Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ames.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!mhuxn!mhuxr!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!bellcore!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!hao!ames!eugene
From: eugene@ames.UUCP (Eugene Miya)
Newsgroups: net.arch,net.space,net.unix
Subject: Keywords: ELXSI, Dryden Flight Facility, EMBOS
Message-ID: <1021@ames.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 20-Jun-85 20:34:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: ames.1021
Posted: Thu Jun 20 20:34:16 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 24-Jun-85 02:28:37 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 44
Xref: watmath net.arch:1460 net.space:4172 net.unix:4862

Today, we sent down to the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility
to view a 4 processor ELXSI system which was purchased about 1 year ago.

Several interesting observations:

For net.space: lots of neat aircraft sitting on the runway.  A shuttle
mission was in progress.  What struck me: the many aircraft hangers
which are like garages except with things which fly, row after row of hangers.
Row upon row of interesting aircraft: F-111s, F-4, T-33s, T-38s, F-14s,
F-15s, F-16s, the F-20 with a film crew (probably making a commercial),
B-52s, the Scissor wing, the LEM trainer, X-1, M-24 (lifting body).
The M-24 is surprising because there is so much wood (frame) and
it's inside has a "just struck togther look."  It's next to some
recreational camping trailers at the Dryden Rec Office: reminds me
something you can borrow for the weekend.

For net.arch: the system was configured with 4 processors, two memory
controllers and an I/O controller.  There are about 10 disks (8 Fujitsu
Eagles), and a Hyperchannel to several SEL-32s.  This system is replacing
a Cyber 70 series mainframe.

For net.unix: EMBOS is tauted as UNIX-like.  It's to a degree like UNIX
as VMS is (sort of) like UNIX.  They are running release 9 of version 1
of EMBOS.  It uses main memory intelligently for performance (caching)
and minimizes big I/O (but you can feel this at times).  The editor is
emacs with a slightly different set of keybindings.  Unix SV.2 is not
yet running on this system.  I can give more info to those people interested
if you send me mail.  You have to get use to things like:

	v --- prompt
	: infile > proc > outfile
	: infile > proc ->> outfile
			^ -- concat stderr as well as stdout to outfile
	: infile > proc1 | proc2 >> outfile || proc3
					    ^--- "||" == unix '&'
	commands like files == ls == vms directory
		      dir   == cd,pwd == set default
		      bind  == ld == link
		      and so on

--eugene miya
  NASA Ames Research Center
  {hplabs,ihnp4,dual,hao,decwrl,allegra}!ames!aurora!eugene
  emiya@ames-vmsb.ARPA