[pjmlp]

> Mainframes in general too.

Mainframes are great, already using almost[0] memory safe systems programming language on the 60's with Burroughs, followed by IBM and a few other vendors.

Virtualization and containers with the 360.

Bytecode as universal binary format with JIT/AOT at kernel level, DB based file system, System/38 and AS/400.

Object based OS, AS/400.

[0] - They still have the issue of leaks and double free though, but everything else is safe Algol style with explicit unsafe blocks/modules required.

[PeCaN]

Talk about a commitment to backwards compatibility – you can run binaries built 30 years ago for god knows what proprietary processor on a modern POWER8 system without recompiling.

I also find it kind of amusing that IBM, a primarily consulting company, developed AS/400, given that part of its sales pitch is that integrated database requires no maintenance and you can forget entirely about your IBM i and just leave it running for a decade.

It's a neat system. I wish I had the opportunity to use one. In many ways it feels like we're still catching up to what System/38 was doing in 1979.

[pjmlp]

I was responsible for doing backups on a AS/400 during a Summer internship in the early 90's. Sadly did not do much more than exchanging the tapes, logging in and starting the backup.