News of AT&T's "Layers" Terminal Interface

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Newsgroups: comp.terminals,comp.terminals.tty5620
Path: cs.utk.edu!darwin.sura.net!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!linac
      !att!cbnewsc!dwd
From: dwd@cbnewsc.cb.att.com (David W. Dykstra)
Subject: Re: Availability of "layers" on non-AT&T computers
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1993 18:46:11 GMT
Message-ID: <CA2Et3.LDJ@cbnewsc.cb.att.com>
Lines: 47

From article <20286@smoke.brl.mil>, by gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn):
>
> ged@genesis.MCS.COM (Russel Dalenberg) writes:
>>
>>Does anyone know how we could get layers if we move to a machine without
>>it (is it available in source form from anywhere)? Or, is there a 
>>layers "clone" out there that would do the same job?
> 
> There is a "layers" clone for BSD-based systems (ptys, select) available
> via anonymous FTP from ucsd.edu, directory "pub", file "dmdlayers.tar.Z".
> A fellow named David W. Dykstra has been updating this and has said that
> a combined System V/BSD version should be ready soon.


My version is distributed from 'research.att.com' dist/dmd/dmdlyrs.tar.Z.

It is public domain so you don't need to worry about licensing.  I just
updated it.  I will post another message announcing the update.

> For systems that
> support the "xt" protocol (JIOC* ioctl codes), the official AT&T-released
> host support software for 630 MTG and 5620 DMD should work "as is" or
> with a small amount of work.

NCR is going to be releasing the host support package in binary form for
i386 SVR4 systems; I'm working on that now.  I have made quite a few updates
to it for portability and to make them work under both XT-driver layers
and pseudo-tty layers; this version doesn't require the JIOC* ioctl 
codes.  My pseudo-tty layers is going to be the supported layers by NCR 
for their SVR4 systems.  

I haven't yet figured out how to get the current source code for the 
630 MTG software development package released at a reasonable price.  
The 5620 development package is available in the USL Toolchest for $100.  

> I could send you what we've been using at BRL/ARL, but I'd need to see
> copies of relevant source licenses first.  If you have serial ports on a
> BSD-compatible system, I'd suggest starting with the UCSD "layers"

Pseudo-tty layers (formerly called "UCSD layers") does not require serial
ports; it will work over any network.

> (which
> does not include most of the utilities/applications you may have grown
> used to) and augment it with the 630 software available through the AT&T
> (?) UNIX System ToolChest at 1-908-522-6900 (login as "guest").

Yes, the best thing to do at this point.

- Dave Dykstra
  <dwd@king.att.com>

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Archiver's Note:
17 September A.D. 1996

The "layers" software is still available; here is the Web-type Internet URL:

    ftp://research.att.com/dist/dmd

The file "dmdlyrs.tar.Z" is dated January 1996.
 ...RSS

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Newsgroups: alt.sys.pdp10,misc.legal
Path: utkcs2!lrc!relay.ga.unc.edu!concert!news-server.ncren.net!news.duke.edu
      !news.mathworks.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!sgigate.sgi.com
      !news.spies.com!206.67.152.100!eric
Message-ID: <ERIC.96May13190338@goonsquad.spies.com>
From: eric@goonsquad.spies.com (Eric Smith)
Date: 14 May 1996 02:03:38 GMT
References: <4m311d$274@quest.ccsi.com>
            <aldersonDqp97L.KtD@netcom.com> <phrDqpuuy.9EJ@netcom.com>
Organization: Internet Wiretap
Subject: Re: Petition DEC for TOPS-10 source release

Richard M. Alderson III <alderson@netcom.com> wrote:
>
> ...until Digital's corporate counsel decided that to release the stuff to the
> public domain would create a large liability potential for Digital.  They put
> a halt to all efforts within Digital to change the status of the software

Paul Rubin <phr@netcom.com> wrote:

> How unfortunate.  Various other companies including AT&T have released
> source to obsolete products and nothing bad happened to them.  What

AT&T even released the full source code to the AT&T Teletype 5620 DMD
terminal (the first commercial version of Rob Pike's BLIT), including not
just the firmware but also the source code to the cross development tools
such as the compiler, assembler, linker, etc.  They put it all under the
FSF's General Public License!

And nothing bad happened to them.  Unless perhaps that's what caused them
to split into three separate companies, when the rest of the industry is in
merger-mania :-)

Eric

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