Where to get BSD docs?

Doug Gwyn gwyn at smoke.BRL.MIL
Mon Mar 20 20:48:18 AEST 1989


In article <383 at siswat.UUCP> buck at siswat.UUCP (A. Lester Buck) writes:
>Where exactly does one get BSD documentation?  I was looking over
>the order form for the Usenix manual set for 4.3BSD and was ready
>to send in my money, but it clearly stated that they needed my
>BSD license.

I don't know why they used to think that.  The current word is that
you need only be a USENIX Association member.  The order form now
indicates that your obtaining copies of the manual is "pursuant to
the copyright notice as found on ... the UNIX/32V Programmer's Manual",
but I suspect USENIX and Howard Press will take your word for it;
they're not asking to see a copy of any license now.

>Is this more AT&T marketing strategy to keep BSD from spreading further?

Not so far as I know.  AT&T allows "fair use" of copies of documentation
at licensed sites.  4.3BSD is derived from UNIX/32V, which dated back to
the days of the "consent decree" that kept AT&T out of the commercial
computing industry.  For most purposes, AT&T has been willing to consider
UNIX/32V rights as being covered by more recent UNIX licenses such as UNIX
System V.  I doubt that the Telephone Police will bother you if you order
a set of 4.3BSD manuals.



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