[TUHS] Re: Early supported UNIX manual

[segaloco via TUHS <tuhs@tuhs.org>]

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....