[fa.info-cpm] What is MARC?

info-cpm (12/01/82)

>From clark.wbst@Parc-Maxc  Wed Dec  1 01:35:49 1982
To: info-cpm@Mit-Mc, decvax!goutal@Ucb-C70
Via:  Mit-Mc; 1 Dec 82 3:17-EST
Via:  Brl; 1 Dec 82 3:40-EST
Via:  Brl-Bmd; 1 Dec 82 4:08-EST

MARC looks very much like V6 UNIX to the user.  It runs on any micro
that runs cp/m, and comes up by absorbing the cp/m bios from the existing
system.  It is not a multitasking system, so you can't fork things off to run
in the background, or do anything that implies two things going on at once.
An exception is that pipes from the shell are implemented with intermediate
files.  MARC has a version of BDS C that is custom made for it, I think with
floating point.  It also has a version of MINCE (an editor similar to emacs) 
for it.  It has a CP/M emulator so that all but the very largest CP/M software
will run under it.  I think anything that fits in a 48K TPA will work. 

I have a many page question and answer type blurb on it along with a
sample terminal session that I can send to whoever asks.  The material I have is
half a year old, and half several years old (When I talked to him 2 or 3 years
ago he was surprised it was still around!).  I saw it working last July; it
really does work!  In fact, uucp site "vortex" is a z80 running MARC!

vortex!lauren (Lauren Weinstein) is in charge of getting MARC to market.

Is that a fair description Lauren?

--Ray Clark