25 Apr
2006
25 Apr
'06
3:44 a.m.
Johhny Billquist wrote:
First there was ZORK. That's it, just ZORK. No
numbers,
no nothing. This program was written in MDL and ran on
PDP-10 systems only. MDL is a Lisp-like language implemented
at MIT. You're probably out of luck if you ever want to
play the original ZORK on anything but a PDP-10.
<Nitpick>
Actually, I saw (and used) the original ZORK running on an SDS (later XDS)
Sigma 7 computer (the actual ARPAnet machine name was MIT-DMS). And, if
I'm not mistaken, I believe it was originally developed on this machine
(though I could be off on this fact). I actually visited the famed 9th
floor of 545 Tech. Square at MIT way back in the early 80s and saw the beast.
(Still have my MDL programming manual around too...)
</Nitpick>
--Eric F. (proud owner of an SDS-940 console, Sigma 9 console (wired up to
show off all 100+ Blinkenlights!), and lots of other assorted SDS/XDS swag.)
25 Apr
25 Apr
3:54 a.m.
Eric F. wrote:
Actually, I saw (and used) the original ZORK running
on an SDS
(later XDS) Sigma 7 computer (the actual ARPAnet machine name
was MIT-DMS).
Apparently I fired off my original reply prematurely. The original MIT
machine running ZORK (MIT-DMS) was, in fact, a PDP-10. But I'm quite sure
that one of the other machines back there (i.e., MIT-AI, MIT-MC, or MIT-ML)
was an SDS Sigma machine (or even an SDS-940).
Sorry for my mis-informed post. :0
-Eric F.
8:38 p.m.
"Eric F." wrote:
But I'm quite sure that one of the other machines
back there (i.e., MIT-AI,
MIT-MC, or MIT-ML)
was an SDS Sigma machine (