Subject: Carol Release of Interlisp-D now available
To: LispUsers↑.pa
From: LispSupport.pa
Reply-To: LispSupport.pa
This message announces a new version of Interlisp-D. The major feature of this release is the inclusion of a local file system for use on the 1108. This version will be released outside of Xerox as the "Carol" release.
Note: This version of Interlisp-D is compatible with Mesa 10.0.
You are invited to send comments, suggestions, and bug reports to LispSupport.pa. (Please don't use LispUsers↑.pa.) Your input is greatly appreciated and will help us improve Interlisp-D.
The following are the most important features of the Carol Release:
<1> Local File system for the 1108.
<2> 1108 two-button mouse: left-right chord acts like middle button.
<3> New 1108 microcode.
<4> New Lisp.run allows 1100 and 1132 users to sysin from other disk partitions
<5> New Tedit package.
<6> Miscellaneous Documentation
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<1> Local File system for the 1108.
The 1108 hard disk file system is designed to provide Interlisp-D users with a flexible mechanism for storing and accessing files. Like the file systems for the 1100 and 1132, the 1108 file system supports features like random access and version numbers on files. In addition the 1108 local file system supports a hierarchical naming structures for files. Though the first release of the 1108 file system does not support direct access from within Interlisp-D to MESA and STAR file partitions, it is possible to have partitions for MESA and STAR on the same disk used by Interlisp-D. More complete compatibility with MESA and STAR is planned for future releases of this software.
For more information, see [ERIS]<lisp>doc>DLIONFS.PRESS.
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<2> 1108 two-button mouse: left-right chord acts like middle button.
Most 1108s have a two-button mouse. In place of the middle button, it was necessary to use the "Center" function key above the main keyboard, which is extremely awkward. The latest release of Interlisp-D has the feature that the middle mouse button can be simulated by "chording" the left and right buttons.
Specifically, if Interlisp-D sees Left and Right go down simultaneously, it considers that to be Middle, rather than either Left or Right. Middle is considered to be down until BOTH Left and Right come up.
For more information, see [ERIS]<lisp>doc>TwoButton.PRESS.
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<3> New 1108 microcode.
Small changes: The start-up procedure in the 1108 microcode has been altered so that the 1108 screen stays blank until the Interlisp-D screen is displayed, rather than momentarily showing random "snow". Also, the MP display is now set to "1108" while Interlisp-D is running.
The microcode includes fixes to a few obscure bugs that caused intermittent system failures. In addition, there have been some performance inprovements. The speed of interpreted code has been increased by putting EVAL and STKSCAN in microcode. The speed of some arithmetic operations have been increased by putting GREATERP and small negivite arithmetic operations into microcode. The NIL cases of CAR and CDR are now taken care of in microcode.
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<4> New Lisp.run allows 1100 and 1132 users to sysin from other disk partitions
This release includes new versions of Lisp.run and Lisp.syms for use on the 1100 and 1132. The main change is that you can now load a new sysout from another partition on the same machine, as well as from a remote Pup server. Syntax is the same as from within Lisp. E.g., you can say to the exec
>Lisp {DSK5}FOO.SYSOUT
or even
>Lisp {DSK3}Lisp.virtualmem
This latter command effectively gives you "checkpoint" and "rollback" by using the Lisp.virtualmem on a second partition as the checkpoint image. As with inside Lisp, the partition number requested must be less than or equal to 7.
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<5> New Tedit package.
This release includes a much-improved version of the Tedit text editor. Innumerable mis-features have been fixed. Highlights:
+ Tedit no longer causes interrupt characters (control-D, control-E, etc.) to be disabled outside of the Tedit process.
+ Changing the "Margin Bar" in one Tedit menu no longer changes the margin bars in other separate Tedit menus.
+ The EXTENT window property is always set for Tedit windows, so the scroll bar is never bought up blank (with no shaded region).
+ Tedit menu operations no longer prevent the user from using the mouse while an operation is in progress.
+ Tedit does not reset the cursor shape during "Put", Get", etc. operations.
+ Multiple Tedit hardcopies can happen simultaneously.
+ Closing a Tedit window with the RIGHT-button menu will do a "Quit".
