[HN Gopher] Multics Public Access
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       Multics Public Access
        
       Author : nix23
       Score  : 85 points
       Date   : 2021-05-12 10:46 UTC (12 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (ban.ai)
 (TXT) w3m dump (ban.ai)
        
       | shakna wrote:
       | Aaand it's already down.
       | 
       | > ?Connection closed by peer.
       | 
       | Though the no ports available message from telnet is fun:
       | 
       | > DAVE...STOP. STOP, WILL YOU... STOP, DAVE...
       | 
       | > WILL YOU STOP, DAVE...
       | 
       | > STOP, DAVE...
        
         | mixmastamyk wrote:
         | _I'm afraid I can't do that Dave..._
        
       | the_only_law wrote:
       | Wow they have an actual X.25 network with a public PAD. I kinda
       | want to try an complete my X.25 stack now.
        
         | nix23 wrote:
         | YES and cross-connected to HECnet:
         | 
         | http://mim.update.uu.se/nodedb
        
       | kuratkull wrote:
       | The tarpit feature is not appreciated - it showed "Scanning
       | host..." and then the visual challenge (on the level of an AoC
       | task) timed out immediately and started slow-sending me data. Fun
       | to code I'm sure, not so fun to be on the receiving end. Oh, and
       | it also seems to have banned me after that one try.
        
       | JasonFruit wrote:
       | I've never gotten to mess around with Multics before. It has a
       | personality, and feels like something I could get work done with
       | once I was used to it.
        
         | nix23 wrote:
         | Yeah it's much more approachable then let's say MVS 3.8j
         | Tur(n)key 4
        
           | cptnapalm wrote:
           | Happen to know a good "getting started" site or book for MVS?
           | I rescued a small S/390 from a metal scrap dealer and, if the
           | Gods of lost software smile on me, would like one day to have
           | it up and running again.
        
             | nix23 wrote:
             | Sure:
             | 
             | -Moshix YT channel is pretty nice:
             | 
             | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR1ajTWGiUtiAv8X-hpBY7w
             | 
             | -And here some documentation and the MVS distribution:
             | 
             | http://wotho.ethz.ch/tk4-/
             | 
             | -AND the fantastic bit-savers...enough reading material for
             | a lifetime
             | 
             | https://bitsavers.computerhistory.org/pdf/ibm/370/
             | 
             | https://bitsavers.computerhistory.org/pdf/ibm/390/
             | 
             | I wish you lots of fun, and thanks for saving some history
             | ;)
        
               | bilegeek wrote:
               | To piggyback on your comment, Moshix also runs an HNET
               | relay network with MVS nodes.
               | 
               | Node name list: http://moshix.dynu.net/
               | 
               | Web interface: http://relayserver.dynu.net/
               | 
               | About page: https://relayserver.dynu.net/about
        
       | hulitu wrote:
       | Were there any graphics terminals for MULTICS ?
        
         | nix23 wrote:
         | A "Video" System
         | 
         | https://multics-wiki.swenson.org/index.php/Using_Multics#Com...
        
         | gumby wrote:
         | I only ever used video terminals -- i.e. ASCII terminals that
         | may have interpreted the ANSI position in commands. There was a
         | also SUPDUP server for Multics. The only program I used that
         | did cursor positioning was emacs.
         | 
         | "Graphics terminals", in the sense of bitmap displays, weren't
         | common throughout most of Multics's life. The first one I ever
         | used was the Alto.
        
           | larsbrinkhoff wrote:
           | Support for ARDS graphics seems common on 60s era MIT
           | operating systems.
        
             | bilegeek wrote:
             | Though keep in mind that Multics was more for the
             | business[1] side of things, despite being developed at MIT.
             | ITS was a hacker's OS, it was going to have more cool
             | stuff.
             | 
             | [1]https://multicians.org/site-timeline.html
             | 
             | Btw, great fan of your work at
             | https://github.com/PDP-10/its. Keep up the good work in
             | keeping computer history alive!
        
               | larsbrinkhoff wrote:
               | Thanks!
        
       | jolmg wrote:
       | Anyone know how to exit the TECO text editor? The `EX` command I
       | found on a manual[1] doesn't seem to be working:
       | teco       ZEX$$       BAD E       Z-1EX$$       BAD E
       | Z-1EX       $$       BAD E       Z
       | 
       | [1] http://www.copters.com/teco.html#RTFToC159
       | 
       | EDIT: Got it :P                 Z2+3$$       Z1/0$$
       | Error:  Attempt to divide by zero at teco$|2051
       | (>system_library_tools>bound_teco_)       system handler for
       | error returns to command level       r
       | Guest.Guest:>process_dir_dir>!BNLFBlpbBBBBBB  11:44 05/12/21
       | 0.193 5 level 2,13
       | 
       | Guess I have to read more to understand why it's putting me in a
       | math expression evaluation (?) `Z` prompt (which I haven't found
       | mentioned in a manual) rather than the `*` command prompt.
       | 
       | EDIT 2: Seems `eq` is the proper way to exit on this TECO:
       | Zeq$$       r Guest.Guest:>process_dir_dir>!BNLFBlpbBBBBBB  11:56
       | 05/12/21 0.034 3 level 2,13
       | 
       | I don't see that mentioned in other manuals online. I guess this
       | TECO is different from others?
        
         | larsbrinkhoff wrote:
         | Aren't they all? ITS TECO has yet some other way to exit.
        
           | [deleted]
        
       | nix23 wrote:
       | Connect with:
       | 
       | ssh multics@connect.ban.ai
       | 
       | And enjoy the impressive Steam library :)
       | 
       | wizard optut castle a3 maze craps backgammon banner wumpus
       | bound_strek strek blkjak cookie bound_dungeon dungeon adventure
       | cdungeon
        
         | hulitu wrote:
         | Any info about which HW it is running on ?
        
           | nix23 wrote:
           | Probably with the dps8m emulator:
           | 
           | https://gitlab.com/dps8m
           | 
           | https://gitlab.com/dps8m/dps8m
           | 
           | You can download multics frome here:
           | 
           | https://multicians.org/multics.html
        
       | nickdothutton wrote:
       | The future was taken away from what it might have been.
        
         | larsbrinkhoff wrote:
         | There's this idea that Multics failed. Maybe because of the
         | role it plays in Unix' origin myth. But it had a long and
         | productive life.
        
           | smackeyacky wrote:
           | Not only that, but influenced the development of operating
           | systems like GCOS (which predated it as GECOS), which is
           | still being used.
        
       | valyagolev wrote:
       | the domain is very promising (ban ai!) but I can't figure out why
       | it's used for this
        
       | tablespoon wrote:
       | How are they hosting this? Emulation? Or do the have a mainframe
       | running in someone's garage?
        
         | bilegeek wrote:
         | They are using the SimH DPS8M emulator. Here's a good page
         | about how to set it up yourself:
         | 
         | https://multicians.org/simulator.html
         | 
         | Unfortunately, while I'm aware of at least one preserved
         | Honeywell DPS-8/70M at the Computer History Museum, I'm unaware
         | of any running examples.
        
       | larsbrinkhoff wrote:
       | I think this will be the year of 36-bit on the desktop.
        
         | nix23 wrote:
         | Since Linux missed the Desktop and went strait to Mobile, there
         | is a real chance for Multics now ;)
        
       | DonHopkins wrote:
       | The NSA ran a Multics system on a DPS 8/70(M) called
       | "Dockmaster", which now resides at the Computer History Museum,
       | thanks to Eugene Miya:
       | 
       | https://multicians.org/site-dockmaster.html
       | 
       | >The DOCKMASTER IMP was hit by lightning in July 1986 and was
       | down for many weeks.
       | 
       | http://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/honeywell-DPS8.html
       | 
       | http://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/vs-honeywell-dps-8.jpg
       | 
       | Somebody broke into Dockmaster in October 1986!
       | 
       | https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1988/12/03/c...
       | 
       | >Pat Coulson, an NSA spokeswoman, confirmed the 1986 security
       | breach of Dockmaster, which she said was discovered six days
       | after the "first known misuse" of a password and compromised
       | information used by an unnamed corporation.
       | 
       | Cliff Stoll wrote about Dockmaster in The Cuckoo's Egg:
       | 
       | http://bayrampasamakina.com/tr/pdf_stoll_4_1.pdf
       | 
       | >Mr. Big fidgeted a bit, meaning that the meeting was about to
       | break up. Greg asked one more question: "What machines has he
       | attacked?"
       | 
       | >"Ours, of course, and the Army base in Anniston. He's tried to
       | get into White Sands Missile Range, and some Navy shipyard in
       | Maryland. I think it's called Dockmaster."
       | 
       | >"Shit!" Greg and Teejay simultaneously exclaimed. Mr. Big looked
       | at them quizzically. Greg said, "How do you know he hit
       | Dockmaster?"
       | 
       | >"About the same time he screwed up our accounting, this
       | Dockmaster place sent us a message saying that someone had tried
       | to break in there." I didn't know what the big deal was.
       | 
       | >"Did he succeed?"
       | 
       | >"I don't think so. What is this Dockmaster place, anyway? Aren't
       | they some Navy shipyard?"
       | 
       | >They whispered among themselves, and Mr. Big nodded. Greg
       | explained, "Dockmaster isn't a Navy shipyard. It's run by the
       | National Security Agency."
       | 
       | >A hacker breaking into NSA? Bizarre. This guy wanted to get into
       | the CIA, the NSA, Army missile bases, and the North American Air
       | Defense headquarters.
       | 
       | >I knew a little about the NSA. They're the secret electronics
       | spooks that listen in on foreign radio broadcasts. They launch
       | satellites to listen to Soviet telephone calls. I'd heard (and
       | didn't believe) rumors that they record every overseas phone call
       | and telegram.
       | 
       | Here's some discussion about Dockmaster, which was on MILNET IMP
       | 57, and the rumored "explosive bolts" on the ARPA/MILNET
       | gateways:
       | 
       | https://inbox.vuxu.org/tuhs/0906195E-E904-4D29-8F59-DEFC63B3...
       | DCA must have the ability to partition the ARPANET and MILNET in
       | case of an "emergency", and having non-DCA controlled paths
       | between           the nets prevents that.  There was talk some
       | time ago about putting           explosive bolts in the
       | mailbridges that would be triggered by           destruct
       | packets...  That idea didn't get far though...
       | [...] Milo '1822' Medin
        
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       (page generated 2021-05-12 23:02 UTC)