30th anniversary of the OS Minix OS
On January 14, on the first day of the New Year 2017, the article “ Persona. Commander Norton . "
After reading it, which caused a lot of emotions, 1987 came to mind, according to its own significant year in my destiny. This is the year when I, as a junior research assistant, became the head of one of the leading departments at the research institute, who was charged with ensuring the maximum automation of the research process.
And so, 30 years ago, now back in 1987, Andrew Tanenbaum as a textbook for his book "Operating Systems: Design and Implementation" (1987, ISBN 0-13-637406-9) wrote the Unix-compatible Minix operating system . Abbreviated 12,000 lines of source code written primarily in the C programming language, the kernel, the memory management subsystem, and the Minix file system were printed in the book. Andrew Tanenbaum developed the Minix OS for the IBM PC and IBM PC / AT computers available at the time. By this time, and in our country, compatible computers with the IBM PC began to appear, the EU-1840/41/42 and even the EU-1845 personal computers, on which, as it turned out, the Minix operating system was successful.
In the same 1987 I begin to lead the heading "ENGINEER AND COMPUTER" in the magazine "Technology and Science". The first publication in this section was an article in the magazine’s issue No. 7 entitled “ Operating Systems: Why They Are to an Engineer .” And this article says that it is the operating systems that allow you to switch to “you” from a computer.
')
But in the next issue of the journal, an article entitled “Introduction to the UNIX Operating System” was published:
During this period, the United States launched a strategic defense initiative (SDI), while the USSR developed the Anti-SOI program.
As part of this program, it was intended to create a simulation simulation bench (SIM) and an automated research design system (SAIPR) that would allow not only to simulate the consequences of the implementation of SOI, but also to put forward requirements for systems that neutralize these consequences. The technical base of SIM / SAIPR was to serve as a powerful computer network uniting the local computer networks of scientific divisions:
The network should have included both large EC computers, such as EU-1066, as well as about 200 personal computers. But the most important thing on these computers was the installation of UNIX-compatible MOS EU operating systems. And if there were no problems with big machines and they were supplied with the EC MES OS, then there were problems with installing it on computers like the EU-1840, since required the presence of the hard drive, and the release of the OS was delayed. Yes, and the delivery of personal computers was very difficult. They sorely lacked. It was possible to get them only through the Decision of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR, having previously coordinated all this with interested agencies such as the State Planning Committee of the USSR (the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation is now located in its building), the VTI Group of Companies (State Committee on Computer Engineering and Informatics, computer technology, formed in April 1986) and a number of others.
A funny incident occurred while agreeing on a plan for the supply of computing equipment to the VTI Group of Companies.
We came there three together - I am in the rank of a major, in chrome boots, with a pistol in a holster on a sword belt, and with a sealed suitcase in my hands. No, it was not a nuclear suitcase, it contained a draft of a future Resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers No. 931-226 of 08/08/87. I was accompanied for solidity (this was the instruction of the head of the institute, Lieutenant-General Volkov L.I.) Major General M. .M. and the real colonel Boyarsky AG When we went up to the reception room to the Chairman, we were struck down by two things — a very beautiful blonde secretary and disarrayed all over the receiving box with Olivetty PC. It was a blue dream - to have at least a few such computers at the institute.
When we asked whether the Chairperson could be reached, the secretary replied that he was not there yet, but she had to come from minute to minute and offered to wait. After some time, the Chairman appears with an assistant. The secretary sincerely answered the dumb question of the President: “This is yours!” He silently passes into the office, we follow him.
And when he found out what we all came for, we received his coordinating signature without question. At that time, it was a huge supply - a half dozen major computers, up to the EU-1066, and about 200 PCs EU-1841/45, almost the entire annual production of computers in the USSR. And I must say, even with a delay, we got these computers:
But there were other examples. It was necessary to obtain a visa from the deputy head of communications of the Armed Forces of the USSR.
This post was held at that time by Lieutenant-General Kirill Nikolayevich Trofimov, a participant in the Great Patriotic War, a Hero of Socialist Labor. On reception to K.N. Trofimov I arrived, as always, accompanied by a "duty" general. Trofimov K.N. He invited me to the desktop and we discussed the problems of automation and the establishment of institutions of the Moscow Region by computer technology for quite a long time. The main question is why there should be preferences for you. But in the end he said: - "Let us have your papers, I will sign." But while I was getting them, the voice of the “duty” general was heard (I will not give you the last name): “Yes, as you do not understand the whole significance ...” And this was said Trofimov K.N ... I was numb. And for good reason. General KN Trofimov silently stood up, took the folder with our paper and threw it in the direction of the exit: "Get out of here!". But all is well that ends well. I came again to him at the reception, apologized and the visa was obtained. Unfortunately, this esteemed general died on duty on October 19, 1987 in a plane crash on a Mi-8 helicopter in Hungary.
