[comp.sys.isis] ISIS V1.3

ken@gvax.cs.cornell.edu (Ken Birman) (09/12/89)

I just copied ISISV13.TAR.Z to the usual directory for FTP distributions.
However, this version of ISIS is still being checked out on some of the
machines that are among the more awkward for us to access, and I
just learned (from Apollo, naturally) how to fix my Apollo problem.
Consequently, you may want to wait a day or two before picking this up.

ISIS V1.3 is really a "mid-term" release.  It has few major changes
other than bug fixes and is very unlikely to give much trouble.
To be honest, if you aren't having problems with V1.2, you may not want
to switch at all.  On the other hand, it does fix all the problems (of
which I am aware) in ISIS V1.2.

In addition to the points Robert made, this release runs under standard
MACH on all its platforms and includes a working AIX port.

More significantly, ISISV13.TAR.Z contains a version of the BYPASS
code that works fairly well (still not final, though!) and includes
an alpha release of the META sensor interface.  Documentation is included,
and some demos (unfortunately, not as fancy as the demos we are running
here, however).  I'll ask Mark Wood to post something explaining just
what this release of META can do and how to install it.  The BYPASS 
stuff can be compiled by setting -DBYPASS in the MCHDEPCFLAGS part of the
top level makefile, and then rebuilding all of ISIS and all of your
existing .o files.  The most dramatic demo is probably the grid one.

I am aware that rapid group membership changes can cause the BYPASS code
to hang, and I frankly would not recommend using it routinely yet.  But,
if you want to see what this will eventually do, you can probably get
an idea from this version of the code.  Bugs, comments to me or
isis-bugs@cs.cornell.edu.  Queries about meta to wood@cs.cornell.edu.

Ken Birman

ken@gvax.cs.cornell.edu (Ken Birman) (09/13/89)

Sorry about this...

It now seems that when I fixed the compilation problems caused
by "void *" arguments, I did something that broke the ISIS task
system under HP UNIX -- perhaps under anything that lacks its
own threads package.  I'll fix this, but this means that
the ISIS V1.3 TAR image currently on cu-arpa is probably not
acceptably solid.  The system should be out again by next
week.

We regret any problems this may have caused you.

Ken Birman

pete@relay.nixctc.de (Pete Delaney) (10/12/89)

> Path: nixctc!unido!mcsun!uunet!ginosko!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!batcomputer!cornell!ken
	> 
	> Since we had so much trouble with ISIS V1.3 back in early
	> September, I thought it would be a good idea to let people know
	> that the re-release (two weeks ago) seems just fine.
	> 
	> Here at Cornell, we are quite far from a release of ISIS V2.0.
	> Although we hope to have performance figures for the BYPASS
	> mode by the end of the month, I doubt that we will release the
	> next version of ISIS before the end of November.

I've tried installing the ISIS release on unido but am having
trouble getting isis 'up'.  I assume it's a configuration problem,
but unfortunately I can't seem to get the dvi files to convert to
postscript or displayed with the GoodNeWS dvinews utility.  Other
utilities have complained that the dvi file isn't a dvi file.

If someone could send me a postscript version of the user's manual
I could continue playing with the code,  Another copy of the dvi file
might be worth sending thru one of the dvi2ps filters again.

Best might be to get a complette new and improved V1.3 out to 
a/the German backbone (unido, a.k.a. unido.uni-dortmund.de).

I amn currently using a version that I ftp'd from unido in the

	/marvin/ISIS

directory.  Perhaps someone knows how to get this new V1.3
update out to the unido system.  If someone want's to put
it on a tape I could ftp it to unido.


	1. Please e-mail a copy of the doc.dvi file converted
	   to postscript as soon as possible.  The doc.dvi file
	   would also be nice to try out the dvi2ps utilities
	   but I think it may take some time to get the TeX
	   fonts worked out.

	2. If somewone could work with the postmaster@unido and
	   ftp (or uuencode and mail) a copy it would make a nice
	   distrubition center for germany.  (Is there a copy at 
	   mcvax Piet?/Daniel?)

	3.  Is anyone currenty working with the unido:/marvin/ISIS
	    version?  Is there a better one on unido already?

From what I've read up to now in Sun Technology, the EUUG Newsletter,
and the usenet, it looks like ISIS has a lot of potential.  Since the
unido version doesn't have the distributed make utility, I assume it
is a relatively old release.

Any help is appreciated.   (Testing sendmail IDA via unido; return e-mail appreciated)

--pete

Pete Delaney - Nixdorf UCC	| pete@nixctc.de		Prefered Addr
Loffel Strasse 3		| pyramid!nixctc!pete		UUCP from Calf
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West Germany			| Phone: +49 (711) 7685-128

pete@relay.nixctc.de (Pete Delaney) (10/12/89)

Update:
	I got GoodNeWS texnews running, so now a copy of the ISIS
documentation in dvi format would be great to have now.  I hope
someone can take the time to e-mail me a copy soon, or to
unido so the documention can be usefull to others looking into ISIS.


Pete Delaney - Nixdorf UCC	| pete@nixctc.de		Prefered Addr
Loffel Strasse 3		| pyramid!nixctc!pete		UUCP from Calf
7000 Stuttgart 70		| unido!nixctc!pete		UUCP from uunet
West Germany			| Phone: +49 (711) 7685-128

ken@gvax.cs.cornell.edu (Ken Birman) (10/12/89)

In article <1080@nixctc.DE> pete@relay.nixctc.de (Pete Delaney) writes:
>I've tried installing the ISIS release on unido but
>...  (long message omitted ....

