The old is new again - Not IBM related, but I hope interesting

2012-05-02 Thread McKown, John
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=plugable_multiseat_kick&num=1

This is a USB device which can plug into a normal PC running Linux (Fedora 17 
is mentioned). You then connect a DisplayLink monitor, USB keyboard and mouse 
to the device. And you have a multi-user system on a single PC. Not a "server" 
PC with other PCs connected as "clients", but just one single PC. Reminds me of 
what could be done with MP/M-80 (the multiuser version of CP/M-80), except back 
then it was a serial (RS-232?) connected keyboard/display. Or, maybe, an S/360 
with a 2260(?) or 3272(?).


John McKown
Systems Engineer IV
IT

Administrative Services Group

HealthMarkets(r)

9151 Boulevard 26 * N. Richland Hills * TX 76010
(817) 255-3225 phone *
john.mck...@healthmarkets.com * www.HealthMarkets.com

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MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company.SM


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Re: The old is new again - Not IBM related, but I hope interesting

2012-05-02 Thread Paul Gilmartin
On Wed, 2 May 2012 07:00:37 -0500, McKown, John wrote:

> http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=plugable_multiseat_kick&num=1
>
>This is a USB device which can plug into a normal PC running Linux (Fedora 17 
>is mentioned). You then connect a DisplayLink monitor, USB keyboard and mouse 
>to the device. And you have a multi-user system on a single PC. Not a "server" 
>PC with other PCs connected as "clients", but just one single PC. Reminds me 
>of what could be done with MP/M-80 (the multiuser version of CP/M-80), except 
>back then it was a serial (RS-232?) connected keyboard/display. Or, maybe, an 
>S/360 with a 2260(?) or 3272(?).
> 
Ah!  The complement to the KVM switch!  But it probably has the "client" PC
embedded in the USB plug.  I wonder what OS it runs?  Is there an X11
server either in the USB plug or in the DisplayLink monitor?  Does it need
a driver?

-- gil

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Re: The old is new again - Not IBM related, but I hope interesting

2012-05-02 Thread McKown, John
Doesn't really say __how__ it works internally. The author simply says that, on 
Fedora 17, it is truly "plug and play". He plugged it into a PC running Fedora 
and he immediately saw a GDM login screen. He said performance was generally 
good, except for some HD video from YouTube. 

This is a "Kickstart" project, which means it isn't ready yet. From the 
Kickstart page, it implies this is an all hardware solution using ASICs.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1666707630/plugable-thin-client-the-50-computer

--
John McKown 
Systems Engineer IV
IT

Administrative Services Group

HealthMarkets(r)

9151 Boulevard 26 * N. Richland Hills * TX 76010
(817) 255-3225 phone * 
john.mck...@healthmarkets.com * www.HealthMarkets.com

Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message may contain confidential or 
proprietary information. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact 
the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. 
HealthMarkets(r) is the brand name for products underwritten and issued by the 
insurance subsidiaries of HealthMarkets, Inc. -The Chesapeake Life Insurance 
Company(r), Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of TennesseeSM and The 
MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company.SM

> -Original Message-
> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List 
> [mailto:IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Paul Gilmartin
> Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 7:41 AM
> To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu
> Subject: Re: The old is new again - Not IBM related, but I 
> hope interesting
> 
> On Wed, 2 May 2012 07:00:37 -0500, McKown, John wrote:
> 
> > 
> http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=plugable_mu
> ltiseat_kick&num=1
> >
> >This is a USB device which can plug into a normal PC running 
> Linux (Fedora 17 is mentioned). You then connect a 
> DisplayLink monitor, USB keyboard and mouse to the device. 
> And you have a multi-user system on a single PC. Not a 
> "server" PC with other PCs connected as "clients", but just 
> one single PC. Reminds me of what could be done with MP/M-80 
> (the multiuser version of CP/M-80), except back then it was a 
> serial (RS-232?) connected keyboard/display. Or, maybe, an 
> S/360 with a 2260(?) or 3272(?).
> > 
> Ah!  The complement to the KVM switch!  But it probably has 
> the "client" PC
> embedded in the USB plug.  I wonder what OS it runs?  Is there an X11
> server either in the USB plug or in the DisplayLink monitor?  
> Does it need
> a driver?
> 
> -- gil
> 
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> send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
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> 

