During a weekend of tidying up - you know, the kind of chore where you’re knee-deep in old boxes before you realize it. Digging through the dusty cables and old, outdated user manuals, I found something that I had long forgotten: an old Plan 9 distribution. Judging by the faded ink and slight warping of the disk sleeve, it had to be from around 1994 or 1995.
I couldn’t help but wonder: why had I kept this? Back then, I was curious about Plan 9. It was a forward-thinking OS that never quite reached full potential. Holding that disk, however, it felt more like a time capsule, a real reminder of computing’s advancements and adventurous spirit in the 1990s.
What Made Plan 9 So Intriguing Back Then?
In the 1990s, Bell Labs carried an almost mythical reputation for me. I was a C programmer and Unix system administrator and the people at Bell Labs were the minds behind Unix and C, after all. When Plan 9 was announced, it felt like the next big thing. Plan 9 was an operating system that promised to rethink Unix, not just patch it up. The nerd in me couldn’t resist playing with it.
A Peek Inside the Distro
Booting up Plan 9 wasn’t like loading any other OS. From the minimalist Rio interface to the “everything is a file” philosophy taken to its extreme, it was clear this was something different.
Some standout features that left an impression:
- 9P Protocol: I didn’t grasp its full potential back then, but the idea of treating every resource as part of a unified namespace was extraordinary.
- Custom Namespaces: The concept of every user having their own view of the system wasn’t just revolutionary; it was downright empowering.
- Simplicity and Elegance: Even as a die-hard Unix user, I admired Plan 9's ability to strip away the cruft without losing functionality.
Looking at Plan 9 Today
Curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to see if the disk still worked. Spoiler: it didn’t.
But thanks to projects like 9front, Plan 9 is far from dead. I was able to download and image and fire it up in a VM. The interface hasn't aged well compared to modern GUIs, but its philosophy and design still feels ahead of its time.
As a seasoned (read: older) developer, I’ve come to appreciate things I might have overlooked in the 1990s:
- Efficiency over bloat: In today’s world of resource-hungry systems, Plan 9’s lightweight design is like a breath of fresh air.
- Academic appeal: Its clarity and modularity makes Plan 9 and outstanding teaching tool for operating system concepts.
- Timeless innovations: Ideas like distributed computing and namespace customization feels even more pertinent in this era of cloud computing.
Why didn’t Plan 9 take off?
Plan 9 was ahead of its time, which often spells doom for innovative tech. Its radical departure from Unix made it incompatible with existing software. And let’s face it - developers were (and still are) reluctant to ditch well-established ecosystems.
Moreover, by the 1990s, Unix clones, such as Linux, were gaining traction. Open-source communities rallied around Linux, leaving Plan 9 with a smaller, academic-focused user base. It just didn't have the commercial/user backup.
Plan 9’s place in the retro-computing scene
I admit it: I can get sappy and nostalgic over tech history. Plan 9 is more than a relic; it’s a reminder of a time when operating systems dared to dream big. It never achieved the widespread adoption of Unix or Linux, but it still has a strong following among retro-computing enthusiasts.
Here’s why it continues to matter:
- For Developers: It’s a masterclass in clean, efficient design.
- For Historians: It’s a snapshot of what computing could have been.
- For Hobbyists: It’s a fun, low-resource system to tinker with.
Check out the 9front project. It’s a maintained fork that modernizes Plan 9 while staying true to its roots. Plan 9 can run on modern hardware. It is lightweight enough to run on old machines, but I suggest using a VM; it is the easiest route.
Lessons from years past
How a person uses Plan 9 is up to them, naturally, but I don't think that Plan 9 is practical for everyday use. Plan 9, I believe, is better suited as an experimental or educational platform rather than a daily driver. However, that doesn't mean that it wasn't special.
Finding that old Plan 9 disk wasn’t just a trip down memory lane; it was a reminder of why I was so drawn to computing. Plan 9’s ambition and elegance is still inspiring to me, even decades later.
So, whether you’re a retro-computing nerd, like me, or just curious about alternative OS designs, give Plan 9 a run. Who knows? You might find a little magic in its simplicity, just like I did.
