Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!psuvax1!ukma!xanth!mcnc!decvax!virgin!zinn!pulsar!gmd From: gmd@pulsar.UUCP (George MacDonald) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Porting DNET to SYS V & Amiga uucp/news Message-ID: <1193.AA1193@pulsar> Date: 11 Aug 89 04:06:49 GMT Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga Lines: 54 Re: DNET for SYS V In article <907@corpane.UUCP> sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) writes: Many Amiga/Unix users will appreciate it if DNET on SYS V is possible. Does it/ will it exist? DNET utilizes the socket functions first provided in the Berkeley 4.2 distribution of unix. These C language functions have been ported by a number of vendors to their system V based platforms. This is usually done when a vendor is interested in providing networking capabilities(TCP/IP, NFS ...). The system V branch of unix lacked good support for networking and remote file sharing until SV.3 when support was added for streams and RFS(remote file sharing). The programmers library providing for this is called TLI(Transport Layer Interface), and is very similar to the socket function calls. In fact it is almost identical, so a port to Sys5.3 or greater looks to be relatively straight forward. Of course Sys 5.4(Out to developers now) will provide both sets of functions so it then becomes a moot point. Porting DNET to anything before 5.3 without the socket library will be a chore. The major problem in emulating the socket functions will be providing multiplexed input on a single channel(serial line). This needs to be done in the kernel to do it properly, hence a device driver is needed. I am not familiar with DNET internals, and not sure which address domain it uses (UDP, INET ...) or which socket communication style(stream or datagram). If DNET uses UDP and stream sockets then emulation using named pipes seems at least possible. If DNET uses INET it will be more difficult and the device driver will be required. The AT&T Blit(a programmable graphics terminal) used a device driver approach to solving this problem in Sys 5.2, the driver was called mpx, see the BLTJ Oct 84 for more details on this. I guess the bad news is that it is unlikely you will see DNET on Sys 5.2, although I agree it would be nice. On the other hand DNET should crop up on Sys 5.3 and 5.4 without too much effort. It would be a fun project, Ahh if only I didn't have to sleep!! 8-) p.s. This article was composed on my 2500 running AmigaUUCP .50, are their many other users of this sofware out there? I have been using this package to receive mail and news for several months now. My only problem with it is the newsgroups fill up to quickly!! Is anyone working on an upgrade to the software? -- /\ George MacDonald, Pulsar Software Inc. - Unix Software Consultants _____/ \ _____ ..{harvard,decvax}!zinn!pulsar!gmd or gmd@pulsar.mv.com \ / \/ 36 Hickory Ln, Windham, N.H. 03087 Tel (603)-434-2614