Disgusting kernel hack

[ebk at iedl02.UUCP]

References: root44.4353
> But I don't always want to have to type Return all the time, and
> I also think that the kernel recognising \b as a special character is
> a disgusting hack. If we are supposed to use |more rather than leaving
> the 60's idea of a teletype driver(!!!!!) then why not also have some
> PROGRAM which recognises ^H,^C,^Z,^S,^Q etc.

Because then the kernel would have to switch contexts every time anyone
hit a character.  (Unless you want to have a PROGRAM to switch contexts!)

Although I totally agree philosophically with the people who object to putting
something not necessary in the kernel, I think one function that it is in the
nature of the kernel to provide is the i/o interface. I like Berkeley's ntty
driver, with ^W, etc.

The original source for ^W and ^O was TOPS-10, the DEC-10 OS.
TOPS-10 also had a setting 'SET TTY PAGE nn', and whenever nn lines were
sent to the terminal *without a keypress during that time*,
it would stop, and wait for a key to resume. (It might wait only for ^Q,
I don't remember.)

So why not 'stty page 24' to turn it on, 'stty -page' to turn it off,
and if you don't want it, you never see it.  Less than a page of code
in the driver, a few lines in stty, and you have a simple, clean,
UNIX-LIKE pager.  (I don't think more is very Unix-like at all!)

John Owens
...!duke!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!icase!oducs1!owens_j