Xenix

FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

XenixisadiscontinuedversionoftheUnixoperating
systemforvariousmicrocomputerplatforms,licensedby
MicrosoftfromAT&TCorporationinthelate1970s.The
SantaCruzOperation(SCO)lateracquiredexclusive
rightstothesoftware,andeventuallyreplaceditbySCO
UNIX(nowknownasSCOOpenServer).

Xenix

Inthemidtolate1980s,Xenixwasthemostcommon
Unixvariant,measuredaccordingtothenumberof
machinesonwhichitwasinstalled.[1][2]Microsoft
chairmanBillGatessaidin1996thatforalongtimehis
firmhadthehighestvolumeAT&TUnixlicense.[3]

Contents
1History
2Features
3TrustedXenix
4Seealso
5Notes
6References
7Furtherreading
8Externallinks

XenixunderBochs
Developer

Microsoft,SCO,variousresellers

OSfamily

Unix

Workingstate Historic
Sourcemodel Closedsource
Initialrelease 1980
Latestrelease SystemVrelease2.3.4/1989
Platforms

PC/XT,x86,PDP11,Z8001,68k

Kerneltype

Monolithickernel

License

Proprietary

Succeededby SCOUNIX

History
BellLabs,Unix'sdeveloper,waspartoftheregulatedBellSystemandcouldnotsellUnix.Itinstead
licensedthesoftwaretoothers.Microsoft,whichexpectedthatUnixwouldbeitsoperatingsystemofthe
futurewhenpersonalcomputersbecamepowerfulenough,[4]purchasedalicenseforVersion7Unixfrom
AT&Tin1978,[5]andannouncedonAugust25,1980thatitwouldmakeitavailableforthe16bit
microcomputermarket.[6]BecauseMicrosoftwasnotabletolicensethe"UNIX"nameitself,[7]the
companygaveitanoriginalname.
Microsoft,inturn,didnotsellXenixdirectlytoendusersinstead,theylicensedittoOEMssuchasIBM,[8]
Intel,[9]Tandy,Altos,SCO,andSiemens(SINIX)whothenportedittotheirownproprietarycomputer
architectures.

MicrosoftXenixoriginallyranonthePDP11.ThefirstportwasfortheZilogZ800116bitprocessor:the
firstcustomershipwasJanuary1981forCentralDataCorporationofIllinois,[10]:4followedinMarch1981
byParadyneCorporation'sZ8001product.[10]:14Thefirst8086
portwasfortheAltosComputerSystems'nonPCcompatible
8600seriescomputers(firstcustomershipdateQ1
1982).[note1][10]:3[11][12][13]Intelsoldcompletecomputerswith
XenixundertheirIntelSystem86brand(withspecificmodels
suchas86/330or86/380X)theyalsoofferedtheindividual
boardsthatmadethesecomputersundertheiriSBCbrand.This
includedprocessorboardslikeiSBC86/12andalsoMMU
boardssuchastheiSBC309.ThefirstIntelXenixsystems
shippedinJuly1982.[10]:9[note2]Tandymorethandoubledthe
XenixinstalledbasewhenitmadeTRSXENIXthedefault
operatingsystemforitsTRS80Model1668000based
computerinearly1983,[14]andwasthelargestUnixvendorin
1984.[15]SeattleComputerProductsalsomade(PC
IBM/MicrosoftXenix1.00on5inch
incompatible)8086computersbundledwithXenix,liketheir
floppydisk
GazelleII,whichusedtheS100busandwasavailableinlate
1983orearly1984.[10]:17[16]TherewasalsoaportforIBM
System9000.[17]
SCOhadinitiallyworkedontheirownPDP11portofV7,calledDynix,[note3]butthenstruckan
agreementwithMicrosoftforjointdevelopmentandtechnologyexchangeonXenixin1982.[18]In1984,a
porttothe68000basedAppleLisawasjointlydevelopedbySCOandMicrosoftanditwasthefirstshrink
wrappedbinaryproductsoldbySCO.[19]
Thedifficultyinportingtothevarious8086andZ8000basedmachines,saidMicrosoftinits1983OEM
directory,hadbeenthelackofastandardizedmemorymanagementunitandprotectionfacilities.Hardware
manufacturerscompensatedbydesigningtheirownhardware,buttheensuingcomplexitymadeit
"extremelydifficultifnotimpossiblefortheverysmallmanufacturertodevelopacomputercapableof
supportingasystemsuchasXENIXfromscratch,"and"theXENIXkernelmustbecustomtailoredtoeach
newhardwareenvironment."[10]:IntroductionAgenerallyavailableporttotheunmappedIntel8086/8088
architecturewasdonebyTheSantaCruzOperationaround1983.[20][21][22]SCOXenixforthePCXT
shippedsometimein1984andcontainedsomeenhancementfrom4.2BSDitalsosupportedtheMicnet
localareanetworking.[23]Thelater286versionofXenixleveragedtheintegratedMMUpresentonthis
chip,byrunningin286protectedmode.[24]The286XenixwasaccompaniedbynewhardwarefromXenix
OEMs.Forexample,theSperryPC/IT,anIBMPCATclone,wasadvertisedascapableofsupportingeight
simultaneousdumbterminalusersunderthisversion.
WhileXenix2.0wasstillbasedonVersion7Unix,[25]version3.0wasupgradedtoaUnixSystemIIIcode
base,[10]:9[26][27]A1984IntelmanualforXenix286notedthattheXenixkernelhadabout10,000linesat
thistime.[9]:17ItwasfollowedbyaSystemV.2codebaseinXenix5.0(akaXenixSystemV).[28]

