uNETix

uNETix is an early implementation of UNIX for IBM PC systems. It was not a "true" UNIX, but was written from scratch for the PC without using any code from System V. It only supported a single user. However, it maintained closer compatibility with standard versions of UNIX than early versions of QNX. uNETix' multiple windows capability was possibly the first implementation of windowing in a UNIX-like operating system.[1] Up to 10 windows were supported, which could each run independent tasks and could have individual foreground and background colors set with a special color command.

Published by Lantech Systems, Inc, uNETix had a list price in 1984 of 130 USD,[1] but was discounted and advertised at 99 USD (200 USD today).[2] The minimum RAM requirement was 256 kB, but a 256 kB machine would only be able to support single-tasking; multitasking required 512 kB. It had an emulation environment for MS-DOS that could run DOS 1.1 programs in one window while UNIX programs ran in other windows.[3] Its major weaknesses were slow speed and lack of hard disk support. uNETix came with a full assembly language programming environment, and a C compiler was optional. Lantech claimed that the C compiler was the first available for the x86 architecture.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Whole Earth Software Catalog". This is the first product we know of that has implemented a multiple-window capability in a UNIX environment, improving the user interface of an otherwise notoriously hard-to-use system.
  2. ↑ "InfoWorld May 30 1983".
  3. ↑ "PC Magazine June 12 1984".
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