Amiga Unix

Amiga UNIX
Amiga Unix installation disks and tape
DeveloperCommodore-Amiga, Inc.
OS familyUnix (SVR4)
Working stateHistoric
Source modelprimarily closed source
Initial release1990; 34 years ago (1990)[1]
Latest release2.01[2] / 1992
PlatformsMotorola 68030
Kernel typeMonolithic
LicenseProprietary

Amiga Unix (informally known as Amix) is a discontinued full port of AT&T Unix System V Release 4 operating system developed by Commodore-Amiga, Inc. in 1990 for the Amiga computer family as an alternative to AmigaOS, which shipped by default.

Overview

Bundled with the Amiga 2500UX and Amiga 3000UX, Commodore's Unix was one of the first ports of SVR4 to the 68k architecture, and this level of compliance was emphasised in marketing materials such as the company's "Born To Run UNIX SVR4" brochure.[3] The Amiga 3000UX provided the OPEN LOOK graphical environment,[1] with the machine reportedly featuring on the Sun Microsystems and Unix International stands at the 1991 Uniforum event, ostensibly as a consequence of Commodore's adoption of these exhibitors' technologies.[4]

Although the Amiga 3000UX could deliver a "responsive" experience, performance in the graphical environment was nevertheless described as being "on par with a slow 386 machine running SCO Open Desktop".[5] Another evaluation of version 1.1 of the operating system described the X Window System performance as being "monochrome and slow as molasses", with an improved version 2.0 of the system to be made available, providing colour support in conjunction with the A2410 graphics board.[6] This board was announced later in 1991, offering a 1024 x 1024 resolution with 8-bit colour depth.[7]

The Amiga 3000UX's base price of US$4,998 (approximately US$11,200 today),[8] rising to a reported $7,713 with graphics board (priced separately at around $1,000[9]) and colour monitor,[5] was not especially attractive compared to other Unix workstations at the time. Bt the end of 1989, around a year before availability of the Amiga 3000UX, vendors such as Hewlett-Packard and Sun had already launched 68030-based models aimed at the low-end of the market. The Apollo DN2500, positioned as an entry-level workstation with monochrome display by HP's Apollo division, cost only $3,990 for a diskless model or $5,490 with hard disk, eliminating the distinction between workstations and personal computers in pricing terms.[10] The Sun 3/80 cost $5,990 for a comparable entry-level product.[11]

RISC-based competitors offering superior performance were also already available at similar price levels as competition increased, such as the DECstation 2100 (reduced to $5,950), and numerous SPARC workstations were anticipated at this $5,000 price point during 1990.[12] Sun's SPARCstation 1, introduced alongside the 3/80,[13] had cost $8,995 for the diskless version in 1989.[11] By the end of 1991, models such as the Sun SPARCstation IPC would cost $6,695 for a model similarly specified to the A3000UX in terms of memory, disk capacity and display, yet offer considerably better performance.[5]

Commodore's product marketing manager indicated that the machine was intended to compete with machines from NeXT and Apple's A/UX, conceding, "We really don't see ourselves as being competitive with Sun."[14] However, within a year of its launch, the Amiga 3000UX's 68030 was already considered "one whole generation behind" the 68040-based NeXTstation, priced from $4,995 with greyscale display, $7,995 with colour display.[15] Later entry-level workstations from established vendors upheld their aggressive pricing while increasing the performance gap. For example, the Personal DECstation 5000 Model 20 provided a newer CPU and was priced from only $3,995 for a diskless configuration, with the faster Model 25 being available in a colour display configuration with hard disk for $8,495.[16]

Unlike Apple's A/UX compatibility layer for System 7 applications, Amiga Unix contains no compatibility layer for AmigaOS applications. With few native applications available to take advantage of the Amiga's significant multimedia capabilities, it failed to find a niche in the competitive Unix workstation market of the early 1990s beyond certain targeted deployments. For instance, computer science students at Virginia Tech were obliged to purchase the Amiga 3000UX to pursue their studies,[17] with students offered a base model providing 4 MB of RAM, a 100 MB hard disk, and colour monitor for around $4,000.[18]

Unlike typical commercial Unix distributions of the time, Amiga Unix included the source code to the vendor-specific enhancements and platform-dependent device drivers (essentially any part that wasn't owned by AT&T), allowing interested users to study or enhance those parts of the system. However this source code was subject to the same license terms as the binary part of the system – it was not free software. Amiga Unix also incorporated and depended upon many open source components, such as the GNU C Compiler and X Window System, and included their source code.

Like many other proprietary Unix variants with small market shares, Amiga Unix vanished into the mists of computer history when its vendor, Commodore, went out of business. Today, Unix-like operating systems such as Minix, NetBSD, and Linux are available for the Amiga platform.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Smith, Ben (December 1990). "Short Takes: A Unix graphics workstation for the rest of the world". Byte. Vol. 15, no. 13. pp. 134, 136. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  2. ^ A3000UX - Commodore, ...it was shipped with an alternative UNIX operating system called Commodore Amiga UNIX, affectionately known as Amix. Amix was a full port of AT&T's System V SVR4 UNIX and included the X Window System which is a server for hosting graphical environments and the Open Look graphical interface...Shortly after release, Sun Microsystems, a major UNIX vendor was interested in rebadging the A3000UX for supplying as an entry level UNIX workstation. Unfortunately in true Commodore style, the deal fell through. Commodore also released another UNIX based workstation called the A2500UX.
  3. ^ Commodore Amiga 3000UX Born To Run UNIX SVR4 (PDF). Commodore Business Machines, Inc.
  4. ^ "Unix: The Latest Frontier". Amiga World. April 1991. p. 10. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Burgard, Mike (December 1991). "More than a Toy but No Bargain" (PDF). UnixWorld. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Amiga Unix: A Hands-On Look". .info. June 1991. p. 44. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  7. ^ "A2410 Hi-Res Graphics Card". Amazing Computing. September 1991. p. 17. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Commodore Amiga 3000UX bundle". Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  9. ^ "A2410 High Resolution Color Graphics Card". AC's Guide. Winter 1993. p. 14. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  10. ^ Alexander, Michael (25 September 1989). "PC, workstation firms prepare for price war". Computerworld. p. 4. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  11. ^ a b Sharp, Bill (10 October 1989). "Low-End Workstation Market". HP Professional. pp. 42–44, 46. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  12. ^ Daly, James (7 May 1990). "Sun to lower stakes with Sparc entry". Computerworld. pp. 1, 8. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  13. ^ Baran, Nick (May 1989). "Two Powerful Systems from Sun". Byte. pp. 108–112. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Commodore Launches Unix Machine". The Computer Paper. Vol. 4, no. 4. April 1991. pp. 19, 21. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  15. ^ Baran, Nick; Linderholm, Owen (November 1990). "Fast New Systems from NeXT". Byte. pp. 165–168. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  16. ^ Wilson, David (October 1992). "Tested Mettle". Unix Review. pp. 49–50, 52, 54, 57–58. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  17. ^ "Unix Super Beta Site". Amazing Computing. October 1990. p. 4. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Amiga Unix Ticking at Tech". Amiga World. April 1991. p. 11. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

External links

  • Manual: Commodore, Amiga Unix, System V Release 4, Learning Amiga Unix (11/1990)
  • The Very Unofficial Commodore Amiga Unix (AMIX) Wiki
  • Video of AMIX running under FS-UAE
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