Simultaneously with the coordination of plans for the supply of computing equipment, the development and coordination of the Technical Assignment for the design of the creation of SIM / SAIPR was going on. The Institute of Technical Cybernetics of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR, director O. Semenkov was chosen as the principal executor. By the way, the Institute of Cybernetics of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR was also considered at one time. But preference was nevertheless given to the ITK of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR. And by the end of 1986, the TK was ready, it remained to obtain a visa from the First Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Colonel-General Yashin Yu.A., to approve the Borisevich N.A. and the commander in chief. After that, roll up your sleeves, perform the task. And in the middle of December I find out that General Yashin Y.A. arrived at the institute. I grab the suitcase with the project TZ and rush along the side stairs in the direction of the receiving head of the institute. And on the stairs I face the head of the institute and General Yashin Yu.A. Without hesitation, I ask permission of Yashin Y.A. contact the head of the institute. He was taken aback, but allowed. I reported to the head of the institute that we have deadlines and we need to get a visa from Yashin Yu.A. And about a miracle, this visa was obtained here on the flight of stairs.
In January 1992, Yashin Yu.A. He became Acting Chairman, and on January 18, 1993, he was appointed Chairman of the reorganized State Technical Commission under the President of the Russian Federation, whose role and status increased significantly (the Chairman of the Commission was equated to the Minister). From the highly specialized military body, the State Technical Commission became the federal agency responsible for information security. At present, the State Technical Commission of Russia has been transformed into the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control (FSTEC of Russia). And your humble servant on February 4, 2002, was awarded the watch of the Chairman of the State Technical Commission of Russia under the President of the Russian Federation.
Everything remained the final touch - to approve the Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences Borisevich N.A. And four days before the New Year 1987, in agreement with the director of the Technical Committee of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR, OI Semenkov. I come to the Hero City of Minsk. I meet with Semenkov OI and please clarify when we go to the President of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR. And here strange things begin, they say that he is busy, then they begin to treat caramel pads from the director's ration, etc., and in the second half of the day they suddenly declare that they would like to remove or change this or that item of the TK. In particular, it was suddenly said that they would not like to use a Unix-compatible OS. I realized that I just need to return to Moscow. And I did it. And when the next day I came to work, they had already called from Minsk, apologized and asked to come and sign the TK. In the evening I was already on the train. On the platform I was met on the Volga by the director himself and we immediately went to the President.
We went to the President's office, sat down at the table, and when I looked back at the door through which we entered, it was not there: there were racks with books all around.
I realized that I could only get out of here with an approved TK. We talked for an hour and a half, talking about the prospects of domestic computing technology (or as it is now fashionable to talk about import substitution), and then with the signed TZ I went to the station. I met New Year at home.
So, in order to train cadres, teach these cadres to work on Unix-systems (and everyone worked before on the EC OS), teach C (and everyone used before PL / 1, Fortran, Pascal) urgently needed a Unix-like operating system. . And Andrew Tanenbaum gave us her. And all this happened in 1987 like a fairy tale, and she worked for the EU-1840!
But we had to add something, change something in it. The ability to boot from the hard drive was added, Cyrillic was added, but the most important from the point of view of an ordinary user was the development of a user monitor similar in capabilities to the NORTON COMMANDER system in MS-DOS, using Escape sequences.
By this time, drivers for data exchange via COM ports between PCs with Minix / MINOS were already included in it.
In 1991, at the All-Union Scientific and Practical Conference in Gomel, the report “Mobile instrumental operating system MINOS” was made:
On August 25, 1991, five months after starting work on his project, 21-year-old Linus Torvalds (then a student) spoke about creating a prototype of a completely new OS called Linux, and on September 17, 1991, the first public release of the Linux kernel was held.
And so, in 1991, we had Minix OS, Linux OS and MINOS OS. At the same time, the last two somehow relied on the experience of Minix.