+ When Quitting from a Tedit window, when it asks if you really want to quit, you should respond with a mouse confirm (click left for yes, right for no), rather than typing "YES" or "NO".
+ Tedit will ask for a confirmation before Quitting from a Tedit window brought up empty, that the user has typed into.
+ Tedit now uses the ATTACHEDWINDOW package to put a small prompt window above every Tedit window. This window is used for printing prompts and all other interactions with the user, instead of the main prompt window.
+ Applying SETFILEPTR to a text stream displayed in a Tedit window does not move the caret on the screen.
+ Shrinking a Tedit window produces a distinctive icon.
+ Tedit is much more careful not to leave files open, such as "Include"ed files.
The Tedit extended menu is now a legitimate, supported part of Tedit. As mentioned above, Tedit uses the latest version of the ATTACHEDWINDOW package, which must be loaded for Tedit to run. The Tedit code has been broken up into a number of parts, so loading [ERIS]<lisp>library>TEDIT.DCOM will now load the following files:
TEXTOFD TEDITHCPY TEDITFIND TEDITLOOKS TEDITMENU TFBRAVO TEDITABBREV IMAGEOBJ TEDITHISTORY TEDITSCREEN TEDITFILE TEDITCOMMAND TEDITWINDOW TEDITSELECTION
The Tedit documentation has also been revised. It now includes information on using the Tedit Extended Menu. See [ERIS]<lisp>library>Tedit.press.
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<6> Miscellaneous Documentation
+ Interlisp uses the "LookupFile" protocol to speed calls to IFS file servers
Interlisp makes use of the "LookupFile" protocol, where available, to speed calls to INFILEP and some related functions. The LookupFile protocol is currently only implemented on IFS's, and then only when explicitly enabled by the IFS manager (through the "Enable LookupFile server" subcommand of the Change System Parameters command).
+ Global variable INSPECTPRINTLEVEL used to change printlevel in inspector
When the inspector displays a list as the value of a field, only the first few items on the list are printed. Many users have wanted to be able to change the number of items printed in a list. The global variable INSPECTPRINTLEVEL, initially (2 . 5), can be reset to change this behavior.
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LOCATION OF FILES:
The following files are all available on [ERIS]<Lisp>Current>:
[Site liaisons should move these files to their local file servers.]
* Lisp memory images files:
Lisp.SYSOUT standard release virtual memory image
Small.SYSOUT smaller version without Interpress, or NS protocols.
For the user's convenience, we also provide two memory images with the current versions of various <Lisp>Library> and <LispUsers> packages already loaded:
Full.SYSOUT Lisp.SYSOUT, plus current versions of:
TEDIT, FILEBROWSER, LAFITE, READSYS
Demo.SYSOUT Full.SYSOUT, plus many graphics demos
Since the <Lisp>Library> packages on which these SYSOUTs depend (particularly TEdit and LAFITE) are under rapid development, these two latter memory images will be more frequently updated.
* BCPL initialization for 1100 (Dolphin) and 1132 (Dorado) [unchanged]:
Lisp.run
* Microcode for 1100 (Dolphin) [unchanged]:
DolphinLispMC.eb for 3MB Ethernet
XMBDolphinLispMC.eb for 10 MB Ethernet
X3DolphinLispMC.eb both 3 and 10MB Ethernet, but no floating point
* Microcode for 1132 (Dorado) [new]:
DoradoLispMC.eb
* Initial microcode for 1108 (Dandelion)
[New; compatible with Fugue sysouts but not vice versa]:
LispSAx000Initial.db
* Initialization, command files [new]:
Init.CIS, Init.KSA should be copied to {DSK}INIT.LISP;
give this file name if prompted
for the name of an init file. These files
used to be on [phylum]<Lisp>
NewUserDisk.<site>
UpdateLisp.<site> for <site> = CIS, KSA
Install<sysout>.othello for sysout = Lisp, Full, Demo:
othello command file for installing <sysout>.SYSOUT
* Sierra/Mesa 10.0 tools can be used for installing Interlisp-D on Dandelion from inside Tajo [unchanged]:
InstallMu.bcd InstallMu lisp ← [phylum]<Lisp>Current>Lisp.sysout
LispTool.bcd Window-based version of above