[no subject]

My question is:  Why?

Apart from the obvious answer that it lets you limit yourself to existing
programs (i.e. ProTERM, PINE, etc.), is there any reason to use the ][
strictly as a dumb VT-100 box?  Given the fact that the ][ (presuming 64k
80-column ][e's or better does not seem unreasonable for this application)
is a flexible, programmable machine...and that UNIX allows for some fairly
sophisticated operations itself...what is to stop significantly skilled
programmers from developing a set of programs...a UNIX server and a ][e
client...to replace the usual VT-100 interface?  Would it not be possible
to develop (or adapt) a data exchange protocol between the ][ and the
network in which a program running on the ][ could request file transfers,
establish some handshaking, and transmit and receive files over the
network?  Then, the mail client can isolate the user from the actual file
transfer stuff, provide a nifty text interface, and so on.

The advantage of this over a dumb terminal arrangement is that with the
conclusion of the mail client program, the UNIX end could be instructed to
spool the data from the port into a print queue until a particular control
sequence is received to switch the UNIX server from "print spool" mode
into "mail server" mode.  In this way, the system could be used for
printer sharing, with no modifications needed to existing
programs...remember, we're talking about a nailed-up serial line
connection here across an SSC (or SCC if GS... 8-) ).  A print spooler
could merely accept data, and the ][e program (ANY ][e program that can
talk to the SSC) would believe it was talking to a conventional serial
printer.

File sharing would be far more difficult, since it would require writing
some sort of driver into the OS to handle file requests, and in all
likelyhood it would fail to work with more applications than it works
with.  Likewise, booting from a server is probably out of the question
with such a network.  The exception might be the mail client itself...a
boot disk on the ][ would only need enough code to initiate the data
transfer from the server, then could run the downloaded code.  But A][
programs are generally minute enough that this would be more hassle than
it is worth.

Just a few more thoughts on the matter...

--Dave Althoff, ][.
(Not fuly skilled in the art, though I've programmed the ][ for years...)
-- 
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