View source for Software:386BSD

{{Short description|Operating system}}
{{Infobox OS
| name = 386BSD
| logo = [[File:386BSD logo.png|130px]]
| screenshot = 386BSD installer screenshot.png
| caption = 386BSD Release 0.1 installer ("Tiny 386BSD")
| developer = William Jolitz<br />[[Biography:Lynne Jolitz|Lynne Jolitz]]
| family = [[Software:Unix|Unix]]
| released = 0.0<ref name="0.0-release">{{cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!original/comp.unix.bsd/TZ-gIRRHiXA/eAe6xqiqiU0J|title=386BSD 0.0 Release Notes}}</ref> {{Release date and age|1992|03|12}}
| language = 
| ui = 
| license = [[Software:BSD license|BSD license]]
| succeeded by = [[Software:FreeBSD|FreeBSD]], [[Software:NetBSD|NetBSD]]
| website = {{url|386bsd.org}}
| source_model = [[Open-source software|Open source]]
| latest_release_version = 2.0
| latest_release_date = {{Start date and age|2016|8}}
| latest_test_version = 
| latest_test_date = 
| marketing_target = 
| kernel_type = 
| working_state = Historical
| supported_platforms = x86
}}
'''386BSD''' (also known as "'''Jolix'''"<ref name="foldoc"/>) is a discontinued [[Operating system|operating system]] based on the [[Software:Berkeley Software Distribution|Berkeley Software Distribution]] (BSD) that was developed by couple [[Biography:Lynne Jolitz|Lynne]] and William Jolitz.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chalmers |first=Rachel |date=2000-05-17 |title=The unknown hackers |url=https://www.salon.com/2000/05/17/386bsd/ |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=Salon |language=en}}</ref> Released on March 17, 1992, it was the first fully operational [[Software:Unix|Unix]] operating system to be completely [[Free and open-source software|free and open source]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The creators of open-source 386BSD mark 15 year anniversary |url=https://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/the-creators-of-open-source-386bsd-mark-15-year-anniversary/ |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=The creators of open-source 386BSD mark 15 year anniversary |language=en-us}}</ref>

386BSD ran on PC-compatible computer systems based on the [[32-bit|32-bit]] [[Engineering:Intel 80386|Intel 80386]] ("i386") [[Engineering:Microprocessor|microprocessor]], thus marking the first Unix on affordable home-class hardware.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bentson |first=Randolph |title=The Humble Beginnings of Linux |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/fullHtml/10.5555/324785.324786 |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=dl.acm.org}}</ref> Its innovations included role-based security, ring buffers, self-ordered configuration and [[Software:Loadable kernel module|modular kernel]] design. Although 386BSD was short-lived, it served as the base for [[Software:FreeBSD|FreeBSD]] and [[Software:NetBSD|NetBSD]] which began shortly afterwards.

== History ==
{{Further|Software:History of the Berkeley Software Distribution}}
386BSD was written mainly by Berkeley alumni [[Biography:Lynne Jolitz|Lynne Jolitz]] and William Jolitz. William had considerable experience with prior BSD releases while at the [[Organization:University of California, Berkeley|University of California, Berkeley]] (2.8 and 2.9BSD) and both contributed code developed at Symmetric Computer Systems during the 1980s, to Berkeley. William worked at Berkeley on porting 4.3BSD-Reno and later 4.3BSD&nbsp;Net/2 to the Intel 80386 for the university. 4.3BSD Net/2 was an incomplete non-operational release, with portions withheld by the University of California as ''encumbered'' (i.e. subject to an AT&T UNIX [[Source code|source code]] license). 

The port began in 1989 and the first, incomplete traces of the port can be found in 4.3BSD&nbsp;Net/2 of 1991. The port was made possible as Keith Bostic, partly influenced by [[Biography:Richard Stallman|Richard Stallman]],<ref>Sam Williams, "Free as in Freedom", March 2002, O'Reilly [https://www.oreilly.com/openbook/freedom/ch09.html chapter 9] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220613160657/https://www.oreilly.com/openbook/freedom/ch09.html|date=2022-06-13}}</ref> had started to remove proprietary AT&T out of BSD in 1988.<ref>Eric S. Raymond. 2003. [http://www.faqs.org/docs/artu/ch02s01.html Origins and History of Unix, 1969-1995] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610225448/http://www.faqs.org/docs/artu/ch02s01.html|date=2015-06-10}} The Art of Unix Programming. Chapter 2. History.</ref> The port was first released to the public in March 1992 (version 0.0<ref name="0.0-release" />) - based on portions of the 4.3BSD&nbsp;Net/2 release coupled with additional code (see "Missing Pieces I and II", ''Dr. Dobb's Journal'', May–June 1992) - and in a much more usable version on July 14, 1992 (version 0.1<ref name="0.1-release">{{cite web |title=386BSD 0.1 Release Notes |url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!original/comp.unix.bsd/zA8Jl89HSRo/DqMzaUUZ7wYJ}}</ref>). 

