Brasstacks

This is not particularly interesting, but I wanted to record a couple of links to ChaosNET code for the PDP-10. The ChaosNET memo describes an ITS (Incompatible Time-Sharing System) interface, for which the code is somewhere in the ITS sources, and a Lisp Machine implementation, for which code is in the CADR sources and Symbolics code base, but also a TOPS-20/TENEX implementation, a VMS/VAX implementation, and a UNIX implementation. The UNIX implementation was documented by James E. Kulp for Symbolics, and the code seems to have survived. The TOPS-20/TENEX is harder to find, but it looks like BitSavers' Foonly archives have some files. DSK:<FOONEX>CHAOS.MAC;399 DSK:<FOONEX>CHABUG.MAC;8 DSK:<FOONEX>CHAOS0.MAC;3 DSK:<FOONEX>CHATTY.MAC;21 I have no idea whether this is at all related to the implementation the AI MEMO mentions. A Google search turns up some interesting code (might be for the PDP-11 front end, for ITS) from AI:SYSTEM CH10.defs1 ...

My blogging has been much less frequent of late, mostly because of an unfortunate abundance of non-computer issues. Despite those, I believe I have made some progress in my Chaosnet-on-OpenMCL work, but I've switched most of my hobby-development to Python, mostly to get in touch with trends outside the Lisp Universe. My current main project circulates around ChaosNET emulation; the main thing going for Python here is a socket interface that is roughly compatible between UNIX-like and Windows operating systems. Lisp can support that as well, but not for my favorite and familiar implementations. (One thing I hope to try before I get through this is to get an asyncore-like framework set up in CLISP.) So far, I have implemented a `chaosd' process in Python that simulates multiple ChaosNET `ethers' in the form of localhost TCP streams (on Windows or UNIX-like) or UNIX-domain sockets (on UNIX-like); each stream corresponds to a subnet. The idea has manifold goals: Allow the...

A bunch of stuff I was reading back then Weak Data Structures write-up by Bruno Haible, courtesy of Gary King . The classic UNIX HATERS Handbook. Panda's TOPS-20 System. Spare Time Gizmos store front to buy actual hardware emulators of the PDP-8. Rainer Joswig e-mail on feel of old Symbolics Lisp Machines An e-mail discussion about CHAOS vs. TCP in port collisions, a list of Symbolics CHAOS services Google cache of mahalito Symbolics Y2K statement ITS site HACK directory Google Groups discussion on Basic Chaosnet information Google Groups discussion on Chaosnet and ARP Google Groups discussion on Transmitting Chaosnet over Ethernet Google Groups discussion on Why Chaosnet (nostalgia) Google groups search for chaosnet ITS build information build.doc.txt 36bit.org Retro PDP-10

Wanted to collect a few links on ITS, the Incompatible Time-Sharing System The ITS 1.5 Reference Manual Bjorn Victor's Luser's Guide Bjorn Victor's e-mail setup (perhaps useful information for Lispm Zmail setup) The KLH10 PDP-10 emulator More information on PDP-10 emulation The www.its.os.org archive of AI & MC Paul Svensson's ITS system on the Web