jhc@mtune.UUCP (Jonathan Clark) (05/06/86)
Katrina Woodward <katrina@ihuxf.UUCP> asks about how the keyboard works and how CAPCTRL (and by extension other loadable drivers) work. Other people have asked about THE STORE, so here goes. THE STORE! is a service by which people can order unsupported unix pc software. It functions rather like the AT&T Toolchest. Currently it is restricted to AT&T personnel only. If and when this changes the net will be notified. All credit to Fred Hicinbothem for setting it up. I wouldn't be mentioning it at all except that there has been a lot of mentions of it, largely by AT&T people cross-posting between AT&T newsgroups and the rest of the net. If the general public (you guys out there!) would like access to THE STORE then start yelling at your AT&T account reps, not me! About the keyboard: basically yes it is fully programmable (without going into too many gory details). Loadable drivers (like CAPCTRL): fundamentally these all work by getting loaded into kernel space, then stomping on however many entry points within the kernel they need. Then when any kernel event happens the code that handles it is the loadable driver, not the original driver. There are certain protocols (in the diplomatic, not the telecomms sense) involved in installing and removing loadable drivers. Paul will not posting the source to CAPCTL to the net, neither will anyone else in AT&T if they want to keep their job. That code is proprietary. -- Jonathan Clark [NAC,attmail]!mtune!jhc My walk has become rather more silly lately.
kathy@bakerst.UUCP (Kathy Vincent) (05/13/86)
Another way to let AT&T know you're interested in The Store
is to send mail to Fred H. himself so he can pass it on to
his product management and convince them that The Store is
a useful *selling* tool. There are still some people in
product management and product marketing who need to be
convinced that SUPPORT is important to people who are
looking into buying their computers ...
fjfah!fred
ihnp4!mtuxn! <
4341fah
Kathy Vincent
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--
Kathy Vincent
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