4 ms·

I think there's a bit more to the story. It was before my time, but as I understand it the most widely used Unix for the 8086 was XENIX (initially a Microsoft p

by bbanyc 4y ago

I think there's a bit more to the story. It was before my time, but as I understand it the most widely used Unix for the 8086 was XENIX (initially a Microsoft product, later sold to SCO), which used Intel-syntax MASM as its assembler. XENIX for 386 was based on AT&T System V/386, which introduced the AT&T syntax to 32-bit x86. I've found some references to 32-bit XENIX still using an assembler called "masm" but I don't know if it was still based on Microsoft's MASM or just called that for compatibility, or whether it was AT&T or Intel syntax. Also by that point compilers and assemblers weren't included in the base OS anymore, but a "development kit" sold separately. The Minix compiler and assembler also used Intel syntax.

bbanyc 4y ago
Replying to my own comment since I was curious - it was certainly Microsoft MASM, and cc was the Microsoft C Compiler as well. [1] So probably Intel syntax. There was also something called "SCO UNIX" which was apparently more of a straight adaptation of AT&T System V and might have used a pcc compiler and AT&T syntax. It's hard to figure out what happened when because there are a zillion different versions of Xenix/SCO Unix/OpenServer out there. [1] https://www.scosales.com/ta/kb/100187.html https://www.scosales.com/ta/kb/100187.html
- pjmlp 4y ago
  I cannot say much about which Assembler Xenix used, but in 1992 it was clearly still K&R C, the version I had access to was either lacking X installation or pure text based terminals. It was so expensive in Escudos, that for teaching an high school class about UNIX, the teacher would bring a tower (286 or early 386 model) that would be timeshared with the whole class, meaning taking 15 minute slots seating at it, while having prepared the exercises, as much as we could, in Turbo C 2.0 on MS-DOS. It definitly wasn't SCO UNIX though.

by bbanyc 4y ago

bbanyc 4y ago

Replying to my own comment since I was curious - it was certainly Microsoft MASM, and cc was the Microsoft C Compiler as well. [1] So probably Intel syntax. There was also something called "SCO UNIX" which was apparently more of a straight adaptation of AT&T System V and might have used a pcc compiler and AT&T syntax. It's hard to figure out what happened when because there are a zillion different versions of Xenix/SCO Unix/OpenServer out there. [1] https://www.scosales.com/ta/kb/100187.html https://www.scosales.com/ta/kb/100187.html

pjmlp 4y ago
I cannot say much about which Assembler Xenix used, but in 1992 it was clearly still K&R C, the version I had access to was either lacking X installation or pure text based terminals. It was so expensive in Escudos, that for teaching an high school class about UNIX, the teacher would bring a tower (286 or early 386 model) that would be timeshared with the whole class, meaning taking 15 minute slots seating at it, while having prepared the exercises, as much as we could, in Turbo C 2.0 on MS-DOS. It definitly wasn't SCO UNIX though.