have been a port from Unisoft but I'm not sure what Moto CPU boards it would have run on. I guess they could have
been making some that had 68451 MMUs on them by then, I just can't think of any.
 
Al,
I still think they shipped these manuals with V/68 systems generically, at least I don't see why not. BUT if they only shipped the generic v/68 manuals with a Motorola-branded system in 1983-1985...what one(s)?
Bill
 
I'll guarantee it wasn't Fortune Systems--that one used an almost paranoid software licensing scheme.

There were a few now long-gone Unix boxes using the 68K back then. I recall seeing a few at Wescon. For example, Plexus.
 
Motorola first shipped its sysv68 in 1984. The first version was R1V2.7. The next release R1V2.8 is available on bitsavers.
 
And we circle back to the original question from this post. What computer exactly would one have run with the version 2.1 manuals? I think perhaps now you see the point of my question.
 
I have V/68 manuals. What is a good basic V/68 system to learn on? I would prefer something older than 1986...HDS200? I have been paying little attention to V/68 but I thought I'd learn more about it. Is V/68 the "same" as UNIX 5, close?
Bill

Bill, do you have any way to scan these? I realized this weekend I have a VME/10 with an early V/68 on it, but don't have any docs
 
Hi All;

Bill, I have a Charles River Universe 68 (68000 system), but most of the System Software is their own stuff, but they did have a Unix variant running on it..
Unfortunately, the Omni Floppy Control Board doesn't work any more, and I have had no success with trying to fixing it..
So, I can't read the Floppies..

THANK YOU Marty
 
It very well may be that the VME/10 could have matched to these manuals. ComputerWord I see that the OS would have been a UNIX V variant, thanks

Scan? Not the top of my list. Must be 1500 double-sided pages in three binders.
 
It very well may be that the VME/10 could have matched to these manuals. ComputerWord I see that the OS would have been a UNIX V variant, thanks

Scan? Not the top of my list. Must be 1500 double-sided pages in three binders.

from a usenet post

From: fred@mot.UUCP (Fred Christiansen)
Newsgroups: net.micro.68k
Subject: Re: SYSTEM 5 on VME/10
Posted: Mon Jan 14 12:52:47 1985
Organization: Motorola Microsystems, Phoenix AZ

[]
Since there have been several submissions on this topic, the reply is to the
net and not just the writers of the submissions.

System V/68 Release 1 Version 2.7, the first Unix release for VME/10 was created
by Motorola Microsystems Engineering as a Beta release. However, due to high
demand, it was released as a product. Most of its deficiencies were well known
and described in a Customer Letter. Not being able to relink a kernel is
common among micro Unix systems; however, 2.7 was missing the kernel libs to do
this by oversight rather than intent. Note also that it was released prior to
our obtaining 68000 Sys V validation from AT&T in March '84.

Subsequently, there have been releases and updates, with support for graphics,
kernel reconfiguration, source (need license from AT&T Technologies first),
40Mb disk, improved serial i/o, etc: Version 2.7 update in May '84, Version 2.8
in August '84, and Version 2.8 update in September. Any one who registered
their software with Four Phase/Motorola would have received the updates for free
and new releases quite cheaply. This could be important to VME/10 customers
since Sys V Rel 2 Ver 1 is imminent.

--

Could I borrow these from you to scan if you don't have time?
 
doing more research...This version of UNIX might have a command set similar any UNIX ports (?) found on 680x0-based MACs or Amigas, but they're too new to be candidates for the 1983-84 docs I have.

My A3000UX shipped (early 1990) with System V R4 V2, at least as far as I could tell when I became the second owner in 1996. There was also the "earlier" model, A2500UX, which as far as I understand actually came after the A3000UX.
 
I realise this is a very old thread but thought it may be worth adding to for historical purposes.

I have a running copy of System V/68, Release 1, Version 2.1 for the Motorola EXORmacs development system.
The build date in the COFF header of the unix system file is: 1984/03/16 13:48:31
This may match Bill's manual set.

$ news

newsfile (root) Wed Oct 4 01:23:55 2023

SYSTEM V/68, Release 1, Version 2.1

This is SYSTEM V/68 (a trademark of Motorola, Inc.), derived from UNIX
System V, M68000 Version, which is a jointly developed product of AT&T
Technologies and Motorola.

This is the release of SYSTEM V/68 as validated by AT&T Bell Laboratories.
It is targeted at the Motorola EXORmacs development computer system.
However, it is also the "generic port" as contracted by AT&T Technologies.

The User's and Administrator's Manuals are on-line, accessible via the
man(1) command. External, and more complete, documentation is supplied
with this product. Additional copies are available through Motorola's
Literature Distribution Center.

You are encouraged to read the customer letter accompanying this product
in some detail. It contains much pertinent information that, although
present in the on-line and external documentation, is often missed during
preliminary examination.

Motorola has made every effort to ensure that the contents of this product,
including documentation, is up-to-date and complete. However, no
responsibility is assumed for omissions or inaccuracies. Furthermore,
Motorola reserves the right to make changes to any products herein to
improve reliability, function, or design.

$
 
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