At the same time, Andrew Tanenbaum from the very beginning rejected proposals to improve Minix or accept patches that came from readers of his textbook. This is probably why Torvald’s Linux took the lead. The role of the project, in which the readers of Andrew Tanenbaum would have embodied his desire to develop operating systems, took over Linux and from this he infinitely won.
And what about the OS MINOS? 1991 is the last year of the Soviet Union. The country is falling apart, the economy is collapsing. There is no time for operating systems.
And what about the simulation bench, computer-aided research design system, its computing network?
It all ended sadly. A flood of computers rushed into the country. To buy them, they needed money and only money. It was decided to hand over all computer equipment of the EU series for utilization for gold, and to use the proceeds for retrofitting. All permits were obtained, the machine park was dismantled, handed over, but the new computers did not arrive. Put it all up differently, who knows where the MINOS was now!
But the people who created SIM / SAIPR received tremendous experience and knowledge. Both helped them to withstand the difficult 90s.
And Linux Torvalds successfully developed, conquering more and more new areas. Already, domestic forks / Linux clones “walk from Moscow to the very outskirts.” Minix Andrew Tanenbaum also successfully developed, and his books snapped up .
Andrew Tanenbaum is in the same row as IT luminaries such as Denis Ricci, Brian Karnigan, Ken Thompson with the Unix operating system, the same Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie with the C language, Elgar Codd with the relational data model, Linus Torvalds with the Linux operating system.
And who knows what else Torvalds will grow on the books of Andrew Tanenbaum and his Minix tutorial !!!
1987 year
After reading it, which caused a lot of emotions, 1987 came to mind, according to its own significant year in my destiny. This is the year when I, as a junior research assistant, became the head of one of the leading departments at the research institute, who was charged with ensuring the maximum automation of the research process.
And so, 30 years ago, now back in 1987, Andrew Tanenbaum as a textbook for his book "Operating Systems: Design and Implementation" (1987, ISBN 0-13-637406-9) wrote the Unix-compatible Minix operating system . Abbreviated 12,000 lines of source code written primarily in the C programming language, the kernel, the memory management subsystem, and the Minix file system were printed in the book. Andrew Tanenbaum developed the Minix OS for the IBM PC and IBM PC / AT computers available at the time. By this time, and in our country, compatible computers with the IBM PC began to appear, the EU-1840/41/42 and even the EU-1845 personal computers, on which, as it turned out, the Minix operating system was successful.In the same 1987 I begin to lead the heading "ENGINEER AND COMPUTER" in the magazine "Technology and Science". The first publication in this section was an article in the magazine’s issue No. 7 entitled “ Operating Systems: Why They Are to an Engineer .” And this article says that it is the operating systems that allow you to switch to “you” from a computer.
')
But in the next issue of the journal, an article entitled “Introduction to the UNIX Operating System” was published:
During this period, the United States launched a strategic defense initiative (SDI), while the USSR developed the Anti-SOI program.
Simulation Stand
As part of this program, it was intended to create a simulation simulation bench (SIM) and an automated research design system (SAIPR) that would allow not only to simulate the consequences of the implementation of SOI, but also to put forward requirements for systems that neutralize these consequences. The technical base of SIM / SAIPR was to serve as a powerful computer network uniting the local computer networks of scientific divisions:
The network should have included both large EC computers, such as EU-1066, as well as about 200 personal computers. But the most important thing on these computers was the installation of UNIX-compatible MOS EU operating systems. And if there were no problems with big machines and they were supplied with the EC MES OS, then there were problems with installing it on computers like the EU-1840, since required the presence of the hard drive, and the release of the OS was delayed. Yes, and the delivery of personal computers was very difficult. They sorely lacked. It was possible to get them only through the Decision of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR, having previously coordinated all this with interested agencies such as the State Planning Committee of the USSR (the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation is now located in its building), the VTI Group of Companies (State Committee on Computer Engineering and Informatics, computer technology, formed in April 1986) and a number of others.
A funny incident occurred while agreeing on a plan for the supply of computing equipment to the VTI Group of Companies.
Came for you
We came there three together - I am in the rank of a major, in chrome boots, with a pistol in a holster on a sword belt, and with a sealed suitcase in my hands. No, it was not a nuclear suitcase, it contained a draft of a future Resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers No. 931-226 of 08/08/87. I was accompanied for solidity (this was the instruction of the head of the institute, Lieutenant-General Volkov L.I.) Major General M. .M. and the real colonel Boyarsky AG When we went up to the reception room to the Chairman, we were struck down by two things — a very beautiful blonde secretary and disarrayed all over the receiving box with Olivetty PC. It was a blue dream - to have at least a few such computers at the institute.When we asked whether the Chairperson could be reached, the secretary replied that he was not there yet, but she had to come from minute to minute and offered to wait. After some time, the Chairman appears with an assistant. The secretary sincerely answered the dumb question of the President: “This is yours!” He silently passes into the office, we follow him.
