Yep, SCO Unix that hasn't been up dated in forever for a 1990's text based ERP system
Ask HN: Anyone using proprietary Unix at work?
21–30 of 221 posts
Re: Ask HN: Anyone using proprietary Unix at work?
#22Not proprietary, but Oxide Computer uses a niche (open source) Unix called illumos: https://illumos.org/
Illumos is open source Solaris.
illumos has a Solaris heritage, certainly -- but has evolved quite a bit in the last ~12 years. For details of the history, see my LISA 2011 talk.[0]
Re: Ask HN: Anyone using proprietary Unix at work?
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
Technially, the Darwin Kernel it uses is OSS https://github.com/apple/darwin-xnu
Can you actually recompile your kernel on Mac? And its functional? I'll bet this isn't even the source code Apple uses, but rather they have a private fork with extra patches (similar to how Microsoft publishes OSS VS Code, but then uses their own proprietary version for releases).
Yes. However, many kernel modules needed to boot on a modern macOS machine are proprietary.
Re: Ask HN: Anyone using proprietary Unix at work?
#24Allied Irish Banks is still using Solaris, AIX, and HP-UX at the same time, according to a job posting I've seen.
Re: Ask HN: Anyone using proprietary Unix at work?
#25Yup. SCO OpenServer 5.0.something, for some partner's accounting department. Neither the OS nor the application software have been updated since the late 1990s, but if it works, it works, I guess... (to be honest: the application software is only used to run reports in response to requests from the legal department, but apparently still can't be shut down -- I ask once a year, next upcoming 'query date' in my agenda…
Will it all blow up in 2038? Do you have a plan (to kill it, upgrade it, or retire) if so? :)
Re: Ask HN: Anyone using proprietary Unix at work?
#26Yep, still running Solaris 11 on a Sun server for SDH/SONET network management. I mean it fits the bill, since both technologies are now ancient. I can't say bad things about the whole Sun/Solaris combo though. It's rock solid and requires practically no maintenance whatsoever. Also, since it's completely off the internet, it's not like it could be compromised in any way.
Yeah internal networks never get breached /s
Re: Ask HN: Anyone using proprietary Unix at work?
#27The last "proprietary Unix" I worked with was AIX, way back in 2006. And that was only because their primary customer was an AIX shop. The code itself would actually run on Linux.
Previous to that (late 90's, early 2000's) it was mainly Solaris. One place was fairly heterogeneous, and had Solaris, HP-UX, Digital Unix (aka OSF/1, Tru64), and a couple others.
Re: Ask HN: Anyone using proprietary Unix at work?
#28Yup. SCO OpenServer 5.0.something, for some partner's accounting department. Neither the OS nor the application software have been updated since the late 1990s, but if it works, it works, I guess... (to be honest: the application software is only used to run reports in response to requests from the legal department, but apparently still can't be shut down -- I ask once a year, next upcoming 'query date' in my agenda…
> Access is the biggest issue, as the OS only supports telnet, and serial access.
OpenSSH works on it. This page has links to precompiled packages:
https://scosales.com/knowledge-base/how-to-install-ssh-for-s...
links:
ftp://ftp2.sco.com/pub/skunkware/osr5/vols/openssh-3.4p1-VOLS.tar
ftp://ftp2.sco.com/pub/skunkware/osr5/vols/prngd-0.9.23-VOLS.tar
ftp://ftp2.sco.com/pub/skunkware/osr5/vols/zlib-1.1.4-VOLS.tar
Probably better to grab the sources and compile them yourself if you can, though.
> Migrating to Linux might be an option, but is most likely going to be hugely painful.
Probably. At least it sounds like you only have a few users for it, so getting them to adapt to a change of software might be easier.
Re: Ask HN: Anyone using proprietary Unix at work?
#29[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: Anyone using proprietary Unix at work?
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can you actually recompile your kernel on Mac? And its functional? I'll bet this isn't even the source code Apple uses, but rather they have a private fork with extra patches (similar to how Microsoft publishes OSS VS Code, but then uses their own proprietary version for releases).
Yes. However, many kernel modules needed to boot on a modern macOS machine are proprietary.
If an os is partially oss but functionally closed, what do you call that?
If I run windows with apache web server, is windows now open source?
rMS is a zealot, but it doesn't mean he's wrong...