Interesting observation -- "one true unix"

[Eugene Miya]

I realize that lots of novice Unix system administrators read this
group, but here goes...

Several people were having a discussion in my office the other day. Two
were from IBM/CDC backgrounds and were new to Unix.  Both were in some
positions of `authority.'  One stated that with all of our VAXen, workstations
and other big UNIX systems that we should all `standardize' on System 5.
e.g. there should be one favor of UNIX.  With all these UNIXes around, how
were users going to be helped with more than one favor of UNIX around
(currently our users need to know VMS (for most VAXen), COS- for our Crays,
and with they are learning UNIX for Irises).  Another person in the room
felt under attack.  The VAXen are running 4.2.  He and others argued that
the different `dialects' of UNIX didn't matter that much and that the
differences between 4.2 and SV are smaller than VMS to COS for instance.

My observation is that this is perhaps a left over attitude from the days
of the card punch/centralized computer facility.  They desire control
over everything.  It doesn't matter that the erase character can
be changed between Backspce or Delete, just make them the same.  Don't
give the user the choice of vi or emacs, standardize so we have to maintain
less.

Any ideas for defending our bastion of 4.2 from the hordes of the SV bastion?
We have tried the obvious "different and better tools."  This works only
so far.


--eugene miya
  NASA Ames Res. Ctr.
  {hplabs,ihnp4,dual,hao,vortex}!ames!aurora!eugene
  emiya at ames-vmsb.ARPA