And when he found out what we all came for, we received his coordinating signature without question. At that time, it was a huge supply - a half dozen major computers, up to the EU-1066, and about 200 PCs EU-1841/45, almost the entire annual production of computers in the USSR. And I must say, even with a delay, we got these computers:
Go away!
But there were other examples. It was necessary to obtain a visa from the deputy head of communications of the Armed Forces of the USSR.
This post was held at that time by Lieutenant-General Kirill Nikolayevich Trofimov, a participant in the Great Patriotic War, a Hero of Socialist Labor. On reception to K.N. Trofimov I arrived, as always, accompanied by a "duty" general. Trofimov K.N. He invited me to the desktop and we discussed the problems of automation and the establishment of institutions of the Moscow Region by computer technology for quite a long time. The main question is why there should be preferences for you. But in the end he said: - "Let us have your papers, I will sign." But while I was getting them, the voice of the “duty” general was heard (I will not give you the last name): “Yes, as you do not understand the whole significance ...” And this was said Trofimov K.N ... I was numb. And for good reason. General KN Trofimov silently stood up, took the folder with our paper and threw it in the direction of the exit: "Get out of here!". But all is well that ends well. I came again to him at the reception, apologized and the visa was obtained. Unfortunately, this esteemed general died on duty on October 19, 1987 in a plane crash on a Mi-8 helicopter in Hungary.First Chairman of the State Technical Commission of Russia / FSTEC of Russia
Simultaneously with the coordination of plans for the supply of computing equipment, the development and coordination of the Technical Assignment for the design of the creation of SIM / SAIPR was going on. The Institute of Technical Cybernetics of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR, director O. Semenkov was chosen as the principal executor. By the way, the Institute of Cybernetics of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR was also considered at one time. But preference was nevertheless given to the ITK of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR. And by the end of 1986, the TK was ready, it remained to obtain a visa from the First Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Colonel-General Yashin Yu.A., to approve the Borisevich N.A. and the commander in chief. After that, roll up your sleeves, perform the task. And in the middle of December I find out that General Yashin Y.A. arrived at the institute. I grab the suitcase with the project TZ and rush along the side stairs in the direction of the receiving head of the institute. And on the stairs I face the head of the institute and General Yashin Yu.A. Without hesitation, I ask permission of Yashin Y.A. contact the head of the institute. He was taken aback, but allowed. I reported to the head of the institute that we have deadlines and we need to get a visa from Yashin Yu.A. And about a miracle, this visa was obtained here on the flight of stairs.
In January 1992, Yashin Yu.A. He became Acting Chairman, and on January 18, 1993, he was appointed Chairman of the reorganized State Technical Commission under the President of the Russian Federation, whose role and status increased significantly (the Chairman of the Commission was equated to the Minister). From the highly specialized military body, the State Technical Commission became the federal agency responsible for information security. At present, the State Technical Commission of Russia has been transformed into the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control (FSTEC of Russia). And your humble servant on February 4, 2002, was awarded the watch of the Chairman of the State Technical Commission of Russia under the President of the Russian Federation.No windows and doors
Everything remained the final touch - to approve the Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences Borisevich N.A. And four days before the New Year 1987, in agreement with the director of the Technical Committee of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR, OI Semenkov. I come to the Hero City of Minsk. I meet with Semenkov OI and please clarify when we go to the President of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR. And here strange things begin, they say that he is busy, then they begin to treat caramel pads from the director's ration, etc., and in the second half of the day they suddenly declare that they would like to remove or change this or that item of the TK. In particular, it was suddenly said that they would not like to use a Unix-compatible OS. I realized that I just need to return to Moscow. And I did it. And when the next day I came to work, they had already called from Minsk, apologized and asked to come and sign the TK. In the evening I was already on the train. On the platform I was met on the Volga by the director himself and we immediately went to the President.
We went to the President's office, sat down at the table, and when I looked back at the door through which we entered, it was not there: there were racks with books all around.
