Unix Eighth Edition

Unix V8
logging onto v8
Type:	Multitasking, multiuser
Creator:	Bell Labs
Architecture:	VAX
This Version:	v8
Date Released:	1985

A version of 8th Edition Unix was recently released by Alcatel-Lucent and is available here for download. It is not a complete distribution tape, just a tar file of a running system, made by Dan Cross.

Actually, "released" is too strong a word. They just signed a letter saying that they won't sue for the release of v8-v10 Unix. The letter can be read here (PDF).

Notable features

Unix v8 includes the stream interface (in /usr/include/sys/stream.h), as opposed to the socket interface, for doing network programming, included are PDP-11 cross-compilers and associated tools (assembler, linker, etc) as /usr/bin/{11cc,11as,...}, there is also a GUI included with the TUHS files as a separate tape.

Getting it to run on SimH

Here are some instructions. Some things must be done slightly different or in a different order though. For example you either need an old(er) version of SimH to run it, like 3.8, or use "set noasync" in your configs, otherwise you will get I/O errors.

Boot messages of a v8 system running in SimH:

Boot
: hp(0,0)unix
159316+54592+381508 start 0xf48
Unix 8th Edition Mon Mar 29 08:20:14 EST 1976
real mem = 8322048 nbuf = 254 nswbuf = 126
avail mem = 6316032
mcr0 at tr1
mcr1 at tr2
uba0 at tr3
dz0 at uba0 csr 160100 vec 0300 ipl x15
mba0 at tr8
hp0 at mba0 drive 0
hp1 at mba0 drive 1
mba1 at tr9
ht0 at mba1 drive 0
Mon Mar 29 08:20:56 EST 1976
Autoboot:
/dev/rp0a: 531 files 2316 blocks 5307 free
/dev/rrp0g: 8753 files 50554 blocks 91024 free
Mon Mar 29 08:20:59 EST 1976
not a VAX-11/750
Mounted /dev/rp0g on /usr
/tmp/dump: No such file or directory
fstyp = 2 mounted on /proc

v8generi
login: root
Welcome to Eighth Edition Unix.   You may be sure that it
is suitably protected by ironclad licences, contractual agreements,
living wills, and trade secret laws of every sort.  A trolley car is
certain to grow in your stomach if you violate the conditions
under which you got this tape.  Consult your lawyer in case of any doubt.
If doubt persists, consult our lawyers.

Please commit this message to memory.  If this is a hardcopy terminal,
tear off the paper and affix it to your machine.  Otherwise
take a photo of your screen.  Then delete /etc/motd.

Thank you for choosing Eighth Edition Unix.  Have a nice day.
#

Games

The following games are included in the v8 distribution mentioned above:

arithmetic
atc
back
banner
bcd
bigp
canfield
cbrogue
festoon
fish
fortune
hack
hangman
hanoi
mille
ogre
ppt
quiz
rogomatic
rogue
rogue52
rogue53
sail
say
scapegoat
snake
sread
thanks
tictactoe
tso
worm
zork