braner@TCGOULD.TN.CORNELL.EDU (Moshe Braner) (05/19/89)
If you want to let the transputer access the resources of the host
(e.g., disk) while you are running a regular MS-DOS program (e.g.,
an editor) then you need some form of pre-emptive multitasking.
>From what I've heard, Desqview would be a good choice.
Alternatively, get a multitasking OS. QNX seems a lot better than
either OS/2 or XENIX in terms of size and speed. Check it out.
Quantum Software usually have a full-page ad in BYTE.
Meanwhile, we are working on the MS-DOS version of the Trollius OS.
To keep the multiprocess structure of Trollius intact, the Trollius
kernel on the PC does NON-preemptive multitasking. That means that
the transputer can access the host BETWEEN invocations of MS-DOS
programs. From the Trollius user interface (shell) one can invoke
both MS-DOS and Trollius commands. The latter make sure to yield
once in a while, but the former of course do not. If you just type in
occasional commands it's OK. (Otherwise you can still use Desqview,
running the Trollius shell and another MS-DOS application simultaneously.
That's the theory, anyway, we havn't tried that.)
Progress on PC-Trollius: The Trollius kernel and shell work, the link
driver is almost done, thus we are through the hard parts and generally
about half-done.
- Moshe Braner
Cornell Theory Center, 265 Olin Hall,
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
(607) 255-9401 (Work)
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