Ric Merz wrote:
>
> There is a way to have your MPE and eat it too.
>
> Write it from scratch!  Duplicate the functionally of the OS and all
> commands.  Make it completely open and cross platform.  Go for it.  I'll
> watch.  Lots of work, and since I have seen some of the FOS source code, I
> don't qualify.

Actually, I think it could be a good idea, but instead of
duplicating MPE for migration purposes, I would propose that
we create a new, improved, more consistent, modular MPE.  We
take the basic values of MPE and many of it's best features,
and perhaps something like the Linux kernel as a starting place,
and build the best business oriented operating system around.
But, I think we should give up traditional MPE compatibility
as a starting place for the design, since everyone will have to
recompile anyway, but then do our best to provide a new
consistent and powerful business o.s. based on the features
and principles MPE demonstrated, like:

- Data integrity about all else.
- Meaningful command names.
- Commands that protect you against "obvious" mistakes or get
- confirmation that the result is what you intended.
- Distributed account administration.
- Maintain compatibility (starting from the new design forward)

With this approach, we can incorporate "best" ideas from other
operating systems, too, that didn't make it into MPE, Like:
CANDE - I always liked the fact that the editor was built into
the command shell.
VMS - versioning - maintain old versions of a file auto magically
PICK - database language built into the command structure and
(I think) integrated into the way the system configuration and
account management.

I suspect this could be built as a bolt-on to Linux and
maintain a type of compatibility of file access for other
Linux applications to NewMPE files, there by immediately
making a large ship load of utilities and applications
available.  Others would know better than I, but my guess
is that it would require some kernel level modifications
to the Linux kernel, but that would be ok, too.

Richard
--
Richard L Gambrell, Senior Information Technology Consultant and
Director of Computing Systems and Networks
Information Technology Division, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
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