Unix from Lispm. [was Symbolics prices (not only in Europe)]

[p2@porter.asl.dialnet.symbolics.com (Peter Paine)]

    Date: Tue, 3 Sep 1991 18:02-0000
    From: DE@PHOENIX.SCH.Symbolics.COM (Doug Evans)

	Date: Mon, 2 Sep 1991 04:19 PDT
	From: p2@porter.asl.dialnet.symbolics.com (Peter Paine)

	     Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1991 21:44-0000
	     From: Reti@STONY-BROOK.SCRC.Symbolics.COM (Kalman Reti)

	     [...]

	     (My facetious suggestion of porting Unix to run under Genera would allow for
	     solve the Unix-system part of the problem.  This isn't as bad an idea as it
	     sounds; when we ported several VLSI tools to the Symbolics C the type-checking
	     found several unitialized variable-style bugs which would have caused wrong
	     answers on traditional architecture machines.)

	On a parallel note, my 3600 console has what looks suspiciously to a
	68000 based unix processor sleeping in it.

	What is the history behind that?

    What a terrible assumption!!!  68000 series processors should NEVER be
    associated with UNIX!  They should be associated with the much more
    sane Macintosh computers.  (I ought to cc unix-haters on this one ;-)

    Symbolics used 68000 series processors in the FEP (front end processor)
    on 3600 family machines and on the original LEMO style console for the
    3600.  Newer consoles use less expensive 8048 microprocessors with
    on-chip PROM.

    The 68000s used were not programmed in UNIX, but with a proprietary
    crosscomplier called LIL (for Lisp-like Interpreter Langauage).

I can't resist groveling in public.

But ... (vainly attempting to pass the buck) a certain Phil Greenspun
came over to the UK to have a hack on our 3600 in about 1983. It was his
assertion that the original intention had been to have a wee unix
processor available in the 3600 console. Maybe there was some confusion
with the LMI/TI ambitions to integrate the virus and Lisp.

I thought, finding the hacks demos a bit dull, that the XL3600 might
have a play-station chipset embedded in the console just to while away
idle hours.


Wasn't LIL Howard Canon's baby? And what has become of him?