I will get in touch with the postmaster at unido and see what they
are distributing.  I certainly hope they filed an "ISIS request form"
and are respecting the re-export restrictions.

Although I have been careful to make sure that UUNET stays current,
I was unaware that "unido" is distributing ISIS.  (Who, exactly, is
unido?)

Two comments about your general questions:

1) Re dvi2ps: I'll try running it here...  Note that tex source is
   in isisv1.3/doc

   If you have a problem bringing ISIS up, just email us.  These
   things are almost always minor (isis-bugs@cs.cornell.edu)

2) As noted previously, "pmk" is broken for minor reasons.  We
   have been busy and will get to this, but pmk is not a good
   indication of whether the copy of ISIS you found is current.
   At any rate, until migrated to run on META the program is only
   useful as a toy.

   If you obtained ISISV1.3 from us or from UUNET subsequent to Oct. 1
   it is the current version.  If in doubt, check that the  RCS
   header on clib/cl_task.c shows version 347 dated 9/27/1989.
   If it doesn't, you aren't current.


Ken

pete@relay.nixctc.de (Pete Delaney) (10/12/89)

I'm not sure mail is arriving here from the outside world, but it seems news is ok.
I'd like to get a copy of the ISIS V1.3 doc in dvi or postscript format.  I havn't 
a copy of TeX yet, but I'm trying as fast as I can.

	In article <33088@cornell.UUCP>, ken@gvax.cs.cornell.edu (Ken Birman) writes:
	> Path: nixctc!unido!mcsun!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!cornell!ken
	> From: ken@gvax.cs.cornell.edu (Ken Birman)
	> 
	> I will get in touch with the postmaster at unido and see what they
	> are distributing.  I certainly hope they filed an "ISIS request form"
	> and are respecting the re-export restrictions.

The ISIS release is V1.0 from (8/15/88).

	> 
	> Although I have been careful to make sure that UUNET stays current,
	> I was unaware that "unido" is distributing ISIS.  (Who, exactly, is
	> unido?)

unido is an alias for the/a German Backboone of UUNET.  I believe the
official name is uni-dortmund.de which is an abreviation for the
University of Dortmund.  I doubt they are redistributing it, rather
I pinched a copy off their system.  The copyright sounds like I  shouldn't
let a copy get to the communist; not problem there.  Do you want me to
fill out a form saying I won't make profit with it or give it to marxist?
If so, just let me know.  Perhaps I should try to go to the uunet gateway in 
the states directly with ftp/tcp/ip/x25 ?  I'll e-mail the postmaster about it
but I'm doubtfull about my success.  I'll try mcvax also.


	> Two comments about your general questions:
	> 
	> 1) Re dvi2ps: I'll try running it here...  Note that tex source is
	>    in isisv1.3/doc

Unfortunately I havn't found a copy of TeX yet. A dvi file would be better 
at this time.  I the a dvi or postscriopt file in the release? GoodNeWS
fortunatley had both the Tex origionals and the dvi file; as I believe you
uncorrupted V1.0 did; thanks for trying.


	>    If you have a problem bringing ISIS up, just email us.  These
	>    things are almost always minor (isis-bugs@cs.cornell.edu)

Ok, i'll try to mail about the old V1.0 ISIS "not cumming up"
just for practice until I get a copy of V1.3.

 

	>    If you obtained ISISV1.3 from us or from UUNET subsequent to Oct. 1
	>    it is the current version.  If in doubt, check that the  RCS
	>    header on clib/cl_task.c shows version 347 dated 9/27/1989.
	>    If it doesn't, you aren't current.

Looks like the uni-dortmund.de copy is about a year old.  Can I connect
to UUNET with tpc/ip/x25 and ftp it myself?  If so, is it ok to leave a copy
on unido as a distribution point within Germany? Last year I had a connection
to the american internet via huji.ac.il but it was indirect.  Letting us
connect directly would make the paper work simpler, since we would pay for the 
phone call to the states ourselves.  Let's see what the postmaster at uunet says.


Keep up the good work Ken.

Pete Delaney - Nixdorf UCC	| pete@relay.nixctc.de		Prefered Addr
Loffel Strasse 3		| pyramid!nixctc!pete		UUCP from Calf
7000 Stuttgart 70		| unido!nixctc!pete		UUCP from uunet
West Germany			| Phone: +49 (711) 7685-128

pete@relay.nixctc.de (Pete Delaney) (10/16/89)

I've talked to manageres here about ISIS and have found an interest.  Ken Birman
has e-mailed me that he will send a printed copy, which I appreciate.  However
being an impatient hacker I would like to continue with the problems ASAP.
I was hopping that someone here in europe, like daly@cs.tcd.ie, might have 
a copy of ISIS V1.3 and could e-mail a copy of the dvi file for the documentation.

I don't have a copy of TeX yet or the V1.3 release.

Pete Delaney - Nixdorf UCC	| pete@nixctc.de		Prefered Addr
Loffel Strasse 3		| pyramid!nixctc!pete		UUCP from Calf
7000 Stuttgart 70		| unido!nixctc!pete		UUCP from uunet
West Germany			| Phone: +49 (711) 7685-128