Hello

[Tim Barney]

I suggest that any UNIX is a large OS. Networking code seems to add quite
a bit, and then there's all the "frills" we take for granted nowadays such
as semaphored kernels, virtual memory, etc.  Thus, this group must refer to
LARGE systems running UNIX. Amdahl and Convex certainly qualify in that
regard. 

The uniqueness of running UNIX on a large system, as opposed to a workstation
or mini (does anybody make a mini anymore? Or are there only supermicros,
superminis, and supersomethings?) might lie in the hardware capabilities and
operating environment. Some things that come to mind are the large sizes
of RAM in a "large" system (512MB, 1GB), the large disk arrays (50-100+ GB),
sheer number of concurrent users, length (that's langth for my friend Dale)
of jobs (implied need for checkpoint/restart), and the system administration
tools required for a computer room type of operation as opposed to a deskside
operation.

Now, who wants to discuss these issues concerning LARGE systems (even ignoring
the absence of a definition for LARGE)? Some one must have wanted to, because
these newsgroup never get created without some voting. Maybe there's a lot
of LARGE UNIX system spectators waiting for a game to start?....... :-)

Tim Barney
Convex Computer Corporation
barn at convex.com