Multics: set free
The source code for Multics has been released now, “for any purpose and without fee”. The importance of this operating system can’t be underestimated; so many things we take for granted as standard features in modern operating systems were either invented for, or pioneered in, Multics: dynamic linking (DLLs, basically) and online reconfiguration (plug ‘n’ play, but more so: you could even add and remove CPUs while the system was running!) to name but two.
What really set Multics apart though was its security level, which was higher than any system at the time, and is still the only operating system to reach the B2 Orange Book security rating from the National Computer Security Centre (part of the NSA). It was also one of the first – if not the first – OSes to be written in a high level language. PL/I, to be precise (a language notorious for being really hairy).
The significance of the source release is this: Multics, which only ever ran on a specific set of mainframes, may yet come alive again. Possibly the most secure operating system of all time, and certainly one that was beloved by its operators (who call themselves Multicians), may be coming to a PC near you in the next couple of years, but this time as a free, open-source operating system. All it needs is someone to start the ball rolling and start a project on sourceforge… any takers?
Tags: Free app of the week, Multics, operating system, PL/I