For the next few months, operating systems other number for the hotline will be changed to Due as “library material", overseas by air. The delay did allow for last minute items not on the list in the November Unix News. are: te Improved RJS-04 Driver Since Chicago Circle no longer has access should be sent as follows: ss S80 bpi 1600 bpi Michael T. O'Brien Melvin Ferentz Dept. of Information Enrineering Physics Dept. University of Illinois at Chicago Circle Brooklyn College of CUNY Box 4348 Brooklyn, New York 11210 Chicago, Illinois 60680 t UNIX NEWS Enclosed is your invoice for Unix News. If the year 1976 is not struck from the in- voice it means we think you haven’t paid for that year. We expect to publish 10 issues this year omitting one summer month and combining December and January as we have in this issue. Upon payment for 1976, new subscribers will receive all of Volume 1. oe a a Fee ae ORE UEE MOTT TRIAS RAUDRESS ANTE GRE ane ee Prof. Melvin Ferentz Brookylta College of CUNY Brooklyn, NY 11210 mH HE HRN ORK, to problems second softyare di * * SS * * * * * * Be eK *x * * OK ROK * * * * ORO * * wR R FORK * OR OK 2K tk on * * * ORK eo 4 WR OK x KOLO FERRE a3 a 2 * * SRR * * SRK NOTICE information licenses, agreements. This document may contain by one or more non-disclosure this document license for the UNIX Western~ Electric. reproduce this document for uses ty with the Unix iicense. Circula software All other circulation prohibited. or reproduce ROIOOC TCO S SIGS SRO GROCERS RRC HOTLINE CHANGE the than UNIX. processor that services (for shame!) Accordingly 212-859-6853. It SECOND’ SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION 2. DOS BASTC nnder 3.--Shared data space for user. programs Unix. 6. Yale Shell to 1600 bpi copyrights, is restricted to holders of a system Such license holders may in conformi~- ICI I a AGO SE CO ORR A AIC RO with the magnetic tape drives at Chicago Circle, ribution was not begun until January 10. IEICRIOIIORICICC AACR CICICCR ARSE SIO OIC ICC IO RS RK Raa covered and tion of from tion is HRHRHRHHKKHHHHHHHHHK the hotiine will be running » on February 15, the telephone is still 300 baud only.’ the mailing of the Domestic shipments were sent the inclusion of a few Among the major additions ws ] »ved' TU~16 Driver to handle multipl “Bites: per tape.” 5. APL tape drives, tapes OR SRS oe Sho Geeeeee ROE se ee ee * sere ees ko Ee pee RO ee * * eK Rk ee ak 4 SEX eh ee ek * OR me ER oe KORE * ne ae ; a ae YALE SHELL The Yale Shell is an enhancement of the standard shell written by Jobn Levine. It is a proper superset of the standard sheil which includes, among other things, alpha and numeric shell varinbles as well as a private “bin" directory for user shell command files which are accessible regardless of your current directory. At the October Meeting at Harvard it was agreed that this shell would be adopted as a Users' Group "standard". This means that the assumption will be made that each installa-— tion has it and software distributions may nse its features. The other Users’ Group stan- dard program in the distribution is "stp". Future Users’ Group standard programs might include citiamced magnetic tape and tty drivers. The later would require the perhaps = im-— possibie task of agreeing on its attributes. DRIVERS WANTED Among the drivers recently requested are those for floppy disks, Gould 5000, and the DZ11 with modem control. If you bave any of these, and are willing to share them, please send them to the address below, preferable in machine readable form (magtape, Dectupe, pa- per tape). We will subdistribute to vreqvestees. We will aisu send it to Chicage for sub- sequent software disiribution,. STP PROBLEMS Word has drifted back to New York of troubles with “stp”. If you have had such, cithe input it to ihe hotiine or, if you prefer talking to people, call Mel Ferentz aft 212-977-5371. Messages, if no auswer, may be left at 212-977-8000. yo: QE what sent oF propos? AS. Tole sane Gee vol 2 FZ. UNIX NEWS ADDRESS Prof. Melvin Ferentz Brookyln College of CUNY Brooklyn, NY 11210 NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH HIGH ALTITUDE OBSERVATORY P.O. Box 3000 © Boulder. Colorado 80307 Telephone: (303) 494-515] © TWX: 910-940-3245 © Telex: 43694 January 27, 1977 Prof, Melvin Ferentz Physics Department Brooklyn College of CURY New York City, New York 11210 Dear Professor Ferentz: I am writing you with regards to