386BSD proved popular, with it receiving 250,000 downloads from the [[File Transfer Protocol|FTP]] server it was hosted on.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-10-20 |title=History of FreeBSD – Part 2: BSDi and USL Lawsuits |url=https://klarasystems.com/articles/history-of-freebsd-part-2-bsdi-and-usl-lawsuits/ |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=Klara Inc |language=en-US}}</ref> It was helped partly by the porting process with code being extensively documented in a 17-part series written by Lynne and William in ''Dr. Dobb's Journal'' beginning in January 1991.<ref>{{Cite web |title=386BSD |url=https://www.386bsd.org/releases/porting-unix-to-the-386-the-final-step-running-light-with-386bsd-article |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=www.386bsd.org}}</ref> 

=== FreeBSD and NetBSD ===
After the release of 386BSD 0.1,<ref name="0.1-release" /> a group of users began collecting bug fixes and enhancements, releasing them as an unofficial ''[[Patch (computing)|patchkit]]''. Due to differences of opinion between the Jolitzes and the patchkit maintainers over the future direction and release schedule of 386BSD,<ref name="386bsd-faq"/> the maintainers of the patchkit founded the [[Software:FreeBSD|FreeBSD]] project in 1993 to continue their work.<ref name="Auto7E-1"/> Around the same time, the [[Software:NetBSD|NetBSD]] project was founded by a different group of 386BSD users, with the aim of unifying 386BSD with other strands of BSD development into one multi-platform system. Both projects continue to this day.

=== Lawsuit ===
Due to a lawsuit (UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. v. Berkeley Software Design, Inc.), some potentially so-called ''encumbered'' source was agreed to have been distributed within the [[Software:Berkeley Software Distribution|Berkeley Software Distribution]] Net/2 from the University of California, and a subsequent release (1993, 4.4BSD-Lite) was made by the university to correct this issue. However, 386BSD, ''Dr. Dobb's Journal'', and the Jolitzes were never parties to these or subsequent lawsuits or settlements arising from this dispute with the University of California, and continued to publish and work on the 386BSD code base before, during, and after these lawsuits without limitation. There has never been any legal filings or claims from the university, USL, or other responsible parties with respect to 386BSD. Finally, no code developed for 386BSD done by William Jolitz and Lynne Jolitz was at issue in any of these lawsuits.

== Release 1.0 ==
In late 1994, a finished version 386BSD Release 1.0 was distributed by ''Dr. Dobb's Journal'' on CDROM only due to the immense size (600 [[Megabyte|MB]]) of the release (the ''"386BSD Reference CD-ROM"'') and was a best-selling CDROM for three years (1994–1997). 386BSD Release 1.0 contained a completely new kernel design and implementation, and began the process to incorporate recommendations made by earlier Berkeley designers that had never been attempted in BSD.

== Release 2.0 ==
On August 5, 2016, an update was pushed to the 386BSD [[GitHub|GitHub repository]] by developer Ben Jolitz, named version 2.0.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bsd.slashdot.org/story/16/10/09/0230203/after-22-years-386bsd-gets-an-update|title=After 22 Years, 386BSD Gets An Update - Slashdot|website=bsd.slashdot.org|date=9 October 2016 |language=en|access-date=2017-03-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/386bsd/386bsd|title=386bsd/386bsd|website=GitHub|language=en|access-date=2017-03-14}}</ref> According to the official website, Release 2.0 "built upon the modular framework to create self-healing components."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://386bsd.org/about|title=386BSD Official website|access-date=2021-03-13}}</ref> However, {{as of|2017|March|16|lc=y|df=US}}, almost all of the documentation remains the same as version 1.0, and a [[Changelog|changelog]] was not available.

== Copyright and use of the code ==
All rights with respect to 386BSD and JOLIX are now held exclusively by William and Lynne Jolitz.{{dubious|Ownership|date=February 2014}} 386BSD public releases ended in 1997 since code is now available from the many 386BSD-derived [[Operating system|operating system]]s today, along with several derivatives thereof (such as [[Software:FreeBSD|FreeBSD]], [[Software:NetBSD|NetBSD]] and [[Organization:OpenBSD|OpenBSD]]). Portions of 386BSD may be found in other open systems such as [[Software:OpenSolaris|OpenSolaris]].

== Relationship with BSD/386 ==
386BSD is often confused with BSD/386 which was a different project developed by BSDi, a Berkeley [[Finance:Corporate spin-off|spinout]], starting in 1991. BSD/386 used the same 386BSD code contributed to the University of California on ''4.3BSD NET/2''. Although Jolitz worked briefly for [[Company:UUNET|UUNET]] (which later spun out BSDi) in 1991, the work he did for them diverged from that contributed to the University of California and did not appear in 386BSD. Instead, William Jolitz gave regular code updates to Donn Seeley of BSDi for packaging and testing, and returned all materials when William left the company following fundamental disagreements on company direction and goals.

