sparks@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Steve Gaarder) (05/21/87)
I'm looking for Forth systems for VMS (VAX 780 and microvax) and for
Unix (Ultrix and System 5). Anybody know of any?
--
Steve Gaarder
Cornell University, 171 Hollister, Ithaca NY 14853 607-255-5389
UUCP: {cmcl2,decvax,rochester,uw-beaver,ihnp4}!cornell!batcomputer!sparks
BITNET: sparks@crnlthry.BITNET ARPA: sparks@tcgould.tn.cornell.eduma168a@sdcc3.ucsd.EDU (John Wavrik) (05/22/87)
In article <1096@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>, sparks@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Steve Gaarder) writes: > I'm looking for Forth systems for VMS (VAX 780 and microvax) and for > Unix (Ultrix and System 5). Anybody know of any? > -- We've used Kitt Peak VAX-Forth for a number of years. It is unusually full (800+ words) and available either free or almost free. Both VMS and Unix versions are available. However, we've had ours for years -- and have not received replies to our queries about updated versions. They have both survived several changes in operating system. Each time some of the features are lost. The main problem is that commands which allow operating system (shell) commands from within Forth either don't work (VMS) or sometimes cause crashes (Unix). [Normal work within the Forth environment does not lead to problems.] If Kitt Peak has produced any new revisions to go with current OS versions, this would be a good choice. IS ANYONE FROM KITT PEAK ON THE NET? -- WHAT IS THE STATUS OF VAX-FORTH? A few years ago the source code to a version of Forth by Princeton U (Astronomy Dept?) was posted to the net -- this was for the VAX but I don't recall which operating system. John J Wavrik Dept of Math Univ of Calif - San Diego ...ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdcc3!ma168a or sdcc3!ma168a@SDCSVAX.UCSD.EDU
rwolff@noao.arpa (Richard Wolff) (05/26/87)
in article <3971@sdcc3.ucsd.EDU>, ma168a@sdcc3.ucsd.EDU (John Wavrik) says: > If Kitt Peak has produced any new revisions to go with current OS versions, > this would be a good choice. > IS ANYONE FROM KITT PEAK ON THE NET? -- WHAT IS THE STATUS OF VAX-FORTH? Kitt Peak is on the net, under the name "noao" (National Optical Astronomy Observatories) which includes both Kitt Peak, the Cerro Tololo Interamerican observatory (CTIO), the National Solar Observatory, an Advanced Development Program in Tucson, and the usual administrative offices. Not that you wanted to know all that. No work is being done on VAX-FORTH. If it really broke with the advent of (say) 4.nBSD (n > 3), we would fix it. But it is used very little. A couple of people use it to write and test short sections of code, especially when first learning forth, since the office terminals are connected to the Vaxen, and not to the forth machines. Our main forth work is done on PDP-11/{24,44,73}s, and for the most part, those machines are on Kitt Peak (mountain) some 50 miles from the nearest vax. Forth has been used here both for data reduction and instrument control. The former is now done almost exclusively in a (large) virtual operating system called IRAF (Image Reduction and Analysis Facility) (IRAF, by the way, runs on VMS, UNIX [4.2/3 BSD, Ultrix], AOS, is being ported to Masscomp and an ISI box, and will (some day) run on Mac II, 386, and the like; a complete os environment, command language, data reduction tools, etc.) Instrument control, such as telescope control systems, is migrating to C/68020/VME. We are looking at the Novix chip (and forth) for small, well defined tasks, such as control of the observatory dome rotation, or control of motors in an automatic guider. The current forth os (multitasking, single user but with multiple input ports) has been pushed, in operating a telescope, dome, and ancillary equipment, beyond what we are comfortable with. Anyhow, VAX FORTH is still available, in the sense that we're happy to write our bits on your tape. But the lack of serious/any attention to improvements may mean that those who want a forth on a vax might be better off looking elsewhere...or be willing to do some work on the source. Richard Wolff, National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tucson, AZ Usenet: {allegra,arizona,astrovax,decvax,hao,ihnp4} !noao!rwolff Arpa: rwolff@noao.arpa SPAN: DRACO::RWOLFF or 5356::RWOLFF -- Richard Wolff, National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tucson, AZ Usenet: {allegra,arizona,astrovax,decvax,hao,ihnp4} !noao!rwolff Arpa: noao!rwolff@lbl-csam