[HECnet] Announcing a new TCP/IP for RSX

[Johnny Billquist]

Ok. The time is drawing near to actually get my new TCP/IP for RSX out the door. So I'm looking for possible interested people who would like to try things out. This is like field testing, so expect there to be some issues, and helpful feedback would be appreciated.

The state right now is that the protocols seems to work fine. They have been tested by myself for many years, and the last week a first external person started testing, which means I'm right now trying to get a distribution kit together that is usable.

What is in there? Nice of you to ask. Of course the basic protocols - ARP, IP, ICMP, UDP and TCP. In addition, there are libraries for using this from MACRO-11 and from high level languages (the one tested extensively so far is BASIC+2, but libraries for F77 and C will also be in there). Additional suggestions are welcome. In addition, a few example pieces exist, such as a web server, TFTP daemon, RWHOD daemon, IRC client, and an IRC robot, and a few well known TCP services (ECHO, SINK, DAYTIME and QUOTD).

Additionally I am working on FTP right now (both server and client), and both a TELNET server and client is planned, but will take a little more time.

This TCP/IP requires a RSX-11M-PLUS system. It has only been tested on V4.6, but I believe it should work ok on any V4. It might also work on previous versions, but there are possible issues. Let me know if you want to test it on something like that. The package will not work on 11M. Mostly because some pieces really need the split I/D space. It would be possible to work around that, but it would be a rather big project, and unless someone actually needs it enough to pay for that work, it will not happen.

The whole system runs as device drivers and one ACP. It can coexist with DECnet, or use the XE: device driver for Unibus machines. Qbus machines without DECnet is not possible right now, but is something I will address eventually.

The whole TCP/IP takes little resources. It uses a small amount of pool, and a little CPU, but not really noticeable under normal operation. It creates its own memory region which it uses for most memory consumption.

The API is not compatible with any Unix like one at this time, although adding such a layer is definitely possible, and might be something I'll do if enough people want to waste the memory. However, the actual API existing is really easy to use, and very versatile.

There is a reference system online. You can telnet to mim.update.uu.se (or set host to MIM::), and login with guest/guest if you want to look at it (emulated 11/74, so this address does not point at the TCP/IP stack of RSX). You can also point your web browser at madame.update.uu.se, which is the RSX systems web server.

So, please contact me if this interest you. My address is bqt at softjar.se.

      Johnny

-- 
Johnny Billquist                                   || "I'm on a bus
                                                                  ||   on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se                         ||   Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                                         ||   tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol