Date   : Sun, 05 Jul 1992 14:30:08 GMT
From   : munnari.oz.au!comp.vuw.ac.nz!waikato.ac.nz!aukuni.ac.nz!kcbbs!kc@uunet.uu.net (Richard Plinston)
Subject: MP/M

   >>> information about MP/M (multiuser CP/M).
   >>> how widely it was used

   Not a lot.  My experience was with ICL systems that were originally
   based on the RAIR black box as ICL PCs, then ICL PC2s.  These were
   CP/M 2.2 and/or MP/M 2 based until replaced by 16 bit models running
   CCP/M-86 3.1 and (later) CDOS 4.1 and 5.1.  As they were not IBM PC
   clones (predating the IBM) they were not suitable for later versions
   of CDOS.

   The MP/M models were relatively common as business machines here
   in NZ, much more so in the CCP/M guise.  Altos, CompuPro and Onyx
   also produced MP/M systems.  I still have an ICL and a stack of old
   Onyxs - mostly Oasys, but one or two MP/M 1 systems, in my junk pile.

   I don't know of anyone still actively using their MP/M systems for
   'real' work. This is mainly due to lack of support from the
   manufacturers.  ie cost of maintaining old system is greater than
   replacing with new system.

   >>> Can the user run background processes ?

   Yes.  Ctrl-D brought up another prompt to start up a new process.

   >>> One process fork another ?

   Not fork as in Unix (create a copy of the existing process) but it
   was possible for one program to start another and keep running.

   >>> Was there ever an 8086 version

   Yes there was an MP/M-86 but it was soon replaced by CCP/M-86 and
   then by CDOS, CDOS-386 and is now evolved into DR-MultiUserDOS 5.1.

   I use machines running CDOS 4.1, CDOS 5.1, CDOS-386 and DR-MDOS
   daily (as do my clients) and still develop CP/M-86 (mult-user)
   programs - mostly as portable program that can be compiled for
   MS-DOS, OS/2 and/or Unix as well.

   chhers