Re^2: File::Basename and File::MMagic for File Downloads from Website

we had a computer whose file system consisted of a piece of a paper with file names and sector addresses at my last job

How long has it been since you have changed jobs? My architecture professor used that as an example of how the OS has come to mask out the hardware differences at least 15 years ago. The example he was using was from long before that, in his younger days.

--MidLifeXis (not sure if he is hiding grey in his blond locks yet)

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Re^3: File::Basename and File::MMagic for File Downloads from Website by ikegami (Patriarch) on Nov 21, 2008 at 19:45 UTC
Recently, but that's not relevant. Said computer is still in use, controlling a nuclear reactor. It's a replica of a 1972 computer. (36 years!) It has 64KB of RAM, but since it's only word addressable, it has only 32K addresses. I can't remember what it has for disk space, but we're talking about a few of MB max. (I think 3MB up from an original 1MB.) It has a custom made OS called "the Executive" or "EXEC" after it's file name. You can't exactly load linux on it. EXEC provided I/O functions and some library functions. A file system was deemed unnecessary. Alarming (logging) is done to a CRT (which won't clear even if something happens to the computer) and to a printer. The computer can also talk to PC that pretends to be a paper tape device.	[reply]

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Re^3: File::Basename and File::MMagic for File Downloads from Website
by ikegami (Patriarch) on Nov 21, 2008 at 19:45 UTC

Recently, but that's not relevant. Said computer is still in use, controlling a nuclear reactor. It's a replica of a 1972 computer. (36 years!) It has 64KB of RAM, but since it's only word addressable, it has only 32K addresses. I can't remember what it has for disk space, but we're talking about a few of MB max. (I think 3MB up from an original 1MB.)

It has a custom made OS called "the Executive" or "EXEC" after it's file name. You can't exactly load linux on it. EXEC provided I/O functions and some library functions. A file system was deemed unnecessary.

Alarming (logging) is done to a CRT (which won't clear even if something happens to the computer) and to a printer. The computer can also talk to PC that pretends to be a paper tape device.

[reply]