Make LispM code FREE (fwd)

[Chris Bitmead]

Kragen wrote:

> > Well, I don't know if it is comparable, but have you ever
> > compared the source code to PDP-11 UNIX compared to, well say
> > Linux?

> > The PDP-11 version makes interesting reading, but not a
> > single line of code is worth saving.
> 
> I doubt that.  In fact, many lines of code are identical in both.  errno.h,
> for instance.

Ok, some constants are the same. I wouldn't go as far as calling
some constants "code".

> > In fact I'd say very little
> > of the design is probably worth saving either.
> 
> Actually, Linux's basic design is very much the same as PDP-11 UNIX.
> The whole filesystem design, 

The internals of the file system design are utterly utterly
different. Yes at user level they look the same, but that's not
what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the implementation
design.

> multitasking design,

Very different.

> > The MIT lisp code would surely be interesting, but I really doubt
> > it is going to be much more than a curiousity rather than the
> > base for a new LispOS.
> 
> You may be right.  But listening to Rainer and others talking about
> inspectors and listeners, I'm hearing concepts that never before
> entered my mind, and I expect that many of them will be implemented in
> the MIT Lisp machine code.

Yes, I'm sure the code will make an interesting read, and will
suggest lots of ideas. But as far as actually using any of it....
Well we shall see.

-- 
Chris Bitmead
http://www.ans.com.au/~chrisb
mailto:chrisb@ans.com.au