Portland Linux/Unix Group General Monthly Meeting: Plan 9 with Anthony Sorace
Enter through the Engineering Building. The room is downstairs, follow the signs. If the outside door is locked and there isn't anyone to let you in, look for the sign and a cell number to text.
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Description
Summary:
Plan 9 is an operating system with some very interesting properties, especially around distributed systems, networking, and resource sharing. It was originally developed by the same group at Bell Labs which developed Unix and shares a clear heritage that will make many parts familiar to experienced users of other unix-like systems, but in many ways represents an "alternate universe" for how Unix might have developed. While it's seen only limited commercial use, it has proven itself suitable to a wide range of applications, including supercomputer clusters, network appliances, and embedded systems. And as a small, consistent system with a unifying philosophy, it can be interesting to study and explore even outside its practical utility.
Together, let's take a brief tour of this alternate universe's history, what makes it exciting to people who live (or visit) there, the current landscape, and where it might (or might not!) be interesting for you.
Bio:
Anthony Sorace (he/him) is some sort of engineer. Professionally, his work has focused on system architecture and process analysis, looking at how people can use computers to solve (some of) their problems. On the side, he enjoys messing about with networking, databases, and systems software. He is a slightly reluctant web programmer and enthusiastic cook. He has been using Plan 9 since the late nineteen hundreds, a few weeks before starting a job at Bell Labs working with related technology, and currently serves as a director of the Plan 9 Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to advancing research on lightweight distributed systems using these technologies.
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