FACT SHEET ON UNIX SYSTEM V RELEASE 4.2

• A graphical "point and click" desktop lets users make intuitive "drag and drop" movements to accomplish all tasks, from printing a file by dragging and dropping it on the printer icon, to sending mail, launching applications and administering the system.
• Users can choose either OSF Motif or OPEN LOOK's* GUI look and feel, depending entirely upon personal preference or internal corporate requirements. Different users on the same SVR4.2 system can run different GUIs.
• Adobe Type Manager is embedded in the operating system, giving users and applications access to the world's leading scalable fonts. (Users can install thousands of existing Type 1 fonts right off DOS Windows disks.)
• Support for common DOS and Windows emulation utilities has been built into the kernel, providing high-performance DOS emulation under SVR4.2. In addition, basic MS-DOS commands and operations to access DOS data disks are included.
• An optimized X Window System server provides fast window manipulation and screen updates for all applications.

EASE OF ADMINISTRATION

• "Smart," interruptible installation routines know about common system configurations and peripherals. Common functions, such as modem connection, are pre-administered. Users answer a short list of questions only at the beginning of the installation.
• Graphical administration let users "drag and drop" icons to install and manage software packages. Printers, file and directory structures, network connections, and users preferences/set-up are managed through icons and windowed menus.
• Dynamically loadable kernel modules let printers, disks and other devices be installed while the system is running; no reboots are required. This feature also reduces system RAM requirements, improving performance on low-end systems.

DISTRIBUTION

• Volume distribution to end users through multiple channels is expected to make SVR4.2 the standard platform for clients and low-end servers.
• Shrink-wrapped SVR4.2 will be available to end users through Univel, Inc., a joint venture of Novell and USL, and through other system software vendors.
• Source code, "master binary," and the shrink-wrapped Univel SVR4.2 product will be available to OEMs through USL, giving OEMs flexibility to ship both standard low-end and enhanced mid-range and large system products as their target markets dictate.
• Shrink-wrapped SVR4.2 from USL will be the same product as the one shipped by Univel. Any Univel extensions developed to integrate SVR4.2 with Novell NetWare will be available in binary form to OEMs through USL.
• Aggressive USL, Univel and UNIX International ISV programs are attracting major applications, as well as device driver support for standard peripherals and networking hardware, to the SVR4.2 platform.

STANDARDS CONFORMANCE

• SVR4.2 fulfills all functional requirements set by UNIX International for the UI Desktop Environment. SVR4.2 will be the code base for SVR4.2 ES/MP (Enhanced Security/ Multiprocessing), which will satisfy the functional requirements for the UI Enterprise Computing environment. SVR4.2 ES/MP will combine SVR4.2 ease of use, administration, and security with support for advanced multiprocessor architectures and applications.
• SVR4.2 is binary compatible with applications written for the Intel Application Binary Interface for SVR4 and SVR4.1 Enhanced Security, as well as with SCO UNIX System applications that conform to the Intel Binary Compatibility Specification, Edition 2. SVR4.2 is source code compatible with applications written for UNIX System V, SunOS, XENIX and the Berkeley Software Distribution derivative.
• USL is working with other vendors, including members of the Open Software Foundation, to ensure that SVR4.2 implements the OSF Application Environment Specification (AES), unifying the UNIX System application market from a software developer's point of view.
• Complete conformance to broad industry standards makes SVR4.2 a safe choice for OEMs, ISVs, integrators and end users. Supported standards include: POSIX 1003.1-1988, FIPS 1-151, X/Open Portability Guide Issue 3, and the X Consortium's Inter-Client Communications Convention Manual.

DATA INTEGRITY, SECURITY, INTERNATIONALIZATION

• A new journaling file system provides startup times under 40 seconds, high performance and integrity in I/O intensive applications, and protection against damage caused by power interruptions or system shutdowns in the middle of an application.
• SVR4.2 inherits the SVR4.1 Enhanced Security assured code base and security readiness, increasing the quality and modularity of the code and qualifying the new release for certification under the U.S. Government's stringent B1/B2 criteria for government and commercial bids.
• Internationalization of the desktop metaphor, for which users can select different input and system message languages, time, date and numeric formats, and other conventions, makes SVR4.2 a global product. SVR4.2 supports 8-bit and multibyte characters, Extended UNIX Characters (EUC), ANSI C internationalization enhancements, alternate date and time formats, an extended internationalized curses library, XPG3 Messaging Facilities, and STREAMS support for international input methods.

BINARY-READY, PORTABLE SOURCE CODE

• SVR4.2 extends modularity of SVR4.1 with isolation of processor specific source code modules from the main body of common code. For the first time, SVR4.2 will support multiple architectures from a single source tree.
• Repackaging of source code into foundation, utility and feature sets lets vendors tailor and price system software offerings for specific client/server and enterprise applications. New data compression techniques reduce the size of the distributed binaries.
• A new OEM configuration kit makes it easy for vendors to build application or solution-specific system software offerings from foundation, utility and feature sets, and to add device drivers and other enhancements to SVR4.2 binaries without recompiling the source code product.
• The SVR4.2 Intel port supports AT, EISA and MCA bus architectures and peripherals. Source code ports for the SPARC and MIPS architectures are expected to be available by the end of 1992.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

• A new C Optimized Compilation System, Release 2.0, for the Intel platform provides enhanced performance and object compatibility with C Issue 5. A new graphic debugger optimized for SVR4.2 takes full advantage of the graphical desktop environment.
• The MoOLIT Toolkit allows developers to create applications that can be dynamically switched to either OSF Motif or OPEN LOOK GUI, based on a user's preference at run-time. ISVs can package and stock one application for both GUI markets.
• Availability of the Windowing Korn Shell (WKSH) extension that enables rapid development of graphical applications using standard Korn shell programming.
• The Application Builder, which is based on the Integrated Computer Solutions,.Inc., Builder Xcessory interactive design tool, allows programmers to drag and drop screen objects on a window to prototype the look and feel of an application. This application development tool passes code for the screen design to the MoOLIT Toolkit, dramatically reducing application development time for both Motif and OPEN LOOK GUI applications.

DOCUMENTATION, SUPPORT, BRANDING

• New SVR4.2 courseware, available through USL Licensed Education Centers, covers basic and advanced topics for users, administrators, software developers, OEMs and distributors.
• New SVR4.2 documentation sets are structured to address new and advanced users, administrators and programmers. In addition, there is a complete set of reference manuals documenting every feature of the system.
• A new three-level technical support and assistance program offering has been introduced for OEM customers.
• A new USL Branding and Certification Program will ensure consistent implementations of SVR4.2 across multiple architectures and will establish SVR4.2 as the standard operating system for advanced client/server computing. USL will offer solution paths for prior UNIX System releases and other products to attain branding and certification.
• The latest USL UNIX System information as well as a state-of-the-art SVR4.2 support mechanism will be provided through the new UniLinx UNIX system information network in 1993.

* UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and elsewhere, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Ltd. TUXEDO and UnixWare are registered trademarks and Open Networking Platform is a trademark of Novell, Inc. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. SunOS is a trademark of Sun Microsystems. SCO is a registered trademark of The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.