Date: Thu, 20 Apr 1995 10:28:21 +0000 From: Matt Thomas <matt@lkg.dec.com> To: Jaye Mathisen <osyjm@cdsnet.net> Cc: Terry Lambert <terry@cs.weber.edu>, "Andreas S. Wetzel" <root@deadline.snafu.de>, freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Q: Does anyone know about implementing LAT support? Message-ID: <199504201028.KAA10181@whydos.lkg.dec.com> In-Reply-To: Your message of "Wed, 19 Apr 1995 22:40:40 MST." <Pine.BSD/.3.91.950419223721.1962M-100000@mg1.cdsnet.net>
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> > > On Wed, 19 Apr 1995, Terry Lambert wrote: > > > I believe the DECServers, if downloaded by a VAX, will also support > > non-LAT CTERM protocol connections -- CTERM is much easier to implement, > > and you can buy the documentation for it and the underlying protocols > > for about $180.00 for all the books you would need. Jaye is correct. No DECserver ever supported CTERM. The DECSA (aka PLUTO which was a PDP-11/24) was initially supposed to run CTERM but performance was so bad that LAT was substituted. Note that all the non-proprietary Phase IV specs are at ftp://ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/DECnet/PhaseIV/ No need to speed any money whatsoever. > > I don't think anyone is planning on reverse engineering LAT and then > > releasing it publically any time soon; DECNet would be a nice thing > > for BSD to have, though... > > I think Matt Thomas one time rambled about maybe doing this. I have > no idea how complex it would be. Implementing, and actually having > to use NCP gives me the cold sweats I have about half a DECnet kernel written (source compatible with DECnet-ULTRIX at the socket and library level). One of the problems is that none of the LAN drivers support multiple physical addresses. Nor is there is a way to enable a different physical address. An interesting question is whether ncp/nml should be implemented or should a more "BSDish" utility be invented (ifconfig for decnet?). An advantage of ncp/nml is that is doesn't require changes to the host operating system. But ncp/nml might be daunting to new a user, but would a new inteface be any less daunting? The minimally useful applications that need to be present are cterm ("set host" / dlogin), dap (nft/dcp/copy), and mail-11 (the utek mail-11 software can be used). Maybe once my work of drivers tapers off I can get back to DECnet... Too little time, too much to do, [And speaking of LAT, as proof of concept I wrote a user-mode LAT daemon. It's implemented around select and non-blocking I/O (conceptually it could be considered to be AST based since all the main loop does is select and then dispatches for various fd). The network I/O is done using the Berkeley Packet Filter and the tty stuff is done through ptys. Unlike most network virtual terminal daemons, the LAT daemon controls multiple ptys.] Matt Thomas Internet: matt@lkg.dec.com U*X Networking WWW URL: http://ftp.dec.com/%7Ethomas/ Digital Equipment Corporation Disclaimer: This message reflects my Littleton, MA own warped views, etc.
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