Tech Vanity: Anyone head of UNIX "VI" (NOT the editor, but a very modern version of that OS)?

May 1, 2012 | HiTech RedNeck

[HiTech RedNeck]

I've been interviewing with some tech firms and one of them wanted to know how versed I was with "UNIX VI." Well I said I knew vi like the back of my hand, but no they seem to mean a modern version of the OS!

Help??? Wikipedia, which usually keeps up quite well with technology developments, was of no use, nor was Googling. I don't see any "UNIX VI" on any UNIX lineage chart.

Yes there was a Unix version 6 but that is an ancient thing. If there was a follow on to System V maybe it would be called VI, but if so I wonder if it was done in a sadistic effort to hide it from search engines. I thought it was more like System V dot 2, 3, 4, whatever.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OK,...thanks.

[Uri’el-2012]

I've been interviewing with some tech firms and one of them wanted to know how versed I was with "UNIX VI."

I think someone was pulling your leg
or they were incredibly ignorant.

It is most likely "vi"

Most MTS' at Bell Labs used either "ed" or Emacs.

[Verbosus]

Quote:
“I worked at Bell Labs in Denver from 1982 - 1990”

I spent 30 years with AT&T/Lucent/Avaya myself - the bulk
of it here in the Denver area. But my time as a MTS at
Bell Labs doesn’t match up with your years.

There was nothing like the old building on 120th.

[Uri’el-2012]

There was nothing like the old building on 120th.

My office was 31-F-25;

in the WE warehouse space.

120th & Pecos in Westminister.

[zeugma]

If you find out what the answer is, ping us. I'm curious too, to see if they are just pulling your leg or are confused. I suspect "VI" is actually 'vi'. Now if they'd been talking about EMACS or something, I'd believe them stuffing an operating system in there.

[Verbosus]

Quote:
“My office was 31-F-25;
in the WE warehouse space.
120th & Pecos in Westminister.”

I was in the warehouse space also, and I do remember it
was ‘D’ aisle, In building 31 also - but don’t remember
the room number.
It was a maze back there in the far depths of that place.
:)
Good times for a lot of years.

[Uri’el-2012]

;-)

[HiTech RedNeck]

Well I learned today I got turned down for that job without ever being told what this “UNIX VI” is. But they had been adamant this was an OS release, not the silly editor.

[PieterCasparzen]

http://www.centos.org/

CentOS - community version of Red Hat.

version 6 came out recently:

From the site...

“CentOS 6 Releases
December 20th 2011

The CentOS team is pleased to announce the immediate availability of CentOS-6.2 for i386 and x86_64 Architectures.

CentOS-6.2 is based on the upstream release EL 6.2 and includes
packages from all variants. All upstream repositories have been combined into one, to make it easier for end users to work with.
“

[HiTech RedNeck]

Thanks...

Even CentOS seems to know better than to call it “VI” because of the colossal confusion that would create.

And it’s Linux.

And it’s a version of Linux that most businesses with any appreciable volume of business wouldn’t bother with in preference to the formally supported and support contract available Red Hat.

I never did find out from those folks what this UNIX VI was. But they didn’t want to hire me for the job. Oh well. I’m looking at EPIC now, which has gotten interested enough in me to have me take some commercially administered programming logic tests tomorrow.