== Further reading ==
* Jolitz, William F. and Jolitz, Lynne Greer: Porting UNIX to the 386: A Practical Approach, 17-part series in ''Dr. Dobb's Journal'', January 1991 – July 1992:<ref name="DDJ-386BSD">{{cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!original/comp.unix.bsd/uXJjzT4g7qI/mLMsO0hJsV4J|title=DDJ articles for 386BSD}}</ref><ref name="full_articles-DDJ-386BSD">{{cite web|url=https://www.386bsd.org/releases|title=Porting Unix to the 386}}</ref>
** Jan/1991: DDJ "Designing a Software Specification"
** Feb/1991: DDJ "Three Initial PC Utilities"
** Mar/1991: DDJ "The Standalone System"
** Apr/1991: DDJ "Language Tools Cross-Support"
** May/1991: DDJ "The Initial Root Filesystem"
** Jun/1991: DDJ "Research and the Commercial Sector: Where Does BSD Fit In?"
** Jul/1991: DDJ "A Stripped-Down Kernel"
** Aug/1991: DDJ "The Basic Kernel"
** Sep/1991: DDJ "Multiprogramming and Multiprocessing, Part I"
** Oct/1991: DDJ "Multiprogramming and Multiprocessing, Part II"
** Nov/1991: DDJ "Device Autoconfiguration"
** Feb/1992: DDJ "UNIX Device Drivers, Part I"
** Mar/1992: DDJ "UNIX Device Drivers, Part II"
** Apr/1992: DDJ "UNIX Device Drivers, Part III"
** May/1992: DDJ "Missing Pieces, Part I"
** Jun/1992: DDJ "Missing Pieces, Part II"
** Jul/1992: DDJ "The Final Step: Running Light with 386BSD"

* Jolitz, William F. and Jolitz, Lynne Greer: Operating System Source Code Secrets Vol 1 The Basic Kernel, 1996, {{ISBN|1-57398-026-9}}
* Jolitz, William F. and Jolitz, Lynne Greer: Operating System Source Code Secrets Vol 2 Virtual Memory, 2000, {{ISBN|1-57398-027-7}}

== References ==

{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="foldoc">{{cite web|url=http://foldoc.org/jolix|title=386BSD|date=2006-06-08|work=[[Free On-line Dictionary of Computing]]|access-date=2009-11-17}}</ref>
<ref name="386bsd-faq">{{cite web|url=http://www.386bsd.org/faq|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113100115/http://www.386bsd.org/faq|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-01-13|title=386BSD FAQ|date=2014-01-13|work=William Jolitz, Lynne Jolitz|access-date=13 January 2014}}</ref>
<ref name="Auto7E-1">[http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/history.html About the FreeBSD Project<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
}}

== External links ==
* [https://386bsd.github.io William Jolitz's 386bsd Notebook]
* [http://www.jolix.com Jolix.com]
* [http://porting-unix-to-the-386.jolix.com/ Porting UNIX to the 386: A Practical Approach]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180523112805/https://jolitz.telemuse.net/2lgj/on386bsd Memories of 386BSD releases by Lynne Jolitz]
* [https://www.salon.com/2000/05/17/386bsd/ The unknown hackers - Salon.com]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050305151340/http://minutepitch.valux.com/386bsddesign 386BSD Design Notes Professional Video Series]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160914043458/http://www.386bsd.org/faq Frequently asked questions of 386BSD - active Q/A by authors]
* {{Cite web |url=http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/who/dmr/bsdi/bsdisuit.html |title=Remarks and papers on USL v UC Berkeley by Dennis M. Ritchie. |access-date=September 12, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205025251/http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/who/dmr/bsdi/bsdisuit.html |archive-date=February 5, 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |df=mdy-all }}
* [https://www.theage.com.au/technology/raising-top-quality-rabble-20021226-gdg0tl.html Raising Top Quality Rabble; article mentioning 386BSD]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041113015343/http://www.theage.com.au/technology/itnews/yoursay/2003/05/22/ Archived comment on "Raising Top Quality Rabble" with remarks on the history of 386BSD by Lynne Jolitz]
* [http://mail-index.netbsd.org/netbsd-advocacy/2001/01/18/0017.html Remarks on the history of 386BSD by Greg Lehey]
* [http://gunkies.org/wiki/386_BSD More information on the various releases of 386BSD]
* [http://unix.superglobalmegacorp.com/386BSD-0.0/newsrc/ Browsable 386BSD kernel sources] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606165501/https://unix.superglobalmegacorp.com/386BSD-0.0/newsrc/ |date=2022-06-06 }}

{{Unix}}

[[Category:Discontinued operating systems]]
[[Category:Free software operating systems]]

{{Sourceattribution|386BSD}}