NDIX

Tape with a beta version of NDIX version C. Unknown if it is source code or a binary copy.

NDIX is the name of the Norsk Data port of BSD unix to the ND-500 and ND-5000 hardware. The OS runs on the ND-500(0) CPU and uses the ND-100 part of the machine as an I/O processor.
The ND-100 CPU runs SINTRAN III and communicates via XMSG with NDIX, but compared to how the interaction between the ND-100 and ND-500(0) works when running Sintran it is quite different for NDIX.
In the Sintran world the ND-100 launches different processes on the ND-500(0) and mage them from the ND-100. In the NDIX world it works in the opposite way; all process management is on the ND-500(0) (NDIX "owns" the ND-500(0)) and the ND-100 is only used as an I/O processor. This is achieved by using a special NDIX microcode on the ND-500(0) and a specially generated Sintran for the ND-100.

NDIX was an effort to gain market shares on the emerging UNIX market for servers. The last version of the BSD-based version of NDIX (NDIX-C) was released in 1989, and since the development of the ND line of hardware ended so did NDIX.
Note that there was a software called NDIX-V that did run on the 88k machines ND sold. This was just System-V for 88k and nothing ND-specific about it.

Hardware requirement

NDIX-A and NDIX-B (4.2BSD-based) only run on ND-500.

• ND-500/CX (second generation, MPM 5 and 500/2)
• 2-6 MByte private memory for the ND-100 CPU
• Up to 32 MByte shared memory

NDIX-C (4.3BSD-based) only runs on ND-5000.

• ND-5400, ND-5500, ND-5700 or ND-5800.
• 32-bit ND-120 CPU.
• 2-6 MByte private memory for the ND-100 CPU
• Up to 32 MByte shared memory

NDIX development centers

There were at least one center working on the NDIX system.

• Norsk Data LTD, Benham Valence, Newbury, Berkshire, England.
• Rumored that there was a center in Luleå Tekniska Högskola, Luleå, Sweden.

Software included

• Bourne Shell
• C-Shell
• C
• F77
• PASCAL

Releases

This section lists the releases of NDIX.

A-version

B-version

1987-10-26, sources are available on tape.

C-version

At least in beta version, sources available on tape

NDIX Release C product number ND 211308

ND Product numbers

• ND-210746 NDIX for 16 users
• ND-210903 NDIX for 32 users
• ND-210904 NDIX for 64 users
• ND-210905 NDIX for over 64 users

References

• ND-210905
• NORSK DATA UNIX (NDIX) - ND-5000/ND-100 Interface Specification
• NDIX Memory Layout
• List of special commands for communicating with SINTRAN III
• Norsk Data Document ND–30.055 NDIX operator guide
• Norsk Data Document ND–60.244 NDIX Programmer GUIDE Volume I
• Norsk Data Document ND–60.245 NDIX Programmer GUIDE Volume IIa
• Norsk Data Document ND–60.246 NDIX Programmer GUIDE Volume IIb
• Norsk Data Document ND–60.247 NDIX Programmer GUIDE Volume IIc
• Norsk Data Document ND–70.003 NDIX Documentation Kit

NDIX Release C

• Norsk Data Document ND–60.327.1 EN [[Documentation list#Unknown|]]
• Norsk Data Document ND–60.328.1 EN [[Documentation list#Unknown|]]
• Norsk Data Document ND–60.329.1 EN [[Documentation list#Unknown|]]
• Norsk Data Document ND–60.330.1 EN [[Documentation list#Unknown|]]
• Norsk Data Document ND–60.331.1 EN [[Documentation list#Unknown|]]