Re: Apple // networking?

[win32mfc@yahoo.com (Chris Morse)]

On 15 Jun 2001 02:59:37 GMT, mouseboi2k@aol.com (MouseBoi 2K) wrote:

>>thinking about
>>_attempting_ to implement a tcp/ip stack for the //e and //c.
>
>I've been randomly posting in this newsgroup for a week or two now, so I don't
>know if you've seen, but I'm currently (as in, it boots) designing a unix-like
>operating system for the 6502 (apple II, IIe, just got IIc working).  As in, it
>currently multitasks with help of the VBL interrupt from a mouse card,

I did read one of your posts, as a matter of fact.. =)

>allocates memory dynamically on the fly, configurable from kernel builds, has
>its own bootloader and loader, and has system calls such as open, read, write,
>and I'm writing the mountable filesystem this weekend.  Currently there is a 40
>column device driver that uses both text screens (yes, two separate shells run
>at once), a block disk driver, a super serial card driver, mouse and keyboard
>drivers.

Interestingly, I had the idea of a multi-tasking OS for the Apple //e
back in 1988.  I don't recall what stage I got to, but it had support
for up to 4 processes each with 8k each.  I had, and used, the
interupts (1024/sec) from an installed TimeMaster II/HO clock card.
It was one of my more esoteric hacks, and I was only 17 at the time.
I seem to recall having calculated that I could process, about, 90 to
100 instructions between the clock's generated interrupts.

>One of my goals is to eventually get a TCP stack working with the help of the
>super serial card.  This should be easy, as Lunix for the C64 already does it
>(porting lunix is unfortunatly futile, there are too many VIC specific calls. 
>My kernel is very architecture-independant and performs many system calls that
>call various drivers, not have architecture-dependant calls in the kernel
>itself.

Quite right- I just stumbled into Lunix this evening.  Fortunately, I
did also find another "tiny" implementation of a TCP implementation in
C - both that and lunix, I would think, may serve as decent reference
implementations.

>I should create a web site that has all this information, so I think I'll do
>that as well this weekend if anyone is interested.  Apparantly some people are,
>because I've been receiving a few emails on the subject.  Don't throw your //c
>away dude!  It'll all be worth it when I get to see the login: prompt on my
>IIc.

You got that right!  Some might call it nostalgic, but they just don't
understand see the real beauty..  

>>back in "the day", I used a few different assemblers.. "Merlin",
>>"Lisa", and "Orca/M"..   
>>
>
>Oh, the author of Lunix did create an excellent 6502 development environment. 
>It's a unix-based 6502 linking assembler, which makes programming a breeze! 
>Simply "make" and you've got a binary..
>-->. -
> #1[T1:Mouse:#059*

I'll have to look into it more - I just hit/found that web page
tonight, actually.  Let me know when/if you get anything online.  I'd
love to see what you're coming up with.. even if it's just the ideas..

I plan on doing a few peripheral projects first, to get myself up to
speed..  I will post my results (and doing a major overhaul) on my
personal website:  www.CosmicWolf.com

Best luck, and feel free to drop me an e-mail if you want to chat,
brainstorm, or whatever!

// CHRIS
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