MicrosoftomittedmultiusersupportfromitsownMSDOSoperatingsystembecauseXenixhadit.[29]The
companyplannedtoovertimeimproveMSDOSsoitwouldbealmostindistinguishablefromsingleuser
Xenix,orXEDOS,whichwouldalsorunonthe68000,Z8000,andLSI11theywouldbeupwardly
compatiblewithXenix,whichBytein1983describedas"themultiuserMSDOSofthefuture".[30][31]
MicrosoftadvertisedDOSandXenixtogether,listingthesharedfeaturesofits"singleuserOS"and"the
multiuser,multitasking,UNIXderivedoperatingsystem",andpromisingeasyportingbetweenthem.[32]
AfterthebreakupoftheBellSystem,however,AT&TstartedsellingUnix.Microsoft,believingthatit
couldnotcompetewithUnix'sdeveloper,decidedtoabandonXenix.Thedecisionwasnotimmediately
transparent,andsoXenixgavebirthtothetermvaporware.[33]AnagreementwassignedwithIBMto
developOS/2,[4]andtheXenixteam(togetherwiththebestMSDOSdevelopers)wasassignedtothat
project.In1987MicrosofttransferredownershipofXenixtoSCOinanagreementthatleftMicrosoft
owning25%ofSCO.WhenMicrosofteventuallylostinterestinOS/2aswell,itbaseditsfurtherhighend
strategyonWindowsNT.
In1987,SCOportedXenixtothe386processor,a32bitchip,thisaftersecuringknowledgefrom
MicrosoftinsidersthatMicrosoftwasnolongerdevelopingXenix.[33]XenixSystemVrelease2.3.1
introducedsupportfori386,SCSIandTCP/IP.SCO'sXenixSystemV/386wasthefirst32bitoperating
systemavailableonthemarketforthex86CPUArchitecture.
MicrosoftcontinuedtouseXenixinternally,submittingapatchtosupportfunctionalityinUNIXtoAT&T
in1987,whichtrickleddowntothecodebaseofbothXenixandSCOUNIX.Microsoftissaidtohave
usedXenixonSunworkstationsandVAXminicomputersextensivelywithintheircompanyaslateas
1992.[34]AllinternalMicrosoftemailtransportwasdoneonXenixbased68000systemsuntil199596,
whenthecompanymovedtoitsownExchangeServerproduct.[35]
SCOreleaseditsSCOUNIXasahigherendproduct,basedonSystemV.3andofferinganumberof
technicaladvancesoverXenixXenixremainedintheproductline.Inthemeantime,AT&TandSun
MicrosystemscompletedthemergeofXenix,BSD,SunOSandSystemV.3intoSystemVRelease4.The
lastversionofSCOXenix/386itselfwasSystemV.2.3.4,releasedin1991.[36]

