[TUHS] Early supported UNIX manual

[TUHS] Early supported UNIX manual

[Phil Budne]

Rather than increase subject drift on a thread I started
"UNIX on (not quite bare) System/370", here's a new thread.

Since the TUHS archive seems to now include documentation,
I decided to take a look and see if the earliest UNIX manual I have
is in the archive:

It was given to me by a friend at Stevens Tech in Hoboken NJ (c. 1980)
who had graduated, and worked for AT&T.

It's hole punched for a four ring binder
(I found an unused Bell System Project Telstar binder to put it in).

The cover page has:

Upper left corner:
Bell Telephone Laboratories Incorperated
PROGRAM APPLICATION INSTRUCTION

Upper right corner:
PA-1C300-01
Section 1
Issue 1, January 1976
AT&TCo SPCS

Center:
UNIX PROGRAMMER'S MANUAL
Program Generic PG-1C300 Issue 2
Published by the UNIX Support Group
January, 1976

The preface starts with:

This document is published as part of the UNIX Operating System Program Generic,
PG-1C300 Issue 2.  The development of the Program Generic is the result of the
efforts of the members of the UNIX Support Group, supervised by J.F. Maranzano
and composed of: R. B. Brant, J. Feder, C. D. Perez. T. M. Raleigh, R. E. Swift,
G. C. Vogel and I. A. Winheim.

and ends with

For corrections and comments please contact C. D. Perez, MH 2C-423, Extension
6041.

Not knowing who else I could ask, I brought it to a Boston Usenix (in
the 90's or oughts), and asked DMR if he could identify it.  He said
it was an early supported UNIX, and he signed the preface page for me.

The manual has sections I through VIII; all manual pages start with page -1-

I found https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Distributions/USDL/unix_program_description_jan_1976.pdf

with cover page:
	UNIX PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
	Program Generic PG-1C300 Issue 2
	Published by the UNIX Support Group
	January 1976

contents:
	NUMBER		ISSUE	TITLE
	PD-1C301-01	1	Operating System
	PD-1C302-01	1	Device Drivers Section 1
	PD-1C303-01	1	Device Drivers Section 2

And consists of descriptions of kernel functions.

So it seems likely that my manual is a companion to that.

I have a Brother printer/scanner, but the paper is fragile, so unless
it's of immediate and burning value to someone, it's unlikely to rise
to the top of my ever-static list of documents to scan....

But if someone has specific questions I can look up, let me know....

[TUHS] Re: Early supported UNIX manual

[segaloco via TUHS]

That is exciting news and I wish you all the best with scanning efforts!

One area of immediate curiosity for me is the init system, whether the pages suggest it is more in line with research (rc and ttys files) or TS (inittab, runlevels).

- Matt G.

------- Original Message -------
On Thursday, December 22nd, 2022 at 10:52 AM, Phil Budne <phil@ultimate.com> wrote:


> Rather than increase subject drift on a thread I started
> "UNIX on (not quite bare) System/370", here's a new thread.
> 
> Since the TUHS archive seems to now include documentation,
> I decided to take a look and see if the earliest UNIX manual I have
> is in the archive:
> 
> It was given to me by a friend at Stevens Tech in Hoboken NJ (c. 1980)
> who had graduated, and worked for AT&T.
> 
> It's hole punched for a four ring binder
> (I found an unused Bell System Project Telstar binder to put it in).
> 
> The cover page has:
> 
> Upper left corner:
> Bell Telephone Laboratories Incorperated
> PROGRAM APPLICATION INSTRUCTION
> 
> Upper right corner:
> PA-1C300-01
> Section 1
> Issue 1, January 1976
> AT&TCo SPCS
> 
> Center:
> UNIX PROGRAMMER'S MANUAL
> Program Generic PG-1C300 Issue 2
> Published by the UNIX Support Group
> January, 1976
> 
> The preface starts with:
> 
> This document is published as part of the UNIX Operating System Program Generic,
> PG-1C300 Issue 2. The development of the Program Generic is the result of the
> efforts of the members of the UNIX Support Group, supervised by J.F. Maranzano
> and composed of: R. B. Brant, J. Feder, C. D. Perez. T. M. Raleigh, R. E. Swift,
> G. C. Vogel and I. A. Winheim.
> 
> and ends with
> 
> For corrections and comments please contact C. D. Perez, MH 2C-423, Extension
> 6041.
> 
> Not knowing who else I could ask, I brought it to a Boston Usenix (in
> the 90's or oughts), and asked DMR if he could identify it. He said
> it was an early supported UNIX, and he signed the preface page for me.
> 
> The manual has sections I through VIII; all manual pages start with page -1-
> 
> I found https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Distributions/USDL/unix_program_description_jan_1976.pdf
> 
> with cover page:
> UNIX PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
> Program Generic PG-1C300 Issue 2
> Published by the UNIX Support Group
> January 1976
> 
> contents:
> NUMBER ISSUE TITLE
> PD-1C301-01 1 Operating System
> PD-1C302-01 1 Device Drivers Section 1
> PD-1C303-01 1 Device Drivers Section 2
> 
> And consists of descriptions of kernel functions.
> 
> So it seems likely that my manual is a companion to that.
> 
> I have a Brother printer/scanner, but the paper is fragile, so unless
> it's of immediate and burning value to someone, it's unlikely to rise
> to the top of my ever-static list of documents to scan....
> 
> But if someone has specific questions I can look up, let me know....