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Re: The old is new again - Not IBM related, but I hope interesting

2012-05-02 Thread Anne & Lynn Wheeler
john.mck...@healthmarkets.com (McKown, John) writes:
> http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=plugable_multiseat_kick&num=1
>
> This is a USB device which can plug into a normal PC running Linux
> (Fedora 17 is mentioned). You then connect a DisplayLink monitor, USB
> keyboard and mouse to the device. And you have a multi-user system on
> a single PC. Not a "server" PC with other PCs connected as "clients",
> but just one single PC. Reminds me of what could be done with MP/M-80
> (the multiuser version of CP/M-80), except back then it was a serial
> (RS-232?) connected keyboard/display. Or, maybe, an S/360 with a
> 2260(?) or 3272(?).

cp67 (ran on 360/67) delivered to the univ. jan1968 had support for 2741
(selectric typewriter with computer/rs-232 interface) and 1052 (sort of
like 360 1052-7 operators console with rs-232 interface) terminals.

the univ. had ascii/tty terminals ... so I added tty/ascii terminal
support. the 2741/1052 support did games with switching terminal
controller SAD command ... associated terminal specific line-scanner
with each port/line ... so I added tty/ascii support in similar manner.
I had wanted to have single dial-up number (hunt group) for all dial-up
terminals ... but ibm terminal controller had taken short-cut ... while
it was possible to change line-scanner, the line-speed was hard-wired
for each port/line ... 2741&1052 operated at same line-speed, but
tty/ascii was different speed.

this somewhat was motivation for univ. to start clone controller
project, reverse engineered 360 channel interface and build channel
interface board for Interdata/3 programmed to emulate ibm terminal
controller (but also supporting dynamic line-speed). Interdata then
takes the implementation and markets as clone controller; Perken-Elmer
then buys Interdata and continues to market under their own brand (30
yrs later ran across one in large east coast datacenter handling large
percentage of point-of-sale dial-up terminals in the US). There is some
write-up blaming four of us for (some part of) IBM clone controller
business. past posts mentioning clone controller
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/subtopic.html#360pcm

This claims a major motivation for the Future System effort was clone
controller business. There is also some implication that major design
criteria for SNA was tight integration between NCP&VTAM ... a
continuation of the FS goals:
http://www.ecole.org/Crisis_and_change_1995_1.htm

And then Ferguson & Morris book, "Computer Wars: The Post-IBM World",
Time Books, 1993, mention that distraction of Future System and killing
off work on 370 products ... and then after Future System imploded and
delays in getting 370 efforts restarted, allowed clone processors to
gain market foothold.

before there was ms/dos there was seattle computer,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS-DOS
before seattle computer there was cp/m,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Computer_Products
before there was cp/m there was cp67/cms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CP/M

kildall worked on cp67/cms at npg (gone 404, but lives on at the
wayback machine)
http://web.archive.org/web/20071011100440/http://www.khet.net/gmc/docs/museum/en_cpmName.html

npg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Postgraduate_School

cp67/cms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CP/CMS

there is also folklore that person that did mp/m-80 had done a lot of
work on cp67/cms

-- 
virtualization experience starting Jan1968, online at home since Mar1970

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Re: The old is new again - Not IBM related, but I hope interesting

2012-05-02 Thread Tomasz Rola
On Wed, 2 May 2012, Paul Gilmartin wrote:

> On Wed, 2 May 2012 07:00:37 -0500, McKown, John wrote:
> 
> > http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=plugable_multiseat_kick&num=1
> >
> >This is a USB device which can plug into a normal PC running Linux 
> >(Fedora 17 is mentioned). You then connect a DisplayLink monitor, USB 
> >keyboard and mouse to the device. And you have a multi-user system on a 
> >single PC. Not a "server" PC with other PCs connected as "clients", but 
> >just one single PC. Reminds me of what could be done with MP/M-80 (the 
> >multiuser version of CP/M-80), except back then it was a serial 
> >(RS-232?) connected keyboard/display. Or, maybe, an S/360 with a 
> >2260(?) or 3272(?).
> > 
> 
> Ah!  The complement to the KVM switch!  But it probably has the "client" 
> PC embedded in the USB plug.  I wonder what OS it runs?  Is there an X11 
> server either in the USB plug or in the DisplayLink monitor?  Does it 
> need a driver?

