‘Impossible’ accomplished

Press, 26 April 1983, Page 45

‘Impossible’ accomplished

Accomplishing an “impossible” task has brought a reward to the computer science department of the University of Canterbury distinction in computing circles.

The department has implemented Unix on its Data General Eclipse minicomputer. “This was supposedly impossible,” said the head of the department, Dr Dick Cooper, “basically because

it is quite a large ‘program’.” Unix is a popular operating system for minicomputers and large microcomputers. It was developed by Bell Laboratories in the United States and written in such a way that it is possible to transfer it to different makes of computers by rewriting only a portion of the code. Version 6 of Unix has been implemented on the department’s Eclipse. Now version 7 is in the latter stages of implementation. To help the department with the project Data General has given equipment with a commercial value of more than $60,000. In particular, the new equipment will facilitate exchange of software with other computers. The equipment, consisting of a magnetic tape drive, additional memory, and a terminal multiplexer, was formally handed over to Dr Dick Cooper and Professor John Bargh, chairman of the computer facilities committee at the university, by Mr Charles Kent, New Zealand sales manager for Data General. “The benefit from our point of view,” said Mr Kent, “is that the product which Dr Cooper is developing will help us to sell more equipment.” When the version 7 implementation is finished, possibly about September, the

department will make it available to Data General. As part of the agreement with Western Electric (the Bell subsidiary which markets Unix) the product will also have to be made available to other academic institutions who have a Unix licence. Dr Cooper has been working on the project for more ■than two years. Initially he had help from another person in the department. “It was a project to look at aspects of software portability and to provide a long-term tool > for the department,” he said. Last year a viable version 6 system became operas tional. When Data General’s local software expert, Mr Dennis Fairweather, visited the United States and mentioned the product to Data General personnel there was immediate interest and a dialogue began. There is no suggestion that Data General will take over the product and sell it under the Data General name, but already the department is in communication with a United States software house which wants to sell it as a product .on Data General Eclipse computers. Internally the department will be using Unix on its Eclipse and will be connecting the Eclipse into the Cambridge Ring local area network being implemented in the department.