Jolitz Heritage

386BSD Release 1.0 CDROM

386BSD Release 1.0 CDROM As the size of the release grew over the next two years from the basic kernel, tools, and utilities to a plethera of applications and new work, demand grew for a comprehensive CDROM which coordinated all this work - Internet releases were just too chaotic, and at this time no good source code control mechanism existed for Internet submissions. Hosting and connectivity was still expensive, and the typical Internet user was still running on a 56kbps modem. Something had to be done. In 1994, after an international advertising campaign resulted in a huge number of preorders, 386BSD Release 1.0 from Dr. Dobbs Journal was released. A completely new kernel design and implementation, coupled with 600 MBytes of Berkeley Unix applications and utilities, completely filled the CDROM. Along with the new and improved automated installation mechanism and partitioning functions for "drive-sharing" multiple OSs (Windows, DOS, Unix) for the Unix savant, a Windows-friendly "read-only" CDROM mechanism to get "acquainted" with Berkeley Unix and 386BSD was also provided to Unix novices, so that they could view source code and experience a Unix system running on the CDROM itself. Unix in the DOS / Windows world was then considered exotic and dangerous terrain - the province of experts and gurus. The 386BSD CDROM "sampler" safely provided the bridge to a Unix world for those enthusiasts. 386BSD was dedicated to exploration of OS knowledge. While it challenged old-styled Unix precepts and assumptions, 386BSD encouraged new students into the fold. Perhaps this is the primary source of hostility from some of the Unix old-guard - their loss of prestige and control. If so, you won't hear us feeling sorry for it.