I would use either X11 or RDP/VNC. And just recently I have learned about 
Wayland, which is to be alternative to X, because X is "too complicated" 
(which doesn't mean Wayland stays simple over long time).

Actually, I would consider using some cheap netbooted laptop(s), because I 
don't have to care about Windows drivers :-). And to run X-server with 
non-demanding 2D apps, I think 64MB of ram is much more than sufficient 
(nowadays, it will be a bit hard to find machine with this low mem).

Regards,
Tomasz Rola

--
** A C programmer asked whether computer had Buddha's nature.  **
** As the answer, master did "rm -rif" on the programmer's home**
** directory. And then the C programmer became enlightened...  **
** **
** Tomasz Rola  mailto:tomasz_r...@bigfoot.com **

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Re: The old is new again - Not IBM related, but I hope interesting

2012-05-02 Thread DiBianca, Robert
John,
I didn't think anyone remembered MP/M-80, let alone what it did!

Back in the 80's, I put together MP/M-80 machines and wrote application 
software for them.  We benchmarked our 7-8 user systems and ran better than any 
DEC multi user system.

We were even the first Iomega customer and designed a board to allow their 8" 
cartridge to work as a high capacity (10M) storage device. 

Ah, the old days.  How fun was that? My, we've come a long, long way in 25 
years.

Robert

-Original Message-
From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of 
McKown, John
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 8:01 AM
To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu
Subject: The old is new again - Not IBM related, but I hope interesting

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=plugable_multiseat_kick&num=1

This is a USB device which can plug into a normal PC running Linux (Fedora 17 
is mentioned). You then connect a DisplayLink monitor, USB keyboard and mouse 
to the device. And you have a multi-user system on a single PC. Not a "server" 
PC with other PCs connected as "clients", but just one single PC. Reminds me of 
what could be done with MP/M-80 (the multiuser version of CP/M-80), except back 
then it was a serial (RS-232?) connected keyboard/display. Or, maybe, an S/360 
with a 2260(?) or 3272(?).


John McKown
Systems Engineer IV
IT

Administrative Services Group

HealthMarkets(r)

9151 Boulevard 26 * N. Richland Hills * TX 76010
(817) 255-3225 phone *
john.mck...@healthmarkets.com * www.HealthMarkets.com

Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message may contain confidential or 
proprietary information. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact 
the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. 
HealthMarkets(r) is the brand name for products underwritten and issued by the 
insurance subsidiaries of HealthMarkets, Inc. -The Chesapeake Life Insurance 
Company(r), Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of TennesseeSM and The 
MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company.SM


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Re: The old is new again - Not IBM related, but I hope interesting

2012-05-02 Thread Mike Schwab
http://plugable.com/products/

The two products are already in production.  This kickstarter project
is to do 1 large order for a lower unit cost.

On Wed, May 2, 2012 at 8:05 AM, McKown, John
 wrote:
> Doesn't really say __how__ it works internally. The author simply says that, 
> on Fedora 17, it is truly "plug and play". He plugged it into a PC running 
> Fedora and he immediately saw a GDM login screen. He said performance was 
> generally good, except for some HD video from YouTube.
>
> This is a "Kickstart" project, which means it isn't ready yet. From the 
> Kickstart page, it implies this is an all hardware solution using ASICs.
>
> http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1666707630/plugable-thin-client-the-50-computer
>
> --
> John McKown
>
>> -Original Message-
>> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List
>> [mailto:IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Paul Gilmartin
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 7:41 AM
>> To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu
>> Subject: Re: The old is new again - Not IBM related, but I
>> hope interesting
>>
>> On Wed, 2 May 2012 07:00:37 -0500, McKown, John wrote:
>>
>> >
>> http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=plugable_multiseat_kick&num=1
>> >
>> >This is a USB device which can plug into a normal PC running
>> Linux (Fedora 17 is mentioned). You then connect a
>> DisplayLink monitor, USB keyboard and mouse to the device.
>> And you have a multi-user system on a single PC. Not a
>> "server" PC with other PCs connected as "clients", but just
>> one single PC. Reminds me of what could be done with MP/M-80
>> (the multiuser version of CP/M-80), except back then it was a
>> serial (RS-232?) connected keyboard/display. Or, maybe, an
>> S/360 with a 2260(?) or 3272(?).
>> >
>> Ah!  The complement to the KVM switch!  But it probably has
>> the "client" PC
>> embedded in the USB plug.  I wonder what OS it runs?  Is there an X11
>> server either in the USB plug or in the DisplayLink monitor?
>> Does it need
>> a driver?
>>
>> -- gil

