Re: [9fans] What makes Plan 9 unique?

["Russ Cox" <rsc@plan9.bell-labs.com>]

> > ... there is no tty driver in the kernel.  The window system
> > handles the nuances of terminal input.
> 
> Not for a terminal on a serial port, it doesn't.  Braille terminal
> users (for example) are ill-served by embedding interactive support
> in a windowing graphics interface.

But since the interface is entirely separate, it would be easy to
write interactive support for the terminal (a la screens), without
shells and other programs needing to know.

> There have been many "integrated" OSes; for example TI's 900-series
> (before the 990) came with an OS that integrated the terminal driver
> and consequently supported *only* specific TI video terminals with
> special high-speed cabling.  That design probably contributed to the
> lack of commercial success for those systems.

Buh?  As another example, all Unix clones come with an OS that
integrates the terminal driver.  So does Windows.  That design apparently
hasn't hurt the commercial success of those systems.

> There is a lot to be said for keeping system structures as modular
> as possible, to increase options for how things can be configured.

I think you just supported my point.

Russ