https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venix Jump to content [ ] Main menu Main menu move to sidebar hide Navigation * Main page * Contents * Current events * Random article * About Wikipedia * Contact us * Donate Contribute * Help * Learn to edit * Community portal * Recent changes * Upload file [wikipe] Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia Search [ ] Search [ ] Appearance * Create account * Log in [ ] Personal tools * Create account * Log in Pages for logged out editors learn more * Contributions * Talk Venix [ ] 6 languages * l`rby@ * Espanol * mlyaallN * Norsk bokmal * Polski * Russkii Edit links * Article * Talk [ ] English * Read * Edit * View history [ ] Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions * Read * Edit * View history General * What links here * Related changes * Upload file * Special pages * Permanent link * Page information * Cite this page * Get shortened URL * Download QR code * Wikidata item Print/export * Download as PDF * Printable version Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Version of the Unix operating system for low-end computers Operating system Venix [300px-Venix-screenshot] Venix/86 running on a Compaq Portable III/286 Computer Developer VenturCom OS family Version 7 Unix/System V Working Historic state Initial 1983; 41 years ago (1983) release Latest 4.2.1 / 1994; 30 years ago (1994) release Available in English DEC PRO-350 and PRO-380 (PDP-11 compatible), Platforms DEC PDP-11, DEC Rainbow 100, IBM PC Default Command-line interface (early version), X Window System, user Motif, OpenLook interface Venix is a discontinued version of the Unix operating system for low-end computers, developed by VenturCom, a "company that specialises in the skinniest implementations of Unix".^[1] Overview [edit] A working version of Venix/86 for the IBM PC XT was demonstrated at COMDEX in May 1983. It was based on Version 7 Unix with some enhancements from BSD (notably vi, more and csh) and custom inter-process communication mechanisms.^[2] It was the first licensed UNIX operating system available for the IBM PC and its compatibles, supported read/write access to a separate DOS/FAT-partition and could run in as little as 128 KB (256 KB - 512 KB recommended).^[3] In September 1984, Venix/86 Encore was released; it supported a number of early PC-compatibles, including the AT&T 6300, the Zenith 150, the (first) NCR PC, and the Texas Instruments Professional Computer.^[4] Venix Encore, which then became Venix 2.0, was still based on Version 7 Unix, and ran on the DEC Rainbow 100 (Venix/86R) as well as PCs (Venix/86 and /286).^[5] The system contained a number of enhancements, notably tools to access DOS files directly on a DOS/ FAT-partition, and an updated ADB debugger. The system came in two flavors: a 2-user version priced at $800, and an 8-user version at $1,000. There were no technical differences between the two.^[3] Confusingly, Venix 2.0 for the DEC PRO-380 microcomputer (Venix/PRO) was based "essentially" on System III. It no longer ran on the PRO-350.^[6] This is made clear in the ckermit 4E build instructions, which has a special target for Pro running Venix 1.0, but instructs the user to use the sysiii target for the Pro running Venix 2.0. These same sources also make it clear that Venix had an enhanced TTY interface relative to a pure V7 Unix System.^[7] Venix 2.1 was released for at least the PC.^[8] Like the original Venix/86, it included a C compiler, a BASIC interpreter and added a Fortran 77 compiler as an option. An optional driver kit made it possible to develop hardware drivers for the system and generate new kernels. In November 1985, Unisource Software Corp., a Venix retailer, announced the availability of RM/Cobol for Venix.^[9] From version 3.0, Venix was based on System V. A real-time version based on System V.3.2 was released for the 386 in 1990.^[1] The last version, Venix 4.2.1, based on UNIX System V Release 4.2 ( UnixWare), was released in 1994.