From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.3 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_ADSP_CUSTOM_MED, DKIM_INVALID,DKIM_SIGNED,FREEMAIL_FORGED_FROMDOMAIN,FREEMAIL_FROM, HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS,MAILING_LIST_MULTI,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.2 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (minnie.tuhs.org [45.79.103.53]) by inbox.vuxu.org (OpenSMTPD) with ESMTP id 0de25edc for ; Wed, 28 Aug 2019 19:15:00 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id A180B9BDC3; Thu, 29 Aug 2019 05:14:59 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 778B59BCD7; Thu, 29 Aug 2019 05:14:47 +1000 (AEST) Authentication-Results: minnie.tuhs.org; dkim=fail reason="signature verification failed" (2048-bit key; unprotected) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="piOI4W5s"; dkim-atps=neutral Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id E6A8C9BCD7; Thu, 29 Aug 2019 05:14:45 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail-lf1-f45.google.com (mail-lf1-f45.google.com [209.85.167.45]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 2CE029BCD0 for ; Thu, 29 Aug 2019 05:14:45 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mail-lf1-f45.google.com with SMTP id l11so469099lfk.6 for ; Wed, 28 Aug 2019 12:14:45 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20161025; h=mime-version:from:date:message-id:subject:to:cc; bh=qlQ0OzOL4HQwbwnzmUarHbodE/+oRsYT7U09tTwB4uM=; b=piOI4W5srDPnanjDdj8Pcfw5Yzi5arnWTlz9XL1+cN/AvYdG8ztamOLGTOGSR5oOo7 3ePgBcuUTbk3XHqsf+pMri6YzmrJqWcSa0u1ZQ+WWMjrqdRtbTJSIuNm8s2w9Gn1G1Mg HKfernLXtYb1gFqKz4PMMQBh/dunkaPjUSz45WZRafG38n9EHCK17+gMA49aEiUsnF0K 7MQZ33WsYfUobS80EhEBSYjuKzDBg4XVoV6TsbRvE28n1m0wEiyOemmggNMWmgvdaGxp U7lbYsGtyR7QpBZf/86wimSeMrNFM8Q02aJjUWzLT/BKeq7lP6alCiz21KJau795Xvo1 P4lw== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:from:date:message-id:subject:to:cc; bh=qlQ0OzOL4HQwbwnzmUarHbodE/+oRsYT7U09tTwB4uM=; b=lIOev5JD4tfnTSB+nSAR8VoNJ20w/18yFkD3e1Vo6QhofizygaRH6Vp60ouiRHc7JP tGNkhMdOekPqhjwDa0CzgB9+7/vbTljbAlM8IqwDnyYOetJsKUxuzxAMv9Cn6tnk1UNG okllKyIB1OZ9u+oX8cCvfOTKFMd/H6B+2EUTW8hZcHen11+PaRBYKOD5WBHSCsaYH3xq KiihfUEuHDXL74juY3TMCVOcHN5Tr/ZOsan/dkbWAbKtEtvQ0oLByCOp50Y7VLZw5s3H 6rLJLwo2RikLIYI5RtMbwODWGXg2O23H7arfnmHORCATr1ZI0/m2/tnf5GUgjIhVH98G H7ag== X-Gm-Message-State: APjAAAVAXxiPM1vxUKpQsExX4derh2cZbZCJzOHrk7IP1qCVbqG0OQvY f4mtd/8Yrw+LJXdv8nHG5o9hzsatDgfQZiHgZgj7eg== X-Google-Smtp-Source: APXvYqywXqKrTYOwxxFM6OrbDkzZ+9+E/x8NGjKyZV4qgWwuoKncITAaS49LO/AFKviaQ0BFBXfTygH+f8qJaeN9pno= X-Received: by 2002:ac2:5ec5:: with SMTP id d5mr3616135lfq.40.1567019683605; Wed, 28 Aug 2019 12:14:43 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 2002:a2e:4290:0:0:0:0:0 with HTTP; Wed, 28 Aug 2019 12:14:42 -0700 (PDT) From: Paul Winalski Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2019 15:14:42 -0400 Message-ID: To: Clem Cole Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Subject: [TUHS] DEC's MIPS product (was If not Linux, then what?) X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Cc: "tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org" Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" On 8/28/19, Clem Cole wrote: > > So, I think the MIPS product was a holding pattern while DEC got it's > strategy together. Alpha would really show up until later (I would leave > LCC and go to DEC to be apart if that). Also note Alpha was brought > up/debugged on Ultrix and of course, Prism sort of had Ultrix on it. But > I think using the MIPS chip keep them in the game, when Vax was dying and > RISC was the word on the street. I was in DEC's compiler development team at the time, working on the new GEM common back end, and this matches my recollection. The original plan was for GEM to be the successor to the VAX Code Generator (VCG, the common back end used by DEC's PL/I, Ada, C/C++ and a few other compilers on VAX/VMS) and its first target was the VMS personality module Prism's OS, Mica. Prism was close to delivering silicon when it was cancelled in favor of Alpha. DEC's MIPS-based products were done as a stopgap until Alpha was ready. The GEM group implemented a MIPS code generator. I don't recall whether we actually shipped any GEM-based products on the MIPS/Ultrix platform. GEM focused on Alpha (on VMS, Unix, and Windows host and target platforms) shortly thereafter. -Paul W.