Features
AsidefromitsAT&TUnixbase,XenixincorporatedelementsfromBSD,notablythevitexteditorandits
supportinglibraries(termcapandcurses).[8]ItskernelfeaturedsomeoriginalextensionsbyMicrosoft,
notablyfilelockingandsemaphores,[8][9]:1.12whiletotheuserlandMicrosoftaddeda"visualshell"for
menudrivenoperationinsteadofthetraditionalUnixshell.[8]Alimitedformoflocalnetworkingover
seriallines(RS232ports)waspossiblethroughthe"micnet"software,whichsupportedfiletransferand
electronicmail,althoughUUCPwasstillusedfornetworkingviamodems.[8]
OEMsaddedfurthermodificationstotheXenixsystem.[8][9]

TrustedXenix

TrustedXenixwasavariantinitiallydevelopedbyIBM,underthenameSecureXenixlaterversions,
undertheTrustedXenixname,weredevelopedbyTrustedInformationSystems.[37]Itincorporatedthe
BellLaPadulamodelofmultilevelsecurity,andhadamultilevelsecureinterfacefortheSTUIIIsecure
communicationsdevice(thatis,anSTUIIIconnectionwouldonlybemadeavailabletoapplications
runningatthesameprivilegelevelasthekeyloadedintheSTUIII).Itwasevaluatedbyformalmethods
andachievedaB2securityratingundertheDoD'sTrustedComputerSystemEvaluationCriteriathe
secondhighestratingeverachievedbyanevaluatedoperatingsystem.[38]Version2.0wasreleasedin
January1991,version3.0inApril1992,andversion4.0inSeptember1993.[39]Itwasstillinuseaslateas
1995.

Seealso
AT&T6300Plus
PC/IX
Venix

Notes
1. TheAltos8086machineshadacustomMMU,whichused4Kpages.
2. IntelalsoofferedtheirowniRMXoperatingsystemasanalternativeforthese.
3. UnrelatedtothelaterDynixfromSequentComputerSystems

References
1. Kelleher,Joanne(3February1986)."CorporateUnix:Asystemstrugglestoearnitsstripes".Computerworld.
p.44.
2. Leffler,SamuelJ.MarshallKirkMcKusick,MichaelJ.KarelsandJohnS.Quarterman(October1989).The
DesignandImplementationofthe4.3BSDUNIXOperatingSystem.AddisonWesley.p.7.ISBN0201061961.
3. "UnixExpoRemarksbyBillGates".9October1996.Archivedfromtheoriginalon18August2001.
Retrieved9September2013.
4. Letwin,Gordon(19950817)."What'shappeningtoOS/2".Newsgroup:comp.os.ms
windows.misc,comp.os.os2.advocacy.Usenet:DDFvKo.G4M@lab.lwpi.com.Retrieved6November2013.
5. SteveD.Pate(1996).UnixInternals:APracticalApproach.AddisonWesleyProfessional.p.9.ISBN9780
201877212."MicrosoftlicensedSeventhEditionUNIXfromAT&Tin1978toproducetheXENIXoperating
systeminitiallyforthePDP11."
6. http://channel9.msdn.com/Series/History/TheHistoryofMicrosoft1980
7. "Xenixvariantinformation".20100226.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonDecember19,2013."Inthelate1970s
MicrosoftlicensedUnixsourcecodefromAT&T,whichatthetimewasnotlicensingthenameUnix."
8. P.A.Korn,J.P.McAdaraghandC.L.Tondo(1985)."Expandedpersonalcomputingpowerandcapability".IBM
SystemsJournal24(1).
9. OverviewoftheXENIX286OperatingSystem(PDF).IntelCorporation.November1984."XENIX286isIntel's
valueaddedversionoftheXENIXoperatingsystemreleasedbyMicrosoftCorporation."
10. MicrosoftXenixOperatingSystemOEMDirectory,May1,1983,PartNo.OEM0091B
(http://maben.homeip.net/static/S100/software/microsoft/XENIX/Microsoft%20Xenix%20OEM%20Directory.pdf
)
11. AltosUnveils16BitMicrosWithUnix,1MByteMemory.Computerworld.23November1981.pp.4950.
ISSN00104841.
12. JohnHalamka(7November1983).Review:Altos586.InfoWorld.p.89.ISSN01996649.
13. IDGEnterprise(26October1987).Computerworld.IDGEnterprise.pp.77.ISSN00104841.

