[9fans] Oil on the water

[Frank Gleason frankg@halcyon.com]

Thanks for the update Rob. I would prefer to wait for the goodies.
Since the CD release it has become more difficult to find some of the
required PC hardware (the local used computer store knows me by 
first name). Would it be possible, in the interim, to make the 
Brazil PC device drivers available for download? 

frankg@halcyon.com


On Tue, 22 Sep 1998 rob@plan9.bell-labs.com wrote:

> We are considering doing a new distribution of Plan 9, the system we
> have been calling Brazil internally to distinguish it from the
> released system.  It's not promised or even decided yet, but given the
> recent discussions in 9fans it seems worthwhile to explain what we're
> thinking about.
> 
> A release would focus on the PC version, but would probably include at
> least the sources necessary to get another architecture going.  This
> reduction in scope is partly because we have fewer variant machines
> around these days and partly to shrink the size of the work and of the
> distribution itself.
> 
> The main obstacle to a release is pragmatic: the work of putting
> together a coherent package of hundreds of programs and the better
> part of a million lines of code is not something to be undertaken
> lightly.  There were several man-years of documentation work alone in
> the last distribution.  We don't relish going through all that again.
> Also, there are inevitable difficulties with distributing a bootable
> OS that do not arise when distributing a single application.  As you
> all well know, these were a major source of trouble with the last
> distribution.
> 
> If we sent out the system as it stands now, the major benefit would
> probably be a more up-to-date set of supported hardware.  We would
> like to offer more.  We have a number of sweeping changes at all
> levels of the system that we're discussing and, in some cases, already
> working on.  If we defer those to distribute the system now, what we
> ship will soon be obsolete and you will be only marginally better off
> than you are now.  If we wait to get all those cool things done that
> make a distribution worthwhile for all concerned, you'll have to wait
> quite a while.  Discussions continue on how and when to proceed.
> Meanwhile, the system improves.
> 
> We are aware of the complications caused by the overlap between Plan 9
> (Brazil), a research system, and Inferno, a commercial product.  The
> overlap is easy to characterize and we believe the issue can be
> resolved.  The real barriers to release are, as mentioned, the work
> involved and the questions of what and when to release.
> 
> Any release is likely to be done over the web, on a `fee-free basis
> for noncommercial use' (that is, no $350 price tag).  However, the
> necessity for negotiations for commercial use will almost certainly
> remain.  There will probably be no CD or other artifact, to keep costs
> down and simplify publication of updates.  Please don't get too
> particular about licensing details now; it's far too early and out of
> our (CS Research's) hands, in any case.
> 
> -rob
> 
>