I realized that I could only get out of here with an approved TK. We talked for an hour and a half, talking about the prospects of domestic computing technology (or as it is now fashionable to talk about import substitution), and then with the signed TZ I went to the station. I met New Year at home.
Frames decide everything
So, in order to train cadres, teach these cadres to work on Unix-systems (and everyone worked before on the EC OS), teach C (and everyone used before PL / 1, Fortran, Pascal) urgently needed a Unix-like operating system. . And Andrew Tanenbaum gave us her. And all this happened in 1987 like a fairy tale, and she worked for the EU-1840!
But we had to add something, change something in it. The ability to boot from the hard drive was added, Cyrillic was added, but the most important from the point of view of an ordinary user was the development of a user monitor similar in capabilities to the NORTON COMMANDER system in MS-DOS, using Escape sequences.By this time, drivers for data exchange via COM ports between PCs with Minix / MINOS were already included in it.
In 1991, at the All-Union Scientific and Practical Conference in Gomel, the report “Mobile instrumental operating system MINOS” was made:
Orlov V.N., Moscow
Mobile instrumental operating system MINOS
The MINOS system is a UNIX class operating system developed on the basis of version 7. The system is intended primarily for use in higher education institutions for training system programmers in designing complex software systems.
Distinctive features of the system:
- Functioning on the PC EU 184x (including on the PC EU 1840 in the absence of a hard drive), PC AT-286, PC AT 386 and compatible PCs;
- System operation in both basic and alternative encodings;
- System operation with 360 KB, 720 KB and 1.2 MB floppy disks;
- Processing of functional keys at the kernel level of systems, which makes them available at any time, no matter what processes are running in the system;
- If desired, the processing of function keys by the kernel can be disabled;
- The ability to reconfigure the function keys;
- Realization in the system of the mechanism
- Implementation in the system in addition to the shell interpreter of the user’s user’s shell commands is similar in capabilities to the NORTON system in MS-DOS;
- The presence in the system built-in command directory.
The system implements more than 70 commands, including text and hex editors, commands for working with the MS-DOS file system, tar archiver, which allows you to share files with other systems like UNIX, text formatter, etc.
The system has C compilers, an assembler, a TWINDOW package.
The core of the system is 90 Kb, the total volume of the system is about 20,000 C and Assembler operators.
The system is delivered on 5 360 KB diskettes, or on 2 360 KB diskettes and on 2 729 KB diskettes, or on 2 360 KB diskettes and 1 diskette in 1.2 MB.
Source codes of system are delivered separately. Their volume is 10 floppy disks of 360 Kb each.
On August 25, 1991, five months after starting work on his project, 21-year-old Linus Torvalds (then a student) spoke about creating a prototype of a completely new OS called Linux, and on September 17, 1991, the first public release of the Linux kernel was held.
And so, in 1991, we had Minix OS, Linux OS and MINOS OS. At the same time, the last two somehow relied on the experience of Minix.
At the same time, Andrew Tanenbaum from the very beginning rejected proposals to improve Minix or accept patches that came from readers of his textbook. This is probably why Torvald’s Linux took the lead. The role of the project, in which the readers of Andrew Tanenbaum would have embodied his desire to develop operating systems, took over Linux and from this he infinitely won.
And what about the OS MINOS? 1991 is the last year of the Soviet Union. The country is falling apart, the economy is collapsing. There is no time for operating systems.
Gold rules the world
And what about the simulation bench, computer-aided research design system, its computing network?It all ended sadly. A flood of computers rushed into the country. To buy them, they needed money and only money. It was decided to hand over all computer equipment of the EU series for utilization for gold, and to use the proceeds for retrofitting. All permits were obtained, the machine park was dismantled, handed over, but the new computers did not arrive. Put it all up differently, who knows where the MINOS was now!
But the people who created SIM / SAIPR received tremendous experience and knowledge. Both helped them to withstand the difficult 90s.
And Linux Torvalds successfully developed, conquering more and more new areas. Already, domestic forks / Linux clones “walk from Moscow to the very outskirts.” Minix Andrew Tanenbaum also successfully developed, and his books snapped up .
Andrew Tanenbaum is in the same row as IT luminaries such as Denis Ricci, Brian Karnigan, Ken Thompson with the Unix operating system, the same Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie with the C language, Elgar Codd with the relational data model, Linus Torvalds with the Linux operating system.
And who knows what else Torvalds will grow on the books of Andrew Tanenbaum and his Minix tutorial !!!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/400771/
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