Date   : Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:15:41 +0100
From   : robert@... (Rob)
Subject: Master ethernet upgrade

2009/7/10 Sprow <info@...>:
>
> What's missing at the moment (aside from me not having an NFS server to test
> on) is any kind of API to allow users such as yourself to talk to the
> network. The interface currently supports those things which I've found to
> be necessary, eg. for *PING I needed a means of resolving names by DNS and a
> means of sending ICMP packets, so there's a "resolve name" and "send one
> ping" interface.
>
> I guess the simplest thing to do would be present a BSD-a-like sockets
> interface via OSWord or something similar. Or maybe sockets via a filing
> system so
> .... Suggestions welcomed.

I'd definitely like to see a BSD Sockets style interface, as that
would be the easiest way to port code in to use it.  I assume you'd
present a general OSWORD call to allow this.  The filing system option
would be great for BASIC programmers who don't want to get their hands
dirty in the low level stuff...  So yes, both of the above!

Another idea might be to give a hook into the RS423 code - there's a
lot of server and client code out there that is just dying to be
network enabled .. I've added that functionality in BeebEm for Windows
(available now in v4.02) and there is similar code in the *nix
version.

>
> It does replace the Econet module, but (not knowing much about AUN) I assume
> with an API of some sort it could directly talk Econet just over a different
> medium.

It should certainly be possible.  'real' Econet sends data in a four
way handshake, with command codes sent in the fist, packet, and just
data in the third, each being ack'd.  AUN sends all of it in one
packet, with a single ack afterwards.  All that's needed to translate
outgoing packets is to buffer the first one, and send it out with the
data once you get it.  Similarly break up incoming ones and deliver
them in two halves.  There's a bit of faking of the middle acks needed
too...  It seems that the actual command codes and data format used
within the packets is identical between all the econet and file server
versions:  I've had a RISC OS machine logging into and saving files on
a Level 2 fileserver on an emulated Model B via AUN quite happily.

Obviously it'd need a hacked up, or re-writtem, NFS or ANFS rather
than doing the man-in-the-middle translation I'm doing for BeebEm, but
that would probably make it easier to implement!

> The ROM has about 10k of code in it at present so there's 6k blank,

Should be more than enough to do something nifty :-)

I can see this being something I'd like to help with ...


Rob.