A86: Re: TI-UX (was Unix shell)


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A86: Re: TI-UX (was Unix shell)




>Originaly, unix commands were not designed to be easy to remember, but easy
>to type. ls, cd... It would be nice, but probably not practical to have
>commands like those. My idea for the unix shell would be like a sub-OS. It
>would sit on top of TI-OS, allowing you to do everything you can do with
>TI-OS, along with things designed for TI-UX (official name? pronounced

You could just make all the new commands ASAPs, so you wouldn't even need to
build a new prompt or anything.  And you could install them to the custom
menu, so you wouldn't even have to type them if you didn't want.

>tee-ux) like programs designed for TI-UX. Most things would be done from a
>prompt (#) and you would be able to do regular math from within TI-UX. As
>the memory structure of the TI-86 does not allow for directories without
>completly rewriting the ROM (anybody want to do this for everyone? I didn't

Umm, rewrite the Read Only Memory?  Sure.  So you could use it on your
emulator, maybe.  But this would be running on your computer, so you could
just, hmm, use Linux?  Directories aren't possible, but you could make a
pkzip type program to compress multiple variables into a single variable.
You could also make a viewer for this so you could see what variables are in
the "zip" variable.  That would be nice.

>think so), there would be no need for cd. Alpha mode would probably work
>exactly opposite of the way it works in TI-OS. The calc would be in alpha
>unless turned off to do math. With a little practice, using an alphabetic

Just how many commands are you going to be needing to type in?  Switching to
alpha for two letter commands wouldn't be very hard, considering how much of
a pain it would be to turn it off to work out a math problem.  And if you
stick the commands in the custom menu, you wouldn't have to type them at
all.  This is a calculator, not a hand-held computer...

>keyboard should not be too hard. Script configuration of TI-UX would be
nice

Script configuration?  It's built in:  TI-BASIC.  TI-BASIC would execute any
number of user commands if they were made into ASAPs.  And it provides a
handy editor for them as well.  Multiple commands can even be run from the
homescreen if separated by a colon.

>also. Could be used for programs to be started at startup. There is no need
>for multiusers. This was only in unix for security. All that is needed for
>security is a simple password. Once started, there would be no need to
exit,

Why replace the homescreen?  All the homescreen does is parse commands that
are entered and execute them.

>but and emergency exit function would be added. Shutdown (which should be
>'sd') would be used to exit the prompt and display a password prompt, which
>would shutdown the calc after a couple of minutes, or shutdown right away,
>as alpha does in  the Rascall shell.

Isn't it far easier to hit 2nd-off to turn off the calc than it is to type
in two letters and hit enter?  I sure think it is.  If you made alpha turn
off the calc (I do agree it's a very handy for a shell, which is why I hate
ASE 1.3), how would you get into/out of alpha mode?  There is no free key on
the keypad besides ON that could be used for one-button shut off that
wouldn't hinder using the calc for math.  Although it might be a little
easier to have on toggle the calc on/of (as long as it was required to be
released each time before toggling).

>
>Most importantly, TI-UX should be able to completly replace (overlay)
TI-OS.

Why replace the TI-OS?  Doesn't it do everything you want it to?  The only
thing that is accomplished easier by a separate program is a shell, and
there are already _plenty_ of those.  Using ASAPs for more Unix-like
commands would be the best way, imho, to make the calc more Unix-friendly.

--
David Phillips <david@acz.org>
http://www.acz.org/