^[citation needed] The workstation system included the real-time operating system, NFS and TCP/IP networking, X, OpenLook and Motif GUIs, and the Veritas journaling File System (vxfs). A development system included additionally an ANSI C compiler, a library of real-time functions, GUI development software, real-time development utilities, and selected industrial I/ O device drivers. Reception [edit] In its 1984 review PC Magazine found Venix functional, despite some bugs in the initial versions. Its use of the BIOS for accessing devices made it more portable than its competitor PC/IX, but slowed down its display processing; the disk access speed was found to be similar.^[2] BYTE stated that Venix on the DEC Professional and IBM PC "performed adequately," but criticized its limit on background processes.^[10] When the first dhrystone benchmarks were released, only Coherent UNIX, was bench marked on the 8088, all other PC UNIXs were bench marked on 286 processors. ^[11] See also [edit] * Coherent (operating system) * Idris (operating system) * Xenix References [edit] 1. ^ ^a ^b VenturCom ships real-time Venix/386. Computer Business Review, 1 February 1990. Retrieved 23 March 2013. 2. ^ ^a ^b Mark S. Zachmann (1984-06-12). "A Venerable UNIX". PC Magazine. 3 (11): 246-248. ISSN 0888-8507. Retrieved 2022-01-29. 3. ^ ^a ^b Roberts, S.D. (1985). Unix, Xenix & Venix. Germany: ELCOMP Publishing Inc. p. 193. ISBN 3-88963-064-2. 4. ^ "Enhanced Venix/86 out". Computerworld: 76. 1984-09-17. ISSN 0010-4841. 5. ^ "Enhanced VENIX/Rainbow". 1986-12-16. 6. ^ "README". 7. ^ "Kermit Archive". 8. ^ "VenturComm Venix/86 on MESS/MAME". 9. ^ "New Products". 1985-11-18. 10. ^ Hinnant, David F. (August 1984). "Benchmarking UNIX Systems". BYTE. pp. 132-135, 400-409. Retrieved 2016-02-23. 11. ^ [https://web.archive.org/web/20141202093953/http:// wiretap.area.com/Gopher/Library/Techdoc/Bench/dhryst.txt DHRYSTONE 1.1 BENCHMARK SUMMARY Further reading [edit] * William B. Twitty (1984). UNIX on the IBM PC. Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-939075-3. Covers and compares PC/IX, Xenix and Venix. * Christine McGeever (1985-01-14). "First Unix for the PC AT". InfoWorld: 23. ISSN 0199-6649. External links [edit] * Professional 325, 350, 380 * DEC PRO-350 emulator with VENIX disk images * Installing Venix 2.1 in MAME/MESS * Venix/386 in the Internet Archive * v * t * e Unix and Unix-like operating systems and compatibility layers * Architecture * Filesystem * History * Philosophy * Security * Shell * 386BSD + FreeBSD + NetBSD + OpenBSD + DragonFly BSD * Darwin + macOS + iOS BSD + audioOS + iPadOS + tvOS + watchOS + bridgeOS * DYNIX * NeXTSTEP * SunOS * Ultrix * Android * Arch * ChromeOS * Debian * Fedora Linux * Gentoo * Red Hat * SUSE Operating * Ubuntu systems * Other distributions * A/UX * AIX * HP-UX * IRIX * OpenServer System V * Solaris + OpenSolaris + Illumos * Tru64 UNIX * UnixWare * Coherent * Domain/OS * GNU + Hurd * LynxOS * Minix Other * MOS * OSF/1 * QNX + BlackBerry 10 * Research Unix * SerenityOS * Xenix * more... * Cygwin * Darling * Eunice * GNV * Interix * MachTen * Microsoft POSIX subsystem Compatibility * MKS Toolkit layers * PASE * P.I.P.S. * PWS/VSE-AF * UNIX System Services * UserLAnd Technologies * Windows Services for UNIX * Windows Subsystem for Linux * Italics indicate discontinued systems. # Category * # Commons Stub This Unix-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia icon by expanding it. * v * t * e * Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Venix& oldid=1241203291" Categories: * Real-time operating systems * UNIX System V * Unix variants * Unix stubs Hidden categories: * Articles with short description * Short description is different from Wikidata * Use dmy dates from November 2016 * Short description matches Wikidata * All articles with unsourced statements * Articles with unsourced statements from February 2014 * All stub articles * This page was last edited on 19 August 2024, at 22:36 (UTC). * Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0 ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia(r) is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. * Privacy policy * About Wikipedia * Disclaimers * Contact Wikipedia * Code of Conduct * Developers * Statistics * Cookie statement * Mobile view * Wikimedia Foundation * Powered by MediaWiki *