UNIX-WIZARDS Digest V2#062

[Mark Crispin]

     You can't really blame DEC for the lack of TU81 support in
System V and 4.2/3BSD.  You do, however, have a point about
Ultrix.  DEC has done this [delaying the introduction of products
for systems they are trying to kill off] many many times before.
In PDP-10 days, this happened over a period of 7 years, and
spanned the delay or cancellation of new CPU's, the delay in new
peripherals, the delay of compilers to support up-to-date
language specifications, and finally the cancellation of the
entire product line (in spite of howls of protest).

     Fortunately, those sites with Unix have a choice; they can
vote with their feet to other vendors.  It's important whenever
dealing with DEC that you make it clear that reliability is one
of the most important characteristics in a vendor.

     In the meantime, I don't see what is so hard about writing a
device driver for the TU81.  Tape drives are tape drives.  A good
hacker should be able to knock off a nerdly tape drive device
driver in a day or so, and a good (fully compatible) one in a
week at most.
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