Newsgroups: alt.sys.pdp10,alt.folklore.computers,comp.lang.lisp,alt.os.multics
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!oitnews.harvard.edu!news.sesqui.net!uuneo.neosoft.com!bonkers.taronga.com!peter
From: peter@bonkers.taronga.com (Peter da Silva)
Subject: Re: Retro-Computing!
Organization: Taronga Park BBS
Message-ID: <D6qKIq.uG@bonkers.taronga.com>
References: <D5yxwn.5BG@sdf.saomai.org> <D6o173.8p3@lincoln.gpsemi.com> <D6q2xq.HHq@bonkers.taronga.com> <BURLEY.95Apr8131716@apple-gunkies.gnu.ai.mit.edu>
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 1995 21:47:14 GMT
Lines: 24

In article <BURLEY.95Apr8131716@apple-gunkies.gnu.ai.mit.edu>,
Craig Burley <burley@gnu.ai.mit.edu> wrote:
>In article <D6q2xq.HHq@bonkers.taronga.com> peter@bonkers.taronga.com (Peter da Silva) writes:
>   All the original UNIX commands were two letter abbreviations (ls for list,
>   rm for remove, etc...) because they were using ASR33 teletypes (why do you
>   thing /dev/tty has that name?) with little round stiff keys and a clumsy
>   action that made touch-typing almost impossible.

>Fascinating.  I just switched VC's on my Linux system to one at a bash
>prompt, typed "LS", and got "sh: LS: command not found".

I don't know if Linux supports this, but try "stty lcase" or "stty iuclc".

>Does this mean compatibility means NOTHING to these UNIX people?  Or
>were their ASR33's modified to send lowercase characters?

No, there's a lower-case translation mode in the device driver. I don't know
if LINUX has implemented it, or if BASH works correctly under it.

(checking his own box)

Hmmm... looks like it's gone the way of the PDP-11.

(removes hat, observes moment of silence)