-- 
Mike A Schwab, Springfield IL USA
Where do Forest Rangers go to get away from it all?

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Re: The old is new again - Not IBM related, but I hope interesting

2012-05-02 Thread McKown, John
Thanks. I followed the wrong links, I guess.

-- 
John McKown 
Systems Engineer IV
IT

Administrative Services Group

HealthMarkets®

9151 Boulevard 26 . N. Richland Hills . TX 76010
(817) 255-3225 phone . 
john.mck...@healthmarkets.com . www.HealthMarkets.com

Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message may contain confidential or 
proprietary information. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact 
the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. 
HealthMarkets® is the brand name for products underwritten and issued by the 
insurance subsidiaries of HealthMarkets, Inc. -The Chesapeake Life Insurance 
Company®, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of TennesseeSM and The MEGA 
Life and Health Insurance Company.SM

> -Original Message-
> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List 
> [mailto:IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Mike Schwab
> Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 12:30 PM
> To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu
> Subject: Re: The old is new again - Not IBM related, but I 
> hope interesting
> 
> http://plugable.com/products/
> 
> The two products are already in production.  This kickstarter project
> is to do 1 large order for a lower unit cost.
> 
> On Wed, May 2, 2012 at 8:05 AM, McKown, John
>  wrote:
> > Doesn't really say __how__ it works internally. The author 
> simply says that, on Fedora 17, it is truly "plug and play". 
> He plugged it into a PC running Fedora and he immediately saw 
> a GDM login screen. He said performance was generally good, 
> except for some HD video from YouTube.
> >
> > This is a "Kickstart" project, which means it isn't ready 
> yet. From the Kickstart page, it implies this is an all 
> hardware solution using ASICs.
> >
> > 
> http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1666707630/plugable-thin-c
> lient-the-50-computer
> >
> > --
> > John McKown
> >
> >> -Original Message-
> >> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List
> >> [mailto:IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Paul Gilmartin
> >> Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 7:41 AM
> >> To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu
> >> Subject: Re: The old is new again - Not IBM related, but I
> >> hope interesting
> >>
> >> On Wed, 2 May 2012 07:00:37 -0500, McKown, John wrote:
> >>
> >> >
> >> 
> http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=plugable_mu
> ltiseat_kick&num=1
> >> >
> >> >This is a USB device which can plug into a normal PC running
> >> Linux (Fedora 17 is mentioned). You then connect a
> >> DisplayLink monitor, USB keyboard and mouse to the device.
> >> And you have a multi-user system on a single PC. Not a
> >> "server" PC with other PCs connected as "clients", but just
> >> one single PC. Reminds me of what could be done with MP/M-80
> >> (the multiuser version of CP/M-80), except back then it was a
> >> serial (RS-232?) connected keyboard/display. Or, maybe, an
> >> S/360 with a 2260(?) or 3272(?).
> >> >
> >> Ah!  The complement to the KVM switch!  But it probably has
> >> the "client" PC
> >> embedded in the USB plug.  I wonder what OS it runs?  Is 
> there an X11
> >> server either in the USB plug or in the DisplayLink monitor?
> >> Does it need
> >> a driver?
> >>
> >> -- gil
> 
> -- 
> Mike A Schwab, Springfield IL USA
> Where do Forest Rangers go to get away from it all?
> 
> --
> For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions,
> send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
> 
> 

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