Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site kobold.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!eagle!mit-vax!grkermit!masscomp!kobold!tjt From: tjt@kobold.UUCP Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards Subject: Re: Disgusting kernel hack Message-ID: <266@kobold.UUCP> Date: Wed, 1-Feb-84 10:49:22 EST Article-I.D.: kobold.266 Posted: Wed Feb 1 10:49:22 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 8-Feb-84 02:27:50 EST References: <15951@sri-arpa.UUCP> <3810@genrad.UUCP> <377@rayssd.UUCP> Organization: Masscomp, Westford, MA Lines: 17 The problem with using a terminal-based pager (e.g. "hold-screen mode" on VT52's and lookalikes) is that it halts every 24 lines, need it or not. A typical pager built into the system will only pause if there has been a screenful of output since the last input wait. This accomodates Dennis Ritchie's interactive mode (the user types a line or two, the computer types a line or two, the user types another line ...) without forcing a pause every 24 lines. Someone proposed a terminal "hold-screen mode" that is reset whenever the user types a key. This is *not* the same since I don't want typeahead to thaw my page mode, and only the OS knows when I'm in input wait. Indeed, some care should be taken in a kernel pager to leave typeahead undisturbed (at least for the simple case of pausing and continueing -- aborting the output should probably flush the typeahead). -- Tom Teixeira, Massachusetts Computer Corporation. Westford MA ...!{ihnp4,harpo,decvax}!masscomp!tjt (617) 692-6200 x275