14. Chin,Kathy(19830207)."RadioShackgoestoMicrosoft'sXENIXforModel16micros".InfoWorld.p.3.
Retrieved31January2015.
15. Bartimo,Jim(19850311)."TandyRevampsProductLine".InfoWorld.pp.2829.Retrieved21January2015.
16. http://bitsavers.trailingedge.com/pdf/seattleComputer/brochures/Gazelle_II.pdf
17. BYTEGuidetotheIBMPC,fall1984,p.61
18. SteveD.Pate(1996).UnixInternals:APracticalApproach.AddisonWesleyProfessional.p.9.ISBN9780
201877212.""TheSantaCruzOperation(SCO)wasformedin1979byLarryandDougMichelsasatechnical
managementconsultingbusiness.[...]SCOthenchangeditsfocusfromconsultingtothecustomportingof
UNIXsystemsoftwareandapplications.ThefirstversionofUNIXwhichSCOdevelopedandsoldwascalled
Dynix,anamesubsequentlyusedbySequent.TheoperatingsystemwasbasedonSeventhEditionUNIXandran
onthePDP11.[...]In1982,ajointdevelopmentandtechnologyexchangeagreementwasreachedbetweenSCO
andMicrosoftbringingtogetherengineersfromSCOandMicrosofttofurtherenhancetheXENIXoperating
systemwhichwasincreasinginpopularity."
19. SteveD.Pate(1996).UnixInternals:APracticalApproach.AddisonWesleyProfessional.p.10.ISBN9780
201877212."In1984aportofXENIXwasmadetotheAppleLisabySCOandMicrosoft,andwas
subsequentlysoldsuccessfullybySCOastheirfirstbinaryproduct,showingthesuccessoftheshrinkwrapped
market.AportwasalsomadetotheTandymodel16B."
20. Hare,JohnBrunoThomasDeanThomas(1984)."PortingXenixtotheUnmapped8086".Proceedingsofthe
USENIXWinterConference.Washington,D.C.:USENIXAssociation.
21. "SCOCompanyHistory".OperatingSystemDocumentationProject.Retrieved20080514.
22. Barger,Jorn."TimelineofGNU/LinuxandUnix".Retrieved20080514.
23. SteveD.Pate(1996).UnixInternals:APracticalApproach.AddisonWesleyProfessional.p.10.ISBN9780
201877212."In1983thePC[XT]emerged.SCOstartedportingtothe8088butconcentratedonthe8086,
producingareleaseofSCOXENIXin1984whichranin640Kbyteswitha10Mbyteharddisk.Therelease
couldsupportthreeormoreuserssimultaneously,hadmultiscreen(virtualconsole)facilities,Micnetlocalarea
networkingandenhancementsaddedfrom4.2BSD."
24. MicrosoftXenix3.0readyfor286(http://www.tenox.net/docs/microsoft_xenix_30_286_press_release.pdf)
25. SCOUNIXinaNutshell."O'ReillyMedia,Inc.".1994.pp.312.ISBN9781565920378.
26. leenFrisch(2002).EssentialSystemAdministration:ToolsandTechniquesforLinuxandUnixAdministration.
O'ReillyMedia,Inc.p.xiii.ISBN9780596550493.
27. AllenKentJamesG.Williams(15May1990).EncyclopediaofComputerScienceandTechnology:Volume22
Supplement7:ArtificialIntelligencetoVectorSPateModelinInformationRetrieval.CRCPress.pp.404.
ISBN9780824722722.
28. J.E.Lapin(1987).PortableCandUnixSystemProgramming.PearsonEducation.p.106.ISBN978013
6864943."TheXENIX2.3versiongenerallyresemblesV7's[ABI]theXENIX3.0versionresemblesSIII's,
andtheXENIX5.0versionresemblesSV2's."
29. Swaine,Michael(19820823)."MSDOS:examiningIBMPC'sdiskoperatingsystem".InfoWorld.p.24.
Retrieved29January2015.
30. Morgan,Chris(January1982)."OfIBM,OperatingSystems,andRosettaStones".BYTE.p.6.Retrieved
19October2013.
31. Fiedler,Ryan(October1983)."TheUnixTutorial/Part3:UnixintheMicrocomputerMarketplace".BYTE.
p.132.Retrieved30January2015.
32. "BeforeyoubetyourbusinesssoftwareonanOS,lookwho'sbettingonMSDOSandXENIX.".InfoWorld
(advertisement).19830627.p.44.Retrieved31January2015.
33. Flynn,Laurie(24April1995)."TheExecutiveComputer".TheNewYorkTimes(TheNewYorkTimes
Company).ISSN03624331.Retrieved20100414.
34. TerryLambert(20001107)."Re:MicrosoftSource(fwd)".Newsgroup:sol.lists.freebsd.chat.
Usenet:200011062350.QAA25774_usr08.primenet.com@ns.sol.net.Retrieved20061025.
35. "Microsoft'sMigrationtoMicrosoftExchangeServerTheEvolutionofMessagingwithinMicrosoft
Corporation".Archivedfromtheoriginalon20050427.
36. SteveD.Pate(1996).UnixInternals:APracticalApproach.AddisonWesleyProfessional.p.10.ISBN9780
201877212.