the UNIX operat it is my understanding that you are in charge ces aN Renee tee The High Altitude Observatory 1s currently obtaining UNIX and thus, we would like to be added to your mailing list, in addition we would eee appreciate any information you might have in the following 1, Is anyone else using UNIX in our part of the country, and 2. Who, if anyone, has implemented drivers under UNIX for: « The DEC CR-11 card reader b, TEKTRONIX 4000-series graphic terminals c, VERSATEC printer-plotter d. ‘GEC DZ-11 multiple asynchromous line interface. e. DEC 0Q-11 high speed synchronous line interface usi 1BM 3780 bi-synch. protocol. nee Thanking you in advance for your help, I am Sincerely yours, Py BH Ray Sovet RB/td Tit Nethonal Center for Atmospheric Rerearch ls Operated By the intversiry Comore [or Ammaspherke Research under ipOnsorinip of the National Science FoundeHon. DAYS (REY, BY AREA COOE 208 442-077! AUTOVON 66 4 EXT. tm REPLY REFER TOD 3143:RH:cis 11 January 1976 NEW LONDON tABORATORY NAVAL UNDERWATER SYSTEMS CENTER NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT C6380 Prof. Melvin Ferentz Physics Dept. Brooklyn College of CUNY Brooklyn, New York 11210 Dear Prof, Ferentz: My organization is now in the process of becoming a UNIX user. Please send me any particulars we need to join the UNIX User's Group. We have one need which you may be able to help us with. 1 understand that you publish a newsletter containing special requests and patches from users. As soon as UNIX is running here, we are going to need a package to emulate a COC 200 UT remote job entry station. If possible, we would like to get an existing package from another user rather than writing it ourselves. If one does not exist, but someone has tried to write one, I would like to contact that person for any quidance they may be able to share. Therefore, I would appreciate a notice in the newsletter requesting anyone who has experience with emulating a CDC 200 UT under UNIX to contact me. Thank you. Sincerely, MRaymaay Heobugg Rosemary Howbrigg Naval Underwater Systems Center Code 3143 New London CT 06320 A.C 203-442-0771, ext. 2910 Climatic Research Institute Corvallis, Oregon 97331 {03 754-2784 24 January 1977 Prof. Melvin Ferentz Professor of Physics Data Acquiaition Pacility School of Science Brooklyn College of the City of New York Brooklyn, KY 11210 i Dear Sir: we I was given your name, from a few sources, as the person to contact regarding the availability of software to run under UNIX. T am investigating the possibility of using a PDP11/34 as a “smart” terminal to acquire access to various large-scale computers and to perform some local applications. There are a few pieces of sbftware I need to help put this together. There may be others as I get more deeply inte ite de- sign, but for now I have the following list: 1. CDC UT200 emulator 2. IBM 2780 emulator 3. .A DN11 software interface 4. & DULL software interface 5. A DF1l software interface 6. A faster FORTRAN (I underatand the standard UNIX FORTRAN is very slow) I understand there is a central collecting place for the various eoftware packages available under UNIX. If you can refer me to that place, I will ap- preciate it, It would be a help if I could get back issues of the UNIX working group notes and publications. Can you help me in that area? I would like to be- come a meuber of that group. How do I accomplish this? : I would appreciate any help and/or names of persons to contact who may have similar requirements. Sincerely youra, Rebel § anetrtes Robert L. Mobley Director of Computations RLM:d£ UNIVERSITY OF LONDON ‘WESTFIELD COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE ‘ KIDDERPORE AVENUE, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT , LUNDUN, NWS 7ST PE. OSMON, 8.Sc., PH.D., FLERE, Tel. 01-435 7141 RAT/CFT 19th January, 1977 Professor Melvin Ferentz, Brooklyn College of CUNY, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11210, U.S.A. Dear Sir, First some notes on the distributed Unix software: (1) In software distribution number 1 "/rtpip/rtpip.c” there is no exit() function call before the close of main (...). Also it was not clear, except by examining the program text, whether Dectape or magtape was to be manipulated. (2) The magtape driver and tp were incompatible in that the magtape tefused to seek whilst doing a selective extract. This has been temporarily cured by removing the tmplys(..) call