Closing Notes
Several years ago, I read an interesting discussion in the comp.unix.xenix newsgroup. An old computer enthusiast was searching for Xenix for the 8086, 80186, or 80286. For those of you not familiar with Xenix, it was one of the first Unices to be ported to the x86 architecture. The earliest versions ran on the IBM PC XT. The discussion went as follows:
- Question: Where can I find Xenix for the 8086, 80186, or 80286?
- Answer: In the history books.
I'm sure this was intended as a witty retort, and not intended to be snide... However, it strikes me as a rather sad statement. Operating systems like Xenix, Microport, PC/IX, and even A/UX, are in danger of being lost forever. These are historical artifacts, and they must be protected. That having been said, please remember that A/UX is still a copyrighted product.
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A/UX 1.1 Price List from 1989
| Product | Description | Suggested Retail Price |
| B0002LL/B | Macintosh IIx A/UX System. Includes Macintosh IIx A/UX Hard Disk 80 CPU (4MB), A/UX Accessory Kit (M0333LL/A). | $8152.00 |
| B0097LL/A | Macintosh IIcx A/UX System. Included Macintosh IIcx A/UX Hard Disk 80 CPU (4MB), A/UX Accessory Kit (M0333LL/A). | $7552.00 |
| M8004/D | A/UX External 80MB Hard Disk (requires Macintosh IIx, IIcx or Macintosh II w/PMMU CPU) Includes External A/UX HD80 w/SCSI System Cable & Cable Terminator (M0691/C),A/UX Accessory Kit (M0333LL/A). | $2282.00 |
| M8011/C | A/UX Internal 80MB Hard Disk (requires Macintosh IIx, IIcx or Macintosh II w/PMMU CPU) Includes Internal A/UX HD80 (M0692/C), A/UX Accessory Kit (M0333LL/A). | $2182.00 |
| B0043LL/A | A/UX - Tape w/A/UX Accessory Kit | $695.00 |
| B0055LL/A | A/UX 1.1 Update - Tape | $395.00 |
| B0056LL/B | A/UX 1.1 Update w/A/UX Accessory Kit - Diskettes | $549.00 |
| M0709 | X Window System for A/UX | $329.00 |
| M0221 | 68851 Paged Memory Management Unit (PMMU) Required for A/UX on Macintosh II systems not originally configured for A/UX. Provides hardware support for page demand memory management. Dealer installation required. Not required with Macintosh IIx or IIcx systems. | $499.00 |
| M8044/A | A/UX 1.1 Manuals (15 binder set) | $649.00 |
| M0079LL/A | A/UX 1.1 Manual Update (updates binders to 1.1) | $549.00 |
| M0333LL/A | A/UX 1.1 Accessory Kit | $84.00 |
Tech Notes
The astute observer will note that this site is not hosted on an A/UX server. While A/UX is a robust and reliable Unix, it is a discontinued product. To my knowledge, no one is producing security updates or patches for A/UX, and the latest version was released in 1995. For this reason, I would caution against setting an A/UX server on the the internet without adequate protection. If you do set up an internet-facing server, please check out my jagubox mirror for all the "latest" security updates.
A/UX Links
There are very few A/UX-related web sites left out there... Most of the old archives have gone dark. Of those that remain, these are some of my favorites:
- A/UX FAQ - The updated A/UX FAQ, actively maintained
- comp.unix.aux - The A/UX newsgroup... mostly dormant, but a good reference
- 68k Macintosh Liberation Army - very active classic Macintosh forum with a Unix section
- http://slagheap.net/ - Purchased a beta release of A/UX 1.1.1 on eBay!
- nleymann.de - A/UX binaries & source packages
- Tecneeq.de - Even more A/UX links!
- Apple Knowledge Base Archive - Archived support Docs
- Applefritter A/UX - Cool screenshots and info
- cilinder.be - Documentation on A/UX and other Unices
- bitsavers.org - A/UX 2.0 complete documentation
Classic Macintosh Links
- Gamba's Homepage - Resources for the older Macintosh
- Mac FAQ - The Pickle's Low-End Mac FAQ
- Jag's House - Lots of sofware & links
Non-A/UX Links
- Macintosh Application Environment - Macintosh emulator for Solaris and HP-UX
- Solaris Tutorials - My own collection of Solaris Tutorials
- Xenix Installation - How to install SCO Xenix 2.3.4
- Vintage Computer Forums - All flavours of vintage computers
- Vintage Computing Files Archive - Lots of interesting files
Legal disclaimer:
Although it was discontinued over a decade ago, A/UX is still protected by copyright. Portions of the source are owned by Apple, Unisys, and Sun Microsystems, to name but a few. Apple, Macintosh, Mac and the Mac logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other logos are the property of their respective companies. The html documents and graphics are also protected under copyright law.
I do not claim to be an expert of any kind. I'm simply a hobbyist seeking to share my knowledge and appreciation of the Macintosh, Unix, and A/UX. If you have any questions or comments regarding the site or the content, feel free to contact me.
