Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bbn!rochester!ur-tut!sunybcs!boulder!hao!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!QUABBIN.SCRC.SYMBOLICS.COM!DCP
From: DCP@QUABBIN.SCRC.SYMBOLICS.COM (David C. Plummer)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Where to find... supdup and tn3270 specs
Message-ID: <19880121143457.7.DCP@SWAN.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>
Date: 21 Jan 88 14:34:00 GMT
References: <8801201737.AA03778@braden.isi.edu>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 19


    Date: Wed, 20 Jan 88 09:37:35 PST
    From: braden@venera.isi.edu

    Some people think SUPDUP is a swell protocol.  Why doesn't one of them
    take the time to write a reasonable protocol RFC on SUPDUP, without
    assuming 36-bit machines.  Then the rest of the Internet world can
    find out how wonderful SUPDUP is.

As MRC said, SUPDUP does not assume 36-bit machines.  Depending on what
level of abstraction you choose to take, the RFC either does or does not
assume 36 bit machines.  What the RFC does is abstract various
quantities into 36 bit words and uses some PDP-10 notation conventions.
That's an abstraction, one of many possible abstractions, and in many
senses just as valid as any other abstraction (e.g., one that assumes
Vaxen or 68000s) one might use to (re)write the RFC with.

Maybe what you are asking for is an appendix which describes how to
pack, unback and interpret the 36-bit quantities for "normal" machines?