Re: [tlug] Unix's 40th Birthday

[Edward Middleton <emiddleton@example.com>]

Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
> Curt Sampson writes:
>
>  > Their EOS may be based on Linux, but it sounds as if it's a mere
>  > control system for the hardware and software that does the real
>  > work.
>
> First I must concede that at the low-level "runs the Internet"
> means "routes packets", that is what I meant ...
>
> Nonetheless, it is important to note that "runs the Internet" can also
> be interpreted in terms of the control system that manages the
> switches, diagnoses faults, and generates reports...
>   

I took Curt's comment to mean that the Linux part was completely
separate and just in a controlling capacity.  In the same way that a
Linux kernel might control embedded firmware on a hard disk.  Altos
documentation and my understanding was that they used more computing
power (cycles being cheap) and ran more like a conventional OS.

Edward