Date   : Wed, 01 Dec 1982 18:18:33 PST
From   : Lauren Weinstein <vortex!lauren@Lbl-Unix>
Subject: MARC

Greetings.  Yeah, your description is pretty accurate.  I like to
consider MARC to be sort of a V6/V7/4.1bsd hybrid -- over time I've
tried to add those features from V7 and Berkeley that I particularly
liked (and that made sense on a very small computer!)

Actually, the filesystem is very closely patterned after V6, primarily
because the V7 layout would probably have taken up too much overhead
space on people's small disks.  The MARC block size in 256 bytes, again
in keeping with the smaller scale of the system.  Many of the "obvious"
Unix utility commands are around -- in some cases (e.g. "cp", "mv") these
are patterned after V7 rather than V6.  The system calls include
"tell" (which of course is "late" V6).  Login startup files, private
bin directories, and similar V6/V7 features are supported.  We now
also have a "make" command (very similiar to V7 Unix "make" but not
as complex).  Very useful, however.  I have special versions of "sq", and
"usq" for MARC, but have yet to receive final permission to distribute
them with the basic system.

The C compiler is indeed a special version of BDS C, with long and
float subroutine packages.  The library support for MARC from the compiler
is extremely extensive.  The MARC stdio library is virtually identical
to the K&R Unix standard (makes life *alot* easier!).  The cp/m emulator
runs, and tries as hard as it can, but given the variety of insane
cp/m programs (some of which open 20 or 30 files w/o bothering to close
other files, etc.) it will never be able to handle EVERY program.  However,
it seems to do fine with most editors (like Wordmaster) and most of 
the language translators I've tested (MAC, M80, L80, TLC LISP, etc.).
A MARC version of MINCE is also available -- I couldn't get along without it.

Indeed, 'tis true that "vortex" is a Z80 running MARC.  In fact, I'm
typing this message directly into the MINCE that interfaces with my mail
generation software.  I *may* include my basic mail handling software
in the MARC package, or it may be included in a utility package later on.
I have *not* made any decisions about how I will handle release of my
MARC/BDS C UUCP code, except that I know it will not be part of the basic
MARC package.  (Whaddaya want for $250?)

MARC is not available yet.  It has taken a LONG time to get this far, and
hopefully there won't be too much more of a wait.

--Lauren--