Plan 9

tcoffeep · 2009-09-13 02:18:55

( This was brought on by the Haiku conversation, and not relevant to GNU/Linux, I don't think, so feel free to move this into the proper board if I misplaced it. )

Has anyone used this OS? I've been spending a lot of time lurking the suckless mailing list, the irc channel, and anything connected to it. (I admit, I've been bitten by the extreme-minimalist bug) I've seen Plan 9 mentioned quite a bit, and it's gathered enough information that I feel compelled to find some user reviews, but it's hard-pressed not to find a plan 9 zealot when looking for a fair comparison to Linux.
I would try to install it, but I've only enough space on my extended partition (100gb), but do not have a spare disk due to me wanting to try FreeBSD. (That was a failed experiment, btw, as the partition editor couldn't find the empty space left on my extended partition) So, the question remains, anyone use it? I tried Inferno once, but that was a while ago, and I don't know how they compare, anyways.

Regardless, thank you for any input you may be able to provide.

tomd123 · 2009-09-13 03:00:38

virtualbox

pauldonnelly · 2009-09-13 03:16:31

I've played with 9vx and a regular install in QEMU. Cool, but the system isn't quite fully functional in 9vx and it runs too slow for my taste emulated. I'd like to get an appropriate, supported machine sometime so I could run it on the metal and drawterm in. I don't really know what there is to say about it. Well-designed, but small in terms of its program suite. Plan 9 folks seem to mostly use it as a programming platform or a place to use troff, judging by their mailing list.

marvin · 2010-04-28 06:33:26

Plan 9 has some trouble running on virtualbox. It runs great and very fast on VMWare. QEmu works too, but it is slower and networking can be painful to setup.

9vx is great, but it is not exactly the same as the 'real thing' (but it is quite close).

Infinity717 · 2010-04-28 08:21:25

tcoffeep wrote:

I would try to install it, but I've only enough space on my extended partition (100gb), but do not have a spare disk due to me wanting to try FreeBSD. (That was a failed experiment, btw, as the partition editor couldn't find the empty space left on my extended partition)

BSD uses slices, a slice is the equivalent of a primary partition in DOS terminology but within each slice you can create up to 8 partitions.
So to install FreeBSD you need a slice (primary partition) which you can break down further to /, /swap, /var, /tmp, /usr etc.

There is always GPT

If you try Plan9 please give feedback!

Sorry for the off topic.

sand_man · 2010-04-28 12:30:48

I've been wanting to play with plan9 too but as someone already mentioned, VirtualBox can't do it.
If it is possible with qemu, I might have to give it another crack one day when I have nothing to do

fsckd · 2010-04-28 22:32:49

I have used Plan 9 by directly installing it on my hardware. Plan 9 has the potential of being the ultimate hacker's OS. It is consistent, elegant, clean and simple. But it feels very underdeveloped especially with UI features. Nevertheless, there are many fascinating advancements (UI included) that make it worthy of trying at least once. I do not know what reviews you have read but Plan 9 zealots really do have a good reason to regard it superior to other Unices. (It's the zerglings you have to watch out for.)

It is a good idea to first try it in a VM. Plan 9 is sufficiently different that you may not immediately figure out how to do simple tasks like reading a ps/pdf file or browse the web. (Both these ways are how beginners' documents are presented.) Unfortunately I do not have any good links to pass on except the main site and that cat-v site which I'm sure you've found.

Anikom15 · 2010-04-28 23:12:08

Plan 9 is awesome, but useless.

Misfit138 · 2010-04-29 00:33:14

Anikom15 wrote:

Plan 9 is awesome, but useless.

Agreed. It is the closest thing to the 'most perfectly designed thing' I have ever studied. But sadly, I have no practical use for it.

antlechrist · 2010-04-29 02:49:59

http://plan9.bell-labs.com/wiki/plan9/I … 9_on_Qemu/

You also might want to try 9fans: http://plan9.bell-labs.com/wiki/plan9/mailing_lists/

You probably already know this, though...

JohannesSM64 · 2010-04-29 10:32:54

Plan 9 failed because Unix was available and already worked well enough

jumzi · 2010-04-29 12:22:01

Install it, read http://lsub.org/who/nemo/9.intro.pdf and learn the system... Be amazed.

Sure it might not have that many programs and thus have a bit limited "direct" use... But if a operating system allready has everything there is nothing to program!

Edit: These freakin' tags is killing me

Last edited by jumzi (2010-04-29 12:23:21)

Arch Linux

#1 2009-09-13 02:18:55

Plan 9

#2 2009-09-13 03:00:38

Re: Plan 9

#3 2009-09-13 03:16:31

Re: Plan 9

#4 2010-04-28 06:33:26

Re: Plan 9

#5 2010-04-28 08:21:25

Re: Plan 9

#6 2010-04-28 12:30:48

Re: Plan 9

#7 2010-04-28 22:32:49

Re: Plan 9

#8 2010-04-28 23:12:08

Re: Plan 9

#9 2010-04-29 00:33:14

Re: Plan 9

#10 2010-04-29 02:49:59

Re: Plan 9

#11 2010-04-29 10:32:54

Re: Plan 9

#12 2010-04-29 12:22:01

Re: Plan 9

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