[TUHS] Re: Early supported UNIX manual

[Phil Budne]

Matt G wrote:
> One area of immediate curiosity for me is the init system, whether the pages suggest it is more in line with research (rc and ttys files) or TS (inittab, runlevels).

The init (VII) page mentions /etc/rc and refers to ttys (V) which says the file
consists of lines with three characters (enable, tty name, getty arg)

getty (VII) describes behaviors for 0, -, 1, 2

The one interesting bit in section (II) is lock (system call 62.) that
implements semaphores with subfunctions lock/unlock/tlock, all of
which take a non-negative semaphore ID called a flag.

[TUHS] Re: Early supported UNIX manual

[segaloco via TUHS]

Drat, the origin of SysIII init remains obscure...it's not in PWB 1, now not in USG Issue 2...so either PWB2, USG Issue 3 (or later) or UNIX/TS.....or maybe it's an older CB variant...anywho thank you for the quick response!

- Matt G.

------- Original Message -------
On Thursday, December 22nd, 2022 at 1:44 PM, Phil Budne <phil@ultimate.com> wrote:


> Matt G wrote:
> 
> > One area of immediate curiosity for me is the init system, whether the pages suggest it is more in line with research (rc and ttys files) or TS (inittab, runlevels).
> 
> 
> The init (VII) page mentions /etc/rc and refers to ttys (V) which says the file
> consists of lines with three characters (enable, tty name, getty arg)
> 
> getty (VII) describes behaviors for 0, -, 1, 2
> 
> The one interesting bit in section (II) is lock (system call 62.) that
> implements semaphores with subfunctions lock/unlock/tlock, all of
> which take a non-negative semaphore ID called a flag.

[TUHS] Re: Book Scanning. (Was: Early supported UNIX manual)

[Ralph Corderoy]

Hi Phil,

> I have a Brother printer/scanner, but the paper is fragile

There are book scanners which take photographs of the pages at a
distance, typically with the manual turning of pages.  Or cradles which
hold the book and the mobile phone that does the snapping.  Or just
mobile-phone apps leaving the lighting and physical positioning up to
you.  Removing page curvature is done in software.

https://diybookscanner.org may be useful, especially its forum.
Or perhaps there's experience with ‘photo scanning’ on this list.

-- 
Cheers, Ralph.

[TUHS] Re: Early supported UNIX manual

[Jonathan Gray]

On Thu, Dec 22, 2022 at 04:44:32PM -0500, Phil Budne wrote:
> 
> Matt G wrote:
> > One area of immediate curiosity for me is the init system, whether the pages suggest it is more in line with research (rc and ttys files) or TS (inittab, runlevels).
> 
> The init (VII) page mentions /etc/rc and refers to ttys (V) which says the file
> consists of lines with three characters (enable, tty name, getty arg)
> 
> getty (VII) describes behaviors for 0, -, 1, 2
> 
> The one interesting bit in section (II) is lock (system call 62.) that
> implements semaphores with subfunctions lock/unlock/tlock, all of
> which take a non-negative semaphore ID called a flag.