37. Gligor,V.D.Chandersekaran,C.S.Chapman,R.S.(February1987),"DesignandImplementationofSecure
Xenix",IEEETransactionsonSoftwareEngineering,SE13(2):208221,doi:10.1109/tse.1987.232893,
ISSN00985589
38. Jaeger,Trent(2008).OperatingSystemSecurity.SynthesisLecturesonInformationSecurity,Privacy,andTrust.
Morgan&ClaypoolPublishers.ISBN9781598292121.
39. Lvnez,ric(May1,2011)."UnixHistory".http://www.levenez.com/.RetrievedMay18,2011.

Furtherreading
KaareChristian(29May1984)."AUNIXtobeProudOf".PCMagazine:165172.ISSN0888
8507.reviewofthebetaSCOXenixonanXT
WilliamB.Twitty(1984).UNIXontheIBMPC.PrenticeHall.ISBN9780139390753.Covers
andcomparesPC/IX,XenixandVenix.
RobinRaskinKaareChristian(August1986)."XenixSystemV:AmultiuseranswerfortheAT?".
PCMagazine:253266.ISSN08888507.

Externallinks
Photograph,requirements,anddescriptionofSCOXenix386
circa1988

WikimediaCommonshas
mediarelatedtoXenix.

(https://web.archive.org/web/20100123120014/http://www.robert.to/reports/scoxenix.html)atthe
WaybackMachine(archivedJanuary23,2010)
XenixdocumentationandbooksforDownload(http://www.tenox.net/docs/)
Xenixmanpages(http://www.polarhome.com/service/man/?of=Xenix)
UnsortedXeniximages,scansandphotos(http://www.tenox.net/oses/xenix/)
IntelMultibusSystem320forXenix(oriRMX86)
(http://www.retrotechnology.com/herbs_stuff/386intel/i386_multi.html)
Welcometocomp.unix.xenix.sco(http://www.unicom.com/pw/faq/scoxenix.faq)(v1.64)
AconversationwithDougMichels,cofounderofSCO(https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=xZpaISQ82vA)onYouTube
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.sys.tandy/UbeLIMssHsE/9isYZrRWLgJ
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Xenix&oldid=678487121"
Categories: DiscontinuedMicrosoftsoftware Microsoftoperatingsystems UNIXSystemV
LightweightUnixlikesystems
Thispagewaslastmodifiedon29August2015,at17:54.
TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionaltermsmay
apply.Byusingthissite,youagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.Wikipediaisa
registeredtrademarkoftheWikimediaFoundation,Inc.,anonprofitorganization.