brian@sdccsu3.UUCP (05/17/84)
A recent inquiry regarding TCP/IP for the IBM PC brought the following
response; additionally, so I received so many requests for "whatever I
found out" that I am posting it here for general consumption.
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TO: Inquirers about TCP/IP packages for the IBM PC
FROM: J. H. Saltzer
SUBJ: Availability
DATE: February 24, 1984
Thank you for your inquiry about availability of our PC/IP programs. These
programs are a result of a research effort on protocol effectiveness, rather
than a product, with the consequence that our primary goals in their design
have not been widespread application outside our own laboratory. However they
have turned out to be sufficiently useful that many inquiries have arrived
about the possibility of exporting them. We are trying to make these programs
as available as possible, subject to our own constraints of time and effort
required to cope with the logistics.
The programs are in the form of several commands, the two key ones being an
implementation of "user telnet" (remote login) and "tftp," a file transfer
protocol that is implemented on some, but not too many, TCP/IP hosts. There
are also some utility packages that are handy if a gateway to the ARPANET is
available: a name service user and a clock service user are the most useful.
Network drivers have been implemented for the 3Com EtherLink Ethernet card and
the Proteon proNET ring card. (There is also a serial line driver that
requires that one have a special LSI-11 serial line gateway.) The higher level
protocols, IP, UDP, and TCP, have been implemented in specialized forms not
necessarily useful for applications other than telnet and tftp.
The programs are under M.I.T. copyright but on a license-free and
royalty-free basis, with blanket copying, modification, and redistribution
permission. The only constraint in the blanket permission is that if you
redistribute the programs you credit M.I.T. as their source.
Obtaining a runnable diskette of PC/IP
The programs are available easily in runnable form, and with a little more
trouble in source language form. The runnable form is a release diskette
containing the latest command versions of the programs. If you would like to
obtain a copy of this release, please send us an empty 2-sided PC diskette by
U.S. mail, specifying which kind of local area network you have, and a
telephone number in case we notice a problem that should be resolved first.
We will fill up the diskette and send it back along with the latest user's
manual. The same release and documentation are also available at nominal cost
through both 3Com Corp. and Proteon Associates, the suppliers of the two
local network interfaces currently supported by the PC/IP software.
As suggested earlier, we are not a software house, so we make no guarantees
either that the programs work as hoped or that we will be able to provide any
help in the usual customer-support sense. Acquiring these programs directly
from us is a venture that should be undertaken only by organizations prepared
to cope with system-installation problems by themselves. We recommend that if
you need installation help you obtain the programs from a distribution
organization that can provide it, such as 3Com or Proteon.
Importing Source Language Programs of PC/IP
The PC/IP network programs for the IBM Personal Computer are implemented in
the form of about 100 subprograms in the C language, plus a few
assembly-language subroutines. The development system we use is the
UNIX-based micro-computer portable C compiler system developed by Chris Terman
of the M.I.T. Laboratory for Computer Science. The output of the microsystem
loader goes through a format conversion to produce a DOS ".COM" file stored in
the UNIX file system. We then transfer this file to the PC file system (using
the PC/IP network packages) to run it. We have used this micro-computer
development system on both a PDP-11/45 and a VAX with equal ease.
There are several ways in which the PC/IP programs depend on this particular
development system: structures describing packet formats and hardware register
formats depend on our C compiler's particular way of packing structures, our
assembler uses an untyped symbol table; our load file converter assumes
particular storage allocation strategies for code, stack, and heap storage.
Conversion of the source programs to a different compiler/assembler/loader
system is probably feasible, but is an effort whose magnitude should not be
underestimated. We recommend instead that the Terman micro-computer
development system be used. A note describing its availability, from Joy
Hoppe, is enclosed.
We are prepared to distribute copies of the PC/IP source programs on a 1600
BPI tape in UNIX tape archive ("TAR") format. Since the process of copying
does consume some time, materials, and system resources, we ask that
recipients help us pay for these reproduction costs. To receive a copy of
this software, send a check for $45, payable to "M.I.T. Laboratory for
Computer Science", with a cover letter requesting the PC/IP source. We will
send back, via UPS, a tape and a copy of the programmer's manual.
Legal Matters
M.I.T. does not require that recipients sign any license agreement to
receive, use, redistribute, or sell the PC/IP software. However the following
copyright, permission, and disclaimer notice applies to the PC/IP packages:
Copyright 1984 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these programs and their
documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that
this copyright and permission notice appear on all copies and supporting
documentation, the name of M.I.T. not be used in advertising or publicity
pertaining to distribution of the programs without specific prior permission,
and notice be given in supporting documentation that copying distribution is
by permission of M.I.T. M.I.T. makes no representations about the
suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without
express or implied warranty.
Contact points
U.S. Mail address to request either the runnable PC/IP diskette or
source language tape from M.I.T.:
Jerome H. Saltzer
M.I.T. Room NE43-513
545 Technology Square
Cambridge, Mass. 02139
Telephone (617) 253-6016
ARPANET address (preferred method for inquiries):
Saltzer @ MIT-Multics
Hardware network suppliers who can also supply a runnable PC/IP
diskette configured to run with their network interfaces:
Ethernet: 3Com Corporation
1365 Shorebird Way
Mountain View, California 94043
proNET: Proteon Associates
24 Crescent Street
Waltham, Massachusetts 02154
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Subject: Distribution of Micro-computer System Software
From: Joy A. Hoppe
The M.I.T. Laboratory for Computer Science has developed several
C-language systems for use with microcomputers. A typical system
includes: a version of Steve Johnson's portable C-compiler
modified to support a particular micro, a corresponding
assembler, a linker/loader, and various library routines.
Currently, versions of the portable C-compiler exist for:
Motorola 68000
Intel 8086/8087/8088
series microcomputers. We currently run this software on a VAX
11/780 running 4.1BSD UNIX. The software should run on any UNIX
system with sufficient machine address space: VAX systems, PDP11
systems with separate I and D space, and MC68000 systems, for
example.
In addition, the UNIX Version-7 kernel has been ported to the
M.I.T. NU Personal Computer which is based on the MC68000
microcomputer. This version of UNIX (referred to as "NUnix")
includes a high-resolution raster-scan "window facility" as part
of the device driver code.
The portable C-compiler and NUnix system software is available to
qualified outside users: namely those with UNIX V7, V32, or
System III source licenses from Wester Electric. We normally
distribute this software on 1600BPI mag-tapes in TAR format. To
receive any of this software, please send a copy of the title and
signature pages of your UNIX source license, a 600 ft. mag-tape,
and return postage. We will ship or send it back collect; please
make checks payable to the M.I.T. Laboratory for Computer Science.
Joy A. Hoppe
M.I.T. Laboratory for Computer Science
545 Technology Square, Rm. 417
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
Please specify in a cover letter what software you would like to
receive. Because of the volume of requests and the nature of the
Lab, we cannot supply mag-tapes, bill you for postage, etc., so
be sure to include these items with your request as detailed
above.
Please note that this software is provided by M.I.T. on an as-is
basis without promise of additional support or any guarantees as
to its operation. Informally, we are interested in hearing of
bugs, fixes, improvements, etc. that you may add/find. You can
send any such information to the address listed above or via
ARPANET mail to terman@mit-vax.
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--
-Brian Kantor, UC San Diego
Kantor@Nosc
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