within tmread(...). (3) There appears to be an error in the C compiler source in rcexpr(...) of /Lib/Cl. After /case INIT_/ by 5 lines: else if {tree -> trl == CON) which should presumably read else if (tree-> trl -> op == CON). I am considering implementing a program to manipulate magtape to British Standards Institute specification which would be able to read/write RT11 compatible tapes, This would involve some modification to the system tape driver to allow for explicit knowledge of EOF/"Tape Marks". Tapes initially written by Unix would use the first file on the tape for Unix information as in the tp directory, If anyone would be interested in using such a format, please indicate so in the Unix News. Yours sincerely, H.A. Thomson { J ees See | Dec 1976 UK UNIVERSITIES UNIX NEWSLETTER VOL 1 NO 1 EDITORIAL Yappy Xmas (assuming you read tis in time) and in any casa a Happy New Year for the first year of this newsletter. It was conceived at IUCC in September but gest- ation haa taken a little while: now it is born we hope jt wiil grow inte a spirited youngster! Very sany thanks to those who sent in contributions (and a polite reminder to those who said they wold contribute but didn’t!). At the moment we have eleven interested installations, all in Computing Science or Electrical Engineering Depts. At this point it seems worth quoting a passage from the MIC contribution (see later) “se. Unix is a valuable reference point for discussion about problems in Computer Science teaching and research. ‘le are particularly interested in hearing views and exptrience on the role of Unix in undergraduate Computer Science teaching." Any offers? with regard to software exchange we must agree with QC that it is probably only worthwhile for Eairly large prograns e.g. compilers, In order to facilitate thia we have listed the magnetic tape and disc devices available at various installations, the commonest being RKOS cartridges and DUC tapes, but unfortunately no-one claims to fossess both! Even where people are unwilling or unable to exchange software, it vould be useful to know of others who for example are running the same compilers, so that one can exchange notes on useful dodges and modifications and ways round apparently insuperable difficulties. Perhaps people could be encouraged to send in articles on their experience with particular pieces of larga software, mo that the rest of us could decide on whethei they were worth getting? Let us now clarify the role of the correspondent at each installation. The idea was suggested and approved at the IUCC meeting, but not very well defined. Some installations have been unvilling to provide correspondents, probably because they are afraid of becoming acting unpaid advisers! . This could be avoided if any installation offering information about or exchange of particular pieces of software in this newsletter, would mame a contact each time (possibly even in U.S.A}. The correspondent's main job would then be to encourage interest in the newsletter within his department, solicit articles, send in interesting gossip and occasionally answer queries from people wno don’t knov who else to contact, With this understanding wa podlish below a list of Unix instel)ations and correspondents. The next issue will probably be in April. Please sand in your contributions! P.M. D. GRAY DEPT OF COMPUTING SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN KING'S COLLEGE ABERDEEN ABI 2UB UNIX in the Conputer Systems Lab. at QuC The main activities of the Lab. are research inco the design of interactive and Ailetributed computer syetems, and teaching in most aspects of computer systems, These activities are undertaken lazaely cooperatively by about 20 academic, tecinical and research staff and postyraduate stucents whe work in the Laboratory. Current areas of aignificant research activity include the design of interactive command Languages, interactive terminal design, personal computer systems, micro- computer applications, machine architectures and networks of mini- and micro-computers. We run Version 6 with several extensions and modifications, ©. The principal extensions to the systen are: (1) a much excended tty.c terminal handler (originally developed by Mack Kampe at University of California at Los Angeles) with additional terminal mode settings, becter input editing facilities and paging of screen output; (11) an extended editor with vord-proceseing