The more I like my VAX, the more I hate Compaq...

From: Douglas Quebbeman <dhquebbeman_at_theestopinalgroup.com>
Date: Thu Jun 8 07:44:46 2000

> EDT *is* a line editor, until you (or your init file) type
> CHANGE that is. I count four different editors hiding inside EDT:
>
> 1. Original non-keypad change mode (from EDT V1), annoying modal thing
> like "vi" but of course totally different (SET CHANGE NOKEYPAD gets you
> this IIRC).
> 2. Line mode, when you haven't typed CHANGE yet.
> 3. CHANGE mode on a VT100 etc. (what we're all used to)
> 4. CHANGE mode on a hardcopy terminal. Bizarre!
>
> Are there more?
>
> >but the best thing to do
> >with SOS (other than not use it) is pretend it's the old Micro$oft BASIC
> >line editor. At least, that's how _I_ learned to use it, having come from
> >the TRS-80 Model I and found myself dropped on a VAX.
>
> Boy it's been a while, I remember thinking SOS was very much
> like the TRS-80 Model II EDTASM. Close enough!

Other way around; SOS was first (on DEC-10). I got so accustomed to it
that I copied Alan Miller's 8080 version into an extension of the old
Processor Technology Software #1 (also known as SCS- Self Contained System),
and later implemented it in PL/1 as part of a custom command environment
for the primos operating system at revisions 17 and 18 (Prime later
added its own command-line editing).

I have the 8080 code for what I called 'SCSNEW' (it has a ram-based
file system, cassette I/O, hooks into SOLOS for P-Tech SOL owners),
code to drive an IMSAI UCRI tape board, debugger, and god-knows-what
else I dumped into it and forgot about.

The source was set up for Intel's Mac80 cross-assembler. You'd need
to make a few changes to it for other assemblers.

If anyone's interested in it, let me know... -doug q
Received on Thu Jun 08 2000 - 07:44:46 BST