9fans archive / 1997 / 04 / 33 /    prev next

From: Andrew Lynch lynch@cci...
Subject: porting linux programs and drivers to plan9
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 10:50:28 +0100

> > I see many people share your views on unix software. Without digressing
> > into a unix vs. plan9 spam match, if sam is to plan9 as ed is to unix
> > then what would be  the emacs of plan9? (I'm sorry Mr. Pike but I can't
> > believe anyone could write code in sam as fast as in emacs.)
> 
> If you want something which can sing and dance and ...
> then try 'acme'.

Indeed. Also Plan 9 has an ed, so the original statement ought to 
have read:
if ed is to plan9 as ed is to unix then the emacs of plan9 is acme
;-)

Now if only I could run acme on my Sun3/60 and 3/50s... Has anyone 
considered an alef "port" for the 68020? I'm thinking it should not 
be too difficult looking at eg. the 386 and 68020 C compilers and the 
386 alef compiler.
(yeah, I know the easy way out - run acme on a 386 cpu server, but 
it's not the same ;-)

Regarding some of the other mails (students etc.):
I graduated at York last July, where I came to like Plan 9. Just 
before Easter I bought myself the CD distribution for approx.
DM 600.-. Yes, it hurt, but something like Windows NT Workstation 
costs the same here (DM 500-600) and Plan 9 is infinitely more 
interesting. It also runs fine on "old" hardware, such as 2nd hand 
386 or 486 machines. So you can probably set up a whole Plan9 network 
with file server, cpu server etc. for less than a decent Pentium.

Andrew.