Apple A/UX (Apple's old Unix Software)

[thedbp]

I don't care how it gets to me ... perhaps i can set up ftp to my Mac OS X box at a specified time, but I NEED THIS OS - This is exactly what I have been looking for for this 6300 I just purchased for $10. I was going to use NetBSD but I'd rather use an all-Apple solution if possible. How can I procure a copy?

[kilowatt]

I seccond that. I'll even setup the ftp server. Gotta have that. I nearly had a heart-attack when I saw that rather classic-looking os looking all unix-like. WOW.

So let me get this straight, because I get this mixed up frequently:
A/UX - Apple's unix
AIX - IBM's unix

right or what?

PS: So would a/ux include compilers and stuff? And how is the gui handled, in comparision to the x window system and mac os x?

man, I have alot of questions!

[RacerX]

You can download images of the install CD and floppy to "replace damaged copies you already have" at:

ftp://ftp.geo.tu-freiberg.de/pub/incoming/

The Mac enviroment is classic System 7.0.1 (I'm using Aaron to get the Platinum theme you see in my screen shot), it comes with Apple's X Windows client called MacX (though I haven't actually used it for anything yet) which can run in rootless form (at least I know version 2.0 could). There should be all the libraries needed to compile apps and there are still a few binaries floating around out there. Apple had some of the manuals in pdf form a couple years ago (they still might, but they have been doing some house cleaning lately). Ideal systems are 68030 with 68882 FPU or 68040 (not the 68LC040). Apple never updated it to run on PPC systems, so only pre PPC systems can run it.

As for AIX and A/UX, yes AIX is IBM's version of Unix, but Apple use that version on the high end work servers they used to make (because IBM made sure that it ran great on PPC systems). If you have ever seen one of these in action you most likely saw Apple's MAE (Macintosh Application Environment) running to let them run Mac apps. Apple made it Unix only and I think there were versions made for both AIX and Solaris (under OpenWindows), but it was very expensive.

[AdmiralAK]

so can AIX run on an Apple branded G3
And where can I find AIX for my OS collection ? I have had A/UX for a long time now he he

[RacerX]

I don't know. The last system that I saw it run on was an IBM 604e system. I think their is also some problems with compatibility of the motherboards. The Network Server 500 and 700 series were never able to run any version of the Mac OS (someone in another forum ask if they could run any version of Mac OS X Server, I told him I didn't think so).

It is the same reason that you couldn't run NEXTSTEP for 680x0 systems on Macintosh hardware, or the MacOS on NeXT hardware. I believe Apple licensed the motherboard spec from IBM specifically for those systems.

I did see a AIX system from IBM running with a 604e/200 (I think that was the clock speed) on ebay a few month ago. I don’t remember the price though. I have never thought of looking for AIX by itself, but I’m sure you could find it.

[Jim Paradise]

Was there any software for A/UX? I've always been curious about this OS (thanks RacerX for the screenshot!) and would love to load it up on an old system... but what could I do with it (since I'm not really good with unix geekiness)?

[AdmiralAK]

Just came back from ebay, wow! AIX costs A LOT !!!

I just re-read you post, and my Performa has a 68LC040 cant load A/UX on it... oh well :P

Hey racer X, I am thinking of becoming the PDA counterpart of you I wonder if I could network up PDAs like you have your desktops he he he ;-)

Admiral

[RacerX]

Jim,

Yes there is software out there, mainly because A/UX has System 7 running on it. I have Word 5.1a, Theorist 1.0, Mosaic and MacDraw 1.0 installed and all run great. You could think of it as a super stable version of System 7 if you didn't use any of the unix stuff. There is even a free version of Eudora mail server and a web server app called httpd4Mac (if you didn't want to deal with Apache)that should be able to run on it if you wanted it to do some server duty. Both are easy to use (and free) and you don't need to play with the unix stuff to much (actually these should work nicely on almost any 7.x Mac). I'll see if I can find my copies of them and check if they work on A/UX.

Important thing to note is that it has two systems folders, one to boot the system and then start A/UX, and a second designed to run on top of A/UX after it is started. If you are going to change anything (add extensions or put aliases in the Apple Menu) make sure you are using the correct system folder or you won't see the changes.

Admiral,

You can actually pull the 68LC040 out and replace it with a 68040 (not a job for the faint at heart). The two are the same, only Motorola turned off the FPU for the "LC" version so they could charge less and to cut down on the overall heat it produced.

As for networking, didn't I see a Newton commercial that had people sending info back and forth across a board room table on a couple Newtons? I still have to spend some more time with the one you gave me, but it really seems like the sky is the limit with it. I'm completely impressed.