On 2018 Jul 09 01:46:50, you wrote to Michiel van der Vlist:

 MvdV>> FOSSIL --> Fido Opus Seadog Serial Interface Layer.

 MvdV>> A fossil was needed to make use of the advanced features of the
 MvdV>> 16550 UART. It is a HARDWARE interface. Calling a virtual interface
 MvdV>> a FOSSIL is an abuse of terms.

 KE> My memory is that fossil was needed, because the was a difference
 KE> between the IPM PC and the DEC rainbow, inthe way the seriaport was
 KE> handled.

yes, the FOSSIL was developed as a way to have a consistant interface to the
serial hardware when serial hardware was quite different between the various
machines available at the time... DEC Rainbow, IBMPC, and others... i suspect
that some systems also used FOSSIL object files they linked into their code...
especially on systems that had no concept of a TSR or device drivers...

 KE> With Fossil that difference was covereed in a special layer and Fido,
 KE> Seadog and Opus had a single interface to run on IBM PC or DEC
 KE> Rainbow.

or any other machine that had different serial hardware with a FOSSIL available
for that hardware...

 KE> Other uses of the Fossil interface followed later.

they sure did -=B-)

)\/(ark

Always Mount a Scratch Monkey
Do you manage your own servers? If you are not running an IDS/IPS yer doin' it
wrong...
... LF> Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.
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