ULTRIX Technical Summary

This document is a technical summary of ULTRIX/ULTRIX Worksystem Software Version 4.0 (or higher), developed by Digital Equipment Corporation and released in June 1990.

Key Points:

• Operating System Core: ULTRIX is a native UNIX operating system for Digital's VAX and RISC (e.g., DECstation, DECsystem) processor families. It is derived from both AT&T UNIX System V Release 2 and Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD 4.2, 4.3, and 4.3-5), incorporating Digital's own enhancements.
• Workstation Environment: The optional ULTRIX Worksystem Software provides a DECwindows graphical user interface, Digital's implementation of the MIT X Window System. This offers a consistent windowing environment across ULTRIX and VMS systems, supporting network-transparent windowing.

• Functionality:

  • General Use: Supports character-cell terminals and windowing workstations, various command shells (Bourne, C, Korn), and spooled printing.
  • Software Development: Includes a wide array of programming languages (C, FORTRAN, Lisp, Modula-2, Pascal, Assemblers), debuggers, linkers, UNIX tools (awk, sed, yacc), and source code control (SCCS). It also supports the Compound Document Architecture (CDA) for handling integrated document files and ULTRIX/SQL for relational database management.
  • System Management: Offers enhanced tools for installation, system generation (doconfig), administration (opser, lpc), file archiving (tar, cpio, ANSI-compatible ltf), and maintainability (error logging, crash recovery).

• Networking: Provides comprehensive networking capabilities including:

  • Internet Access: TCP/IP and UDP/IP over Ethernet LAN, with services like FTP, Telnet, SMTP, BIND, and SNMP.
  • DECnet (optional): For communication with other Digital systems (mail, remote login, file transfer).
  • Network File System (NFS) and Yellow Pages (YP): For resource sharing across Ethernet LANs.
  • VMS/ULTRIX Connection (optional): For transparent access to VMS RMS files.
  • Mail Facilities: Extended mail services including ULTRIX Mail Connection (gateway to VAX MAILbus, X.400, IBM networks) and the MH system.
  • UUCP Interfaces: For communication and file transfer with other UNIX uucp systems.
  • Local Area Transport (LAT): For terminal connections via DECservers.
  • Kerberos Authentication: For secure authentication in local area networks.

• Compatibility and Standards: ULTRIX emphasizes open software environments, adhering to standards such as POSIX (IEEE Standard 1003.1-1988, FIPS 151-1), X/Open (XPG2), and Open Software Foundation (OSF Level 0 AES). It maintains a high degree of compatibility with Berkeley BSD and AT&T System V (SVID Issue 2) at the source code level, and with UNIX V7.

• Hardware Requirements: Specifies minimum memory (5-8 MB) and disk space (100MB for optional subsets) for VAX and RISC processors. It supports various disk and software load devices (tapes, CDROM).
• Documentation and Services: Comes with extensive printed and online documentation (including manual pages, help systems, and document development tools). Digital provides system startup service packages (installation, training) and ongoing support services (telephone, on-site, SPRs, updates).
• Licensing: Available with Single-Use Licenses, Right to Copy options for multiple CPUs, and source licenses (though kernels built from source are unsupported). Login limits apply.

The document serves as a compact technical reference for current ULTRIX owners and provides specifications for potential purchasers of UNIX systems. It also identifies "unsupported" software included with ULTRIX, meaning Digital does not test, warrant, or commit to correcting problems with these components.