🚀 go-pugleaf

	In response to the question about Micro C Shell:

	All the information below comes from a phone-call I made
	to Beckemeyer.

	#1: Micro C-shell is a Un*x C-Shell clone. Just as you would
	    expect, it does not do any multi-tasking (in Un*x, the
	    OS does the multi-tasking).

        #2: They have another offering called the MT C-shell (MT =
	    multi-tasking, most probably). This MT C-shell (bad choice
	    of name, I think) is a bit of a Un*x clone. The package
	    comes with an operating system which allows multi-tasking
	    and sort of clones Un*x like features (a little like
	    QNX maybe). It comes with (I think) 4 shells. The default
	    login shell is set up from /etc/passwd, but any shell
	    can be executed from within the startup shell. The system
	    allows job-control (fore-grounding and back-grounding)
	    of tasks, from certain shell(s) to .TOS and .TTP programs.

        #3: I believe MTCS also allows a multi-user facility (I suppose
	    user #2 logs in via the serial port). Again, this user
	    gets a shell allocated to him  from /etc/passwd. (I forgot
	    to mention, there is a logon procedure for every user).
	    There is also a superuser facility to go with these other
	    facilities :-)

	#4: There are permission bits for files ala UNIX, so you can
	    set certain programs out of bounds etc.

	#5: There is one shell which can only be run from the console
	    (guess why :-)) which allows you to run Gem programs as
	    child processes under it. This shell does not have any
	    job-control facility (I believe), so once you get into
	    a Gem program, you are bound to it until you quit (can't
	    stop the job). I suppose though, that you can still do
	    multitasking (print spooling in the background for instance
	    by doing:

		% lpr myfile &
		% gemshell (or whatever)
		(execute some gem program here)

	#6: MTCS supports I/O redirection, true pipes and so on. (stderr
	    and stdout are distinct I believe)

	#7: It comes with a host of programs such as lpr and a list of
	    others.

	#8: MTCS was in Beta test, and should be shipping about now
	    (again, this is what they told me 2-3 weeks ago).

	#9: Oops, forgot, there is a .login ;-)


		All of this is from memory (3 weeks old), so please
	correct me if anything here is incorrect. I'm not associated
	with Beckemeyer and cannot vouch for the accuracy of the
	above information because I have not seen it yet. Sounds great
	though, so I went and ordered one!


			Regards,
			anees


-- 
			Anees Munshi
			@ University of Toronto Engineering Comp. Facility :A
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