ExperLink (?) query

[Carl W. Hoffman <CWH@MIT-ZERMATT.ARPA>]

    Date: Fri, 23 May 86 09:13:48 jst
    From: Hisao NOJIMA <nttlab!nojima@su-shasta.arpa>

    I heard there is a program for Macintosh that allows us to use single
    Symbolics with many people  (like Time Sharing System).

    Is there really such a program ?  (According to him, it is called
    Experlink.  I suppose it comes from Expertelligence, but it is not
    available in Japan.)

I seriously doubt that there is any Macintosh program which does what you
describe.  Turning a Symbolics machine into a true time-shared multi-user
system would require a great deal of software to be written for the Symbolics
machine, in addition to any code which might be running on the Macintosh.

The Macintosh software you are referring to is probably some program which
simply utilizes the EVAL server on the Symbolics machine or perhaps one of the
remote login servers (TTY-LOGIN, TELNET, SUPDUP, or 3600-LOGIN).

The remote login servers, which were greatly enhanced in Release 6, allow
multiple terminals to be connected to one Symbolics machine so that multiple
users can type at the machine simultaneously.  This is not the same thing as
using the machine as a multi-user Lisp development system.  All of the
Symbolics program development tools are currently oriented toward having only
one Lisp programmer using the machine at a time.  Furthermore, most programs
which utilize the window system cannot be operated remotely.  However, users
can develop applications which allow multiple users to share the machine
assuming that certain guidelines are followed.

Multiple terminals can be connected to the machine by connecting ordinary
ASCII terminals (or personal computers with terminal programs) to the serial
ports or by connecting network virtual terminals.  For information on how to
do this, see the documentation section titled "Remote Login".