Does anyone know of source or a simulator for the V operating system?

While doing some research this past spring, I ran across a pair of
references to papers about V (or V-System) out of Stanford in the 1980s.
The actual papers were hard to find; I had a low success rate.

Over the weekend, randomly browsing a used book store, I found a bunch of printed papers bound by someone working at Tektronix around that time,
where it was used in (at least?) one product. It included several of the V papers (partial overlap with what I was looking for previously) and some
non-V, conceptually related material. I haven’t finished reading yet but
now I’d really like to see the actual system.



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On 8/18/25 9:57 AM, Anthony wrote:

Does anyone know of source or a simulator for the V operating system?

While doing some research this past spring, I ran across a pair of
references to papers about V (or V-System) out of Stanford in the 1980s.
The actual papers were hard to find; I had a low success rate.

Over the weekend, randomly browsing a used book store, I found a bunch of printed papers bound by someone working at Tektronix around that time,
where it was used in (at least?) one product. It included several of the V papers (partial overlap with what I was looking for previously) and some non-V, conceptually related material. I haven’t finished reading yet but now I’d really like to see the actual system.

Code is on bitsavers under http://bitsaver.org/bits/Stanford
docs in http://bitsavers.org/pdf/stanford/v-system

I had the same problem decades ago trying to find info.
The only reason I have it was I worked with some people who
worked on it in the 80s. Cheriton doesn't have a copy when
I asked a LONG time ago.

You might be able to get it to go under SIMH for the VAX version
but it will be tricky since it is a distributed system.

Have fun. I'd like to see it running again.




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In article <107vm27$37ah0$1@dont-email.me>, Anthony <a@9srv.net> wrote:

Does anyone know of source or a simulator for the V operating system?

While doing some research this past spring, I ran across a pair of
references to papers about V (or V-System) out of Stanford in the 1980s.
The actual papers were hard to find; I had a low success rate.

Over the weekend, randomly browsing a used book store, I found a bunch of >printed papers bound by someone working at Tektronix around that time,
where it was used in (at least?) one product. It included several of the V >papers (partial overlap with what I was looking for previously) and some >non-V, conceptually related material. I haven’t finished reading yet but >now I’d really like to see the actual system.

I kind of doubt that many artifacts have survived in accessible, machine-readable form. Bitsavers has some documentation, which
I assume you've found:
https://bitsavers.org/pdf/stanford/v-system/

Your best bet may be to reach out to Cheriton or Keith Lantz
directly.

- Dan C.

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* Origin: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC (3:633/280.2@fidonet)

In article <107vp8l$38afi$1@dont-email.me>,
Al Kossow <aek@bitsavers.org> wrote:

On 8/18/25 9:57 AM, Anthony wrote:

Does anyone know of source or a simulator for the V operating system?

While doing some research this past spring, I ran across a pair of
references to papers about V (or V-System) out of Stanford in the 1980s.
The actual papers were hard to find; I had a low success rate.

Over the weekend, randomly browsing a used book store, I found a bunch of
printed papers bound by someone working at Tektronix around that time,
where it was used in (at least?) one product. It included several of the V >> papers (partial overlap with what I was looking for previously) and some
non-V, conceptually related material. I haven’t finished reading yet but >> now I’d really like to see the actual system.

Code is on bitsavers under http://bitsaver.org/bits/Stanford

docs in http://bitsavers.org/pdf/stanford/v-system

I had the same problem decades ago trying to find info.
The only reason I have it was I worked with some people who
worked on it in the 80s. Cheriton doesn't have a copy when
I asked a LONG time ago.

You might be able to get it to go under SIMH for the VAX version
but it will be tricky since it is a distributed system.

Have fun. I'd like to see it running again.

I stand corrected. I hadn't seen the code part on bitsavers.
Thanks, Al.

- Dan C.


--- MBSE BBS v1.1.2 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC (3:633/280.2@fidonet)

On 8/18/25 11:00 AM, Dan Cross wrote:

I stand corrected. I hadn't seen the code part on bitsavers.
Thanks, Al.

- Dan C.

and it should be http://bitsavers.org/bits/Stanford

--- MBSE BBS v1.1.2 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (3:633/280.2@fidonet)

Apple's work connected to the V microkernel have been lost to the sands of time.
There were two ATG projects, a kernel that was done by Chris Moeller and Chris McFall
that was adopted for Pink, and another later research project by Ross Finlayson et. al.
with members from Cheriton's group. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanguard_(microkernel)

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Al Kossow <aek@bitsavers.org> wrote:

On 8/18/25 9:57 AM, Anthony wrote:

Does anyone know of source or a simulator for the V operating system?

While doing some research this past spring, I ran across a pair of
references to papers about V (or V-System) out of Stanford in the 1980s.
The actual papers were hard to find; I had a low success rate.

Over the weekend, randomly browsing a used book store, I found a bunch of
printed papers bound by someone working at Tektronix around that time,
where it was used in (at least?) one product. It included several of the V >> papers (partial overlap with what I was looking for previously) and some
non-V, conceptually related material. I haven’t finished reading yet but >> now I’d really like to see the actual system.

Code is on bitsavers under http://bitsaver.org/bits/Stanford
docs in http://bitsavers.org/pdf/stanford/v-system

I had the same problem decades ago trying to find info.
The only reason I have it was I worked with some people who
worked on it in the 80s. Cheriton doesn't have a copy when
I asked a LONG time ago.

You might be able to get it to go under SIMH for the VAX version
but it will be tricky since it is a distributed system.

Have fun. I'd like to see it running again.

I had seen the pdf docs but not the code archive; that’s very helpful. I
hope to dig into it later this week.


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On Mon, 18 Aug 2025 16:57:43 -0000 (UTC), Anthony wrote:

Does anyone know of source or a simulator for the V operating system?

This is the OS on which the original W windowing system was developed, wasn’t it?

Then when some other folks wanted to create a successor windowing system
to run on other OSes and hardware, they used the next letter, which was X.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

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