PC / IX

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PC / IX
developer INTERACTIVE Systems Corp.
License (s) Proprietary
Current  version 1 (April 1984)
ancestry Unix
↳ System III
Architecture (s) x86
timeline PC / IX
Others Development stopped

IBM Personal Computer Interactive Executive (PC / IX) is an operating system derived from the Unix Time Sharing System that contains some enhancements for the IBM Personal Computer .

history

PC / IX was developed for IBM by INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation (Santa Monica, California). It is based on INTERACTIVE IS / 3, a System III , which was licensed by AT&T Technologies, Inc. (formerly Western Electric Company).

After a preliminary version was shown at the beginning of 1984, the product was available from April 1984. In August 1984 the availability of a FORTRAN compiler (INFORT) and the INTERACTIVE Message and Network System (INMAIL / INNET / FTP) was announced.

Version 1.1, released at the end of 1984, improved the hardware support, which was particularly necessary for the newly introduced PC AT.

From January 1985 a COBOL compiler and interpreter was available with IX RM / COBOL.

As a new Unix offer, the IBM Personal Computer XENIX Operating System was sold in 1985 , but it required at least one PC AT (with Intel 80286) and more memory.

Functions

The operating system supports both the IBM Personal Computer XT and the IBM Personal Computer with a corresponding hard disk extension. There must be at least 256 KB of RAM (through memory expansion cards, maximum possible 640 KB) and a 10 MB hard disk for the installation. For the local screen output, an IBM monochrome screen adapter (MDA) or IBM color screen adapter ( CGA ), which is only supported in text mode, is required.

PC / IX is a single user, multitasking system.

It can be installed next to an existing PC DOS on a hard drive partition and contains utilities for file transfer to and from PC DOS version 2.

Other special features are the INed screen editor and the PC / IX shell.

Development environment

In addition to the C programming language, for which a corresponding compiler , runtime libraries and LINT were supplied, an assembler was included in the scope of delivery. Other tools were the Make and Source Code Control System (SCCS).

documentation

The user documentation consists of several folders with the following documents:

  • GH20-6247 - General Information Manual
  • SH20-6365 - User's Manual
  • SH20-6367 - Programmer's Guide
  • SH20-6369 - System Manager's Guide
  • SH20-6371 - Text Processing Guide

Versions

Version 1.0 (April 1984)

PC / IX was delivered on 19 floppy disks (5.25 "2D), which were divided into the following groups:

  • Maintenance - Maintenance: 1
  • Kernel System - Core (kernel, shell and system utilities): 8
  • Development environment - programming: 4
  • Communication - Communications: 1
  • Source code management - Source Code Control System: 1
  • Word Processing - Text Processing: 1
  • Special purpose: 1
  • System accounting: 1
  • Games - Games: 1
Version 1.1 (December 21, 1984)
  • This update expanded device support to include the now available IBM PC AT .
  • The update kit (part number 6317009) for PC / IX version 1 contains 5 diskettes, documentation and installation instructions for integration into the previous version that has already been installed.

literature

  • Brown: Introduction to PC / IX and PC Xenix , Addison-Wesley 1985, ISBN 0-201-10928-X
  • InfoWorld, Volume 6 No. 14, ISSN 0199-6649 (April 2, 1984), p. 39: A First Look at PC / IX
  • PC Magazine, Volume 3 No. 11, ISSN 0888-8507 (June 12, 1984), p. 216: IBM Goes UNIX
  • PC Magazine, Volume 3 No. 13, ISSN 0888-8507 (July 10, 1984), p. 43: Gurus Powwow on UNIX, But Few Applications Yet
  • PC Magazine, Volume 3 No. 22, ISSN 0888-8507 (Nov. 13, 1984), p. 159: IBM's UNIX Formula for your PC

Web links

  • 284-025 - Personal Computer Interactive Executive (PC / IX)
  • 284-493 - IBM Personal Computer Interactive Executive (PC / IX) Version 1.1

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/3/897/ENUS284-273/index.html
  2. ↑ InfoWorld. dated Apr. 2, 1984, ISSN 0199-6649 , Volume 6, No. 14, p. 39 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).  
  3. ↑ PC Mag. From June 12, 1984, ISSN 0888-8507 , Volume 3, No. 11, p. 216 ( limited preview in the Google book search).  
  4. ↑ PC Mag. Of July 10, 1984, ISSN 0888-8507 , Volume 3, No. 13, p. 43 ( limited preview in the Google book search).  
  5. ↑ PC Mag. Of Nov. 13, 1984, ISSN 0888-8507 , Volume 3, No. 22, p. 159 ( limited preview in the Google book search).