From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!info-vax
Newsgroups: fa.info-vax
Title: Communication between users
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8020
Posted: Thu Jul 15 18:45:42 1982
Received: Mon Jul 19 04:09:50 1982

>From MADLER@MIT-ML Thu Jul 15 18:48:18 1982
We are attempting to design a system somewhat like the Link facility on
MIT-ITS that would allow two or more users to essentially link the
I/O for their terminals together to allow easy communcation.  We have
considered a number of methods and wondered whether anyone has other
ideas or suggestions.  (By the way, this is on VMS).  Potential solutions
include:

1.  The user that initiates communication becomes the controlling job
for all processes in the link.  His job will connect mailboxes to the other
processes and make sure that I/O reaches every terminal.  This method
would not allow the controlling user to leave the link without some messy
work!

2.  The user that initiates will open a mailbox to some hibernating process
or will cause some process to come alive that will serve as a channel until
nobody uses it anymore.  This seems like a win, although we would rather
avoid spawning a number of jobs of this nature.

We are most interested in efficiency.

Thanks for suggestions!
-Michael Adler

P.S. Please reply to me.  I am not on the list.