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README.md
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README.md
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Readme.txt for IFS v1.2:
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Readme.txt for IFS v1.4:
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1.0 Introduction and Overview
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=============================
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1. Introduction and Overview
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============================
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In the 1970s, Xerox PARC developed a set of protocols based around the "PUP"
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(the "PARC Universal Packet"). These were intended to be a stopgap until
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something "real" could be designed and implemented, so the suite was referred
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to as "IFS" ("Interim File Server"). That "real" implementation never came
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to as "IFS" ("Interim File Server"). That real"implementation never came
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into being during the Alto's lifetime, so the IFS was a permanent fixture of
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the network environment at PARC during the heyday of the Alto.
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The LCM+L's IFS implementation is an implementation of this protocol suite
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that runs on a modern PC, and is designed to work with the ContrAlto Alto
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emulator over either Raw Ethernet packets or UDP broadcasts.
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that runs on a modern PC. It is designed to work with the ContrAlto Alto
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emulator over either Raw Ethernet packets or UDP broadcasts, as well as with
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real hardware when using the BeagleBone-based Alto Ethernet Interface available at
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https://github.com/shirriff/alto-ethernet-interface.
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It provides the following IFS services:
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@ -84,8 +86,12 @@ Directory configuration:
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(User mail folders are placed in this directory.)
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Interface configuration:
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- InterfaceType: "RAW" or "UDP". Specifies the transport to use for
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communication.
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- InterfaceTypes: Any combination of "RAW" "UDP" or "3MBIT". Specifies
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the transports to use for communication:
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- RAW: Raw Ethernet frames
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- UDP: UDP Datagram
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- 3MBIT: The Beaglebone-based Alto Ethernet Interface
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- InterfaceName: The name of the host network adapter to use for
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communication.
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@ -104,6 +110,12 @@ Debugging configuration:
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DirectoryServices, PUP, FTP, BreathOfLife, EFTP,
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BootServer, UDP, Mail, Configuration, or All
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Misc:
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- RunIFSServices: Whether to run the full suite of IFS services or just
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perform basic bridging (this is mostly useful when
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working with real hardware via the Alto Interface Hardware
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at https://github.com/shirriff/alto-ethernet-interface.)
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2.2 hosts.txt:
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--------------
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@ -115,11 +127,11 @@ name and a hostname to associate with it, separated by whitespace. At this
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time, each inter-network name maps to exactly one hostname.
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A Xerox "inter-network name" defines a host number and a network number, and is
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expressed in the format "<network>#<host>#", where both <network> and <host>
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expressed in the format "\<network\>#\<host\>#", where both \<network\> and \<host\>
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are octal values between 0 and 377. So, for example, an Alto on network 5
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with host number 72 would have an inter-network name of "5#72#". Hosts on the
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same network as the IFS server (see Section 2.1 for IFS server configuration)
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need not specify the network number and have the format of "<host>#".
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need not specify the network number and have the format of "\<host\>#".
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A Hostname is an alphanumeric sequence that must begin with a letter.
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@ -145,7 +157,7 @@ their IFS gateway servers. See Section 5 for more details on gateways.
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This file is processed when IFS starts.
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Each line in this file is of the format
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<inter-network number> <IFS host IP or hostname>[:port]
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\<inter-network number\> \<IFS host IP or hostname\>[:port]
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For example:
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5# 192.168.1.137
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@ -204,7 +216,7 @@ accounts, so comments will be lost. It is generally advisable to use the
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console to add, remove, or change user accounts.
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Each user definition is a line in the format:
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<username>:<password hash>:<privileges>:<full user name>:<home directory>
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\<username\>:\<password hash\>:\<privileges\>:\<full user name\>:\<home directory\>
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- username: an alphanumeric sequence starting with a letter. This
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define's the user's login name.
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@ -226,7 +238,7 @@ see Section 3.0).
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3.0 The Command Console
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=======================
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The IFS server provides a command console, designated by the ">" prompt. The
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The IFS server provides a command console, designated by the "\>" prompt. The
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console provides numerous commands for managing the state of the server and
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for managing user accounts.