and otaer features that exploit fast teletype-compatible displays; (i141) an input-output library that simulates screen windows on conventional displays that have a cursor positioning function, ' We have developed a nunter of interactive programa For mail handling, diagram preparation, controlling satellite corputers, etc. lost of these programs depend to some degree on the hardware characteristics of terminals, satellites, etc. A recently completed project resulted in the development of a modular interpreter system for a version of the LOG) educational progretming language on our Unix system. The idee of a UK Unix AEWaRSE EEE seems & good one, If only because Unix is a valuable reference point fut: digsussion shout problems in Computer Science teaching and research. Wo are partic larly interested in hearing views and excani ance on the role of Unix in undergraduete Computer Science teaching. A software exchange is probably only worthwhile for fairly larce programs aince tha small ones can be developed so guickly with Unix. We are always willing to make our programs available to others, but we flnd that interested visitors occupy an increasing fraction of ouy available effort, so we should very much prefer to distribute them through a Uaix exchange. Unfortunately, our only medium for exchange is DECtepe. “Things we vould like to see: a more effective method for UK Unix users to exchange information, ideas and software, possibly via the EPSS network; a ‘C* compiler for ICL 1900's; a better MfCtape archiving program. No ona here is willing to act as our sole correspondent with other UK Unix sites, so you had better just ackdresa the newsletter to the Laboratory without further specification! ° 12 New 76 CARNEGLE-if8LLON ALGOL 665 TOR PDP 1) m™m : Paes SEs eat otoeaoe Bee ees major restrictions. no formatted trans- Ree . of the other features you are 1. Y @, including strings, heap gernc.ators, and parallel Seeetonee a have cope across Algol 65: g Bc, I st me. gol Yontse asbselated oalth che fae tion that in Algol 685 there is a garbage The pergpn to contact ‘or information about Algol 68S ist: Prof, P, liibbard Carnegie-lelton cnivarsity Department of Compucasc Science Schenley Park + Phttsburgh Pennsyivania 13213 USA al ; po geek ee sf pest Ze08s to the host orerating system by a package called an er rer sind eye a nvironment). A Unix OSE is being written at British Soe ntended that we should start writing an RT-11 OSE in 1D » but we are stil) waiting for the necessary information, On thi i Eee vaec ten ate conts pron System, the constituent units of a parallel clause ari facility which allows Processors, Algol 635 also contains a built-in corouti = processor systems Pb pitaie using parallel clauses to be elaborated on sin: ies unless their systen wiescoreee are advined to make use of the coroutine facil Geniaice BRtsresting te Rs Daeee wore than one processor. However I think it Ss and I hope British Columbia oie ae clauses by forking {n the Unix version Colin taylor 10 Now 76 + 3- _ In use for 2 nonths, marked iprovement’ in speed. a ee NEJIS IN BRIBE ~ QUERIES ee D incorporates ‘pause contrel* pd lL Device Driver written by St. Andrews, contact G. Nelson. chaxacter. prc floppy discs. Does anyone have a driver? Contact P. Collinson, Kent. 4s peaing modified at Mestfieid to run under Unix. Contact Howard Thoosen. Algol 687 syntax checker in use at Kent includes Software from Amsterdam institute of Maths YL] = Kacro processor) RKCOPY - standalone RKOS disc caplerr copy - copies sections of tha file structure, not just single files. ' Contact P. Collinson, Rent. KILLONIX (is this whet ve have all been waiting for?!) takes system down safely, killing a11 processes and causes 11/40 to halt. Contact P. Collinson, Kent. overlapped Seek Driver for RYO3 originally from Boston Childrens {useum. Contact 0. Taylor, Loughborough. when sending at high baud rates (2400) ther machines? Any solutions? Contact D. Taylor, Loughborough» Lost characters, Do you lose ciaracters down asynchronous lines to terminals or Media Conversion, How can RKO5 users get data transcribed from Dectape OF Mag tape, especiaily stuff from U.S.A.? Te it worth estiwlishing @ central transcript~ jon service, (presumably with payment)? What do readers think? Harvard LISP (on Dectape). Contact B. Anderson, Essex. for teaching Arts students. PDP1L (like POP-2) developed ot Suesex and used Contact S. Hardy.