Mercurial > ~samis > hgweb.cgi > blag

comparison posts/SDF_Initial_Experiences.md @ 45:521f24b5b4e7

Find changesets by keywords (author, files, the commit message), revision number or hash, or revset expression.
Commit additions to SDF post that have sat for a couple of days while visting somewhere. Hopefully this can be fully finished very soon.
author Samuel Hodgkins <samuel.hodgkins@sky.com>
date Sat, 31 Mar 2018 21:47:31 +0100
parents 25e47d6e989f
children 8fb2c292fb66
comparison
equal deleted inserted replaced
44:a7f907874a07 45:521f24b5b4e7
16 If you exit this user account creation process (two methods are saying N to the final 'are you sure' about it or trying to use an already-taken name) you get dumped into a basic command-line menu. 16 If you exit this user account creation process (two methods are saying N to the final 'are you sure' about it or trying to use an already-taken name) you get dumped into a basic command-line menu.
17 The menu's prompt is 'FEP Command' and while this seems inconsequential, it is in fact a reference to a completely different type of computer than the UNIX and Windows-based systems that are currently dominant. 17 The menu's prompt is 'FEP Command' and while this seems inconsequential, it is in fact a reference to a completely different type of computer than the UNIX and Windows-based systems that are currently dominant.
18 In the 1980s and early 1990s, there were companies that made Lisp Machines, which were and still are very different to modern systems running a UNIX-like or Windows. 18 In the 1980s and early 1990s, there were companies that made Lisp Machines, which were and still are very different to modern systems running a UNIX-like or Windows.
19 On these systems, there was a Lisp processor, but in many systems the Lisp CPU was unable to boot the system standalone, so there was an additional processor (or for the later ones, something specially integrated with the main processor) to bootstrap the Lisp one with the rest of the system. 19 On these systems, there was a Lisp processor, but in many systems the Lisp CPU was unable to boot the system standalone, so there was an additional processor (or for the later ones, something specially integrated with the main processor) to bootstrap the Lisp one with the rest of the system.
20 Symbolics systems, in particular, had a Front End Processor that perfomed this task (as well as other things like handling full system crashes). 20 Symbolics systems, in particular, had a Front End Processor that perfomed this task (as well as other things like handling full system crashes).
21 21 SDF is not a Lisp Machine, it has no actual FEP. However, this restricted initial commandline serves similar purposes.
22 * It acts as a minimal 'frontend' to the actual SDF boxen.
23 * It's used to create new accounts to the system, 'bootstrapping' your access :)
24 It's a nice reference or play on words, isn't it?
22 # On the System 25 # On the System
26 As a prevalidated user, you don't get access to a actual shell, instead you get their custom restricted shell, called 'psh'.
27 It has various limitations which will quickly become apparent, especially if you use a very nicely customised zsh environment.
28 A minor detail I noticed is that both 'emacs' and 'nano' end up presenting the same editor: UW Pico 4.10.
29 However, even though the shell is limited you still have the Gopher client and limited usage of lynx.
30 There's also the bulletin board and chat systems, both of which I believe are unique to SDF and sdf-eu.
31 While the FEP prompt had a 'software' command, there's also one in psh and surprisingly the results are very different to the ones you get from the same FEP command (much newer, for example).
32 At the time of writing I haven't heavily used either Gopher, the BBS or the chat system, but hopefully that will change (and this post will be on my new SDF gopherhole too).