used by MERT:

https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Documentation/Manuals/MERT_Release_0/Unix%20Programmer%20Manual%20-%20UPM%20-%20White%20Tabs/System%20Calls%20-%20man2/lock.2.pdf

"The semaphores provided in the MERT/UNIX supervisor are identical to
those provided by the USG-UNIX Generic 3 system [8].
[8] Brandt, R. B., Implementation of Semaphores and Messages in UNIX, MF-76-8234-076."
https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Documentation/TechReports/Heinz_Tech_Memos/TM-78-3114-4_The_MERT-UNIX_Supervisor_19780420.pdf

"Make (a program for maintaining other programs) was launched at the
CSRC towards the end of the year and was immediately adopted by USG for
the next generic release (PG-1C300 issue 2).  This was a snapshot of the
USG system at mod level 3.33 (January 1976) indicating at least three
distinct levels of evolution: the generic releases, major and minor USG
mod levels."

"Generic 3.0 was released in spring 1977 (delayed from January)."

Pirzada, A Statistical Examination of The Evolution of the UNIX System

"I do remember a conversation with Dennis about semaphores, though. 
He mentioned that no less than five groups inside of Bell Labs had
hacked semaphores into the kernel.  Each group did it differently."
Steve Johnson
https://minnie.tuhs.org/pipermail/tuhs/2017-February/009748.html

In CB-UNIX there was sema(2):
https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Distributions/USDL/CB_Unix/cbunix_man2_04.pdf

In System V Release 1, semctl(2), semget(2), semop(2)
http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/att/unix/System_V_Release_1/301-905_UNIX_System_V_Release_1_Users_Manual_Jan83.pdf

xenix creatsem(2), opensem(2), sigsem(2), waitsem(2)
http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/intel/system3xx/xenix-286/174385-001_Overview_of_the_XENIX_286_Operating_System_Nov84.pdf

[TUHS] Re: Early supported UNIX manual

[segaloco via TUHS]

Your reference to sema(2) in CB-UNIX prompted me to go check the source and curiously, that isn't in sysent.c:  https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Distributions/USDL/CB_Unix/SourceCode/cbunix6.pdf (p. 50).  However, there is a sys5.c with some semaphore stuff in it.  Not how the code gets from the sigcall entry to that file, maybe there's a CB-specific syscall aggregator like the sys3b systemcall for 3B20-specific stuff.  It had never actually occurred to me that the semaphores in SVR1 weren't the ones from CB-UNIX, I thought they just forklifted all the IPC into 4.0 from CB.  That then means the semaphores that carried through in System V originated at least in UNIX/TS 4.0, but not by way of CB.  Minor trivia, but that's news to me.  Maybe the sysV modification request logs can shed some light, I remember seeing several IPC mentions in there.

- Matt G.

------- Original Message -------
On Friday, December 23rd, 2022 at 7:30 PM, Jonathan Gray <jsg@jsg.id.au> wrote:


> On Thu, Dec 22, 2022 at 04:44:32PM -0500, Phil Budne wrote:
> 
> > Matt G wrote:
> > 
> > > One area of immediate curiosity for me is the init system, whether the pages suggest it is more in line with research (rc and ttys files) or TS (inittab, runlevels).
> > 
> > The init (VII) page mentions /etc/rc and refers to ttys (V) which says the file
> > consists of lines with three characters (enable, tty name, getty arg)
> > 
> > getty (VII) describes behaviors for 0, -, 1, 2
> > 
> > The one interesting bit in section (II) is lock (system call 62.) that
> > implements semaphores with subfunctions lock/unlock/tlock, all of
> > which take a non-negative semaphore ID called a flag.
> 
> 
> used by MERT:
> 
> https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Documentation/Manuals/MERT_Release_0/Unix Programmer Manual - UPM - White Tabs/System Calls - man2/lock.2.pdf
> 
> "The semaphores provided in the MERT/UNIX supervisor are identical to
> those provided by the USG-UNIX Generic 3 system [8].
> [8] Brandt, R. B., Implementation of Semaphores and Messages in UNIX, MF-76-8234-076."
> https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Documentation/TechReports/Heinz_Tech_Memos/TM-78-3114-4_The_MERT-UNIX_Supervisor_19780420.pdf
> 
> "Make (a program for maintaining other programs) was launched at the
> CSRC towards the end of the year and was immediately adopted by USG for
> the next generic release (PG-1C300 issue 2). This was a snapshot of the
> USG system at mod level 3.33 (January 1976) indicating at least three
> distinct levels of evolution: the generic releases, major and minor USG
> mod levels."
> 
> "Generic 3.0 was released in spring 1977 (delayed from January)."
> 
> Pirzada, A Statistical Examination of The Evolution of the UNIX System
> 
> "I do remember a conversation with Dennis about semaphores, though.
> He mentioned that no less than five groups inside of Bell Labs had
> hacked semaphores into the kernel. Each group did it differently."
> Steve Johnson
> https://minnie.tuhs.org/pipermail/tuhs/2017-February/009748.html
> 
> In CB-UNIX there was sema(2):
> https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Distributions/USDL/CB_Unix/cbunix_man2_04.pdf
> 
> In System V Release 1, semctl(2), semget(2), semop(2)
> http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/att/unix/System_V_Release_1/301-905_UNIX_System_V_Release_1_Users_Manual_Jan83.pdf
> 
> xenix creatsem(2), opensem(2), sigsem(2), waitsem(2)
> http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/intel/system3xx/xenix-286/174385-001_Overview_of_the_XENIX_286_Operating_System_Nov84.pdf

[TUHS] Re: Early supported UNIX manual

[Jonathan Gray]

On Sat, Dec 24, 2022 at 08:58:06AM +0000, segaloco via TUHS wrote:
> Your reference to sema(2) in CB-UNIX prompted me to go check the source and curiously, that isn't in sysent.c:  https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Distributions/USDL/CB_Unix/SourceCode/cbunix6.pdf (p. 50).  However, there is a sys5.c with some semaphore stuff in it.  Not how the code gets from the sigcall entry to that file, maybe there's a CB-specific syscall aggregator like the sys3b systemcall for 3B20-specific stuff.  It had never actually occurred to me that the semaphores in SVR1 weren't the ones from CB-UNIX, I thought they just forklifted all the IPC into 4.0 from CB.  That then means the semaphores that carried through in System V originated at least in UNIX/TS 4.0, but not by way of CB.  Minor trivia, but that's news to me.  Maybe the sysV modification request logs can shed some light, I remember seeing several IPC mentions in there.
> 
> - Matt G.

https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Distributions/USDL/CB_Unix/cbunix_man2L_01.pdf
describes 'EVENT:O(2L), event - semaphore operations',
event() is system call 63 in cbunix6.pdf sysent

USG UNIX 4.0 and 4.1 IPC were not the same:
https://groups.google.com/g/net.unix/c/-H9x36DMOBQ/m/4mcL76lKbmMJ

[TUHS] Re: Early supported UNIX manual

[Jonathan Gray]

On Thu, Dec 22, 2022 at 01:52:22PM -0500, Phil Budne wrote:
> Rather than increase subject drift on a thread I started
> "UNIX on (not quite bare) System/370", here's a new thread.
> 
> Since the TUHS archive seems to now include documentation,
> I decided to take a look and see if the earliest UNIX manual I have
> is in the archive:
> 
> It was given to me by a friend at Stevens Tech in Hoboken NJ (c. 1980)
> who had graduated, and worked for AT&T.
> 
> It's hole punched for a four ring binder
> (I found an unused Bell System Project Telstar binder to put it in).
> 
> The cover page has:
> 
> Upper left corner:
> Bell Telephone Laboratories Incorperated
> PROGRAM APPLICATION INSTRUCTION
> 
> Upper right corner:
> PA-1C300-01
> Section 1
> Issue 1, January 1976
> AT&TCo SPCS
> 
> Center:
> UNIX PROGRAMMER'S MANUAL
> Program Generic PG-1C300 Issue 2
> Published by the UNIX Support Group
> January, 1976

now available on bitsavers thanks to Al Kossow:
https://bitsavers.org/pdf/att/unix/6th_Edition/

> 
> The preface starts with:
> 
> This document is published as part of the UNIX Operating System Program Generic,
> PG-1C300 Issue 2.  The development of the Program Generic is the result of the
> efforts of the members of the UNIX Support Group, supervised by J.F. Maranzano
> and composed of: R. B. Brant, J. Feder, C. D. Perez. T. M. Raleigh, R. E. Swift,
> G. C. Vogel and I. A. Winheim.
> 
> and ends with
> 
> For corrections and comments please contact C. D. Perez, MH 2C-423, Extension
> 6041.
> 
> Not knowing who else I could ask, I brought it to a Boston Usenix (in
> the 90's or oughts), and asked DMR if he could identify it.  He said
> it was an early supported UNIX, and he signed the preface page for me.
> 
> The manual has sections I through VIII; all manual pages start with page -1-
> 
> I found https://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Distributions/USDL/unix_program_description_jan_1976.pdf
> 
> with cover page:
> 	UNIX PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
> 	Program Generic PG-1C300 Issue 2
> 	Published by the UNIX Support Group
> 	January 1976
> 
> contents:
> 	NUMBER		ISSUE	TITLE
> 	PD-1C301-01	1	Operating System
> 	PD-1C302-01	1	Device Drivers Section 1
> 	PD-1C303-01	1	Device Drivers Section 2
> 
> And consists of descriptions of kernel functions.
> 
> So it seems likely that my manual is a companion to that.
> 
> I have a Brother printer/scanner, but the paper is fragile, so unless
> it's of immediate and burning value to someone, it's unlikely to rise
> to the top of my ever-static list of documents to scan....
> 
> But if someone has specific questions I can look up, let me know....

[TUHS] Re: Early supported UNIX manual

[Al Kossow]

On 1/6/24 11:03 PM, Jonathan Gray wrote:

>> Center:
>> UNIX PROGRAMMER'S MANUAL
>> Program Generic PG-1C300 Issue 2
>> Published by the UNIX Support Group
>> January, 1976
> 
> now available on bitsavers thanks to Al Kossow:
> https://bitsavers.org/pdf/att/unix/6th_Edition/
> 

I left my name on the scan because this is the oldest
Unix manual I've collected. It was given to me in the
70s by someone at Indian Hill when we were bringing
up his 11/40 at home to run V6. It was the first
Unix system I was able to use.

[TUHS] Re: Early supported UNIX manual

[Phil Budne]

> https://bitsavers.org/pdf/att/unix/6th_Edition/

When I showed my copy of the manual to Dennis Ritchie at a Usenix, and
asked him to identify it (and autograph it), he described it as "very
early supported UNIX".

I think of "Nth Edition" or "Version N" as releases (of the manual)
from the "research" group, and this manual is for something _close_ to
6th Edition, but it's not, in the strict sense, v6.

Not that I can tell you an easy name for what to call it!

[TUHS] Re: Early supported UNIX manual

[segaloco via TUHS]

On Sunday, January 7th, 2024 at 7:27 AM, Phil Budne <phil@ultimate.com> wrote:
> Not that I can tell you an easy name for what to call it!

I've just been referring to these as "PGs" for short, so USG PGII.  The MERT manual on the archive is visually similar to this one, as one would expect since it is based on PGIII.  Very very cool to see this finally, thanks Al!  One more down, I believe someone on list has confirmed ownership of a PGIII manual as well, but I'm not sure if the very first issue even had print manuals distributed.  Program Generic is a bit obscure given the earliness of it but my understanding is that it served both as the standard supported UNIX for computer users in the Bell System *and* as the standard base for UNIX-based projects that weren't butted right up against research (e.g. MERT.)  I've seen this "Generic" nomenclature used for other such things in Bell System literature, representing a "stock" version of some technology prior to differentiation into separate products.  It's actually used later in UNIX releases too, a 3B20S document refers to the UNIX Release as the time as "the latest Generic(sic)".  I believe this capitalization points to similar naming influences.

First thing I looked for but couldn't find is a reference to what macro package was used for these documents.  You can see the same style in both the PGII program description document and the MERT 0 manual.  I suspect there's some connection between this and the OSDD package but that's currently just an assumption based on this also looking somewhat BSP-ish in select code, date, etc presentation in the header.  The existence of the program description document leads me to believe there were other such secondary documents distinct from the Volume 2 documents, but this is just a hunch.  Either way, this'll certainly help my manual diffing efforts!

- Matt G.