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@ -240,15 +252,15 @@ Here is a rundown of the basic command set:
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show users - Displays the current user database (See Section 4.0)
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show user <username> - Displays information for the specified user
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show user \<username\> - Displays information for the specified user
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(See Section 4.0)
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set password <username> - Sets the password for the specified user
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set password \<username\> - Sets the password for the specified user
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(See Section 4.0)
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add user <username> <password> [User|Admin] <full name> <home directory>
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add user \<username\> \<password\> [User|Admin] \<full name\> \<home directory\>
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- Adds a new user account (See section 4.0 for details)
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remove user <username> - Removes an existing user account (See Section 4.0)
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remove user \<username\> - Removes an existing user account (See Section 4.0)
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show active servers - Displays active server statistics.
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@ -398,9 +410,9 @@ The following documents may be useful in actually using the Alto-land client
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tools (FTP, CopyDisk, mail, etc) to communicate with the IFS server:
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The Alto User's Handbook:
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http://bitsavers.org/pdf/xerox/alto/Alto_Users_Handbook_Sep79.pdf
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http://bitsavers.org/pdf/xerox/alto/Alto_Users_Handbook_Sep79.pdf
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Alto Subsystems:
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http://bitsavers.org/pdf/xerox/alto/memos_1981/Alto_Subsystems_May81.pdf
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http://bitsavers.org/pdf/xerox/alto/memos_1981/Alto_Subsystems_May81.pdf
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The following specifications were used to implement the IFS protocol suite:
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@ -414,16 +426,48 @@ Misc Services:
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http://xeroxalto.computerhistory.org/_cd8_/pup/.miscservices.press!1.pdf
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8.0 Packet-Level Protocol
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8.0 Using With Real Hardware
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============================
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IFS can be used to talk with real hardware that has a 3mbit Ethernet interface
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(Altos, Dolphins, Dorados, PERQs, and early Sun hardware).
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This is accomplished by using the BeagleBone Alto Ethernet Interface developed by
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Ken Sherriff and documented here: https://github.com/shirriff/alto-ethernet-interface.
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Ken provides his own modification of this IFS code to use with his hardware,
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but as of V1.4, this IFS implementation provides all the functionality of his
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software, making his fork unnecessary. All that is necessary is to place the
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release binaries on the BeagleBone and ensure that IFS.exe is running (you must
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disable any earlier versions of IFS.exe and the 'gateway' program before doing so.)
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Use of the BeagleBone Alto Ethernet Interface is enabled by specifying "3MBIT" as one
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of the InterfaceTypes options in Ifs.cfg (see section 2.1).
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When running in this configuration, by default IFS will run just as it does on desktop PCs and
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will provide network services directly to the system it is connected to.
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8.1 Bridging Mode
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-----------------
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Additionally, by setting the "RunIFSServices" parameter to false, IFS will run in
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a mode where it does not provide any IFS services, but instead bridges interfaces together:
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Packets received from a real Alto will be sent out over UDP and RAW interfaces (if configured)
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and similarly, packets coming in over UDP and RAW interfaces will be sent to the real Alto.
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This allows the IFS software to let real hardware directly communicate with other 3mbit devices on
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your local network (real or emulated) with a minimum of effort. The expectation in this
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mode is that some other system on the network (a PC or a server somewhere) will be providing
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IFS services, not the IFS running on the BeagleBone.
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9.0 Packet-Level Protocol
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=========================
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IFS (and ContrAlto) use a very simple encapsulation for transmitting 3mbit
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Ethernet packets over modern transports. An encapsulated packet consists of
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two fields:
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- Packet Length (2 bytes): Length (in 16-bit words) of the 3mbit Packet
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Data field (see below)
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- Packet Data (N bytes): The 3mbit packet, including 3mbit Ethernet header
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but excluding the checksum word.
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- Packet Length (2 bytes): Length (in 16-bit words) of the 3mbit Packet
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Data field (see below)
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- Packet Data (N bytes): The 3mbit packet, including 3mbit Ethernet header
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but excluding the checksum word.
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All words are stored in big-endian format.
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@ -437,9 +481,8 @@ As discussed in Section 5.0, all packets are broadcast. The technical reasons
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for this are documented in the source code; see Transport\UDP.cs for details.
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9.0 Thanks
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10.0 Thanks
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==========
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This project would not have been possible without the conservation efforts of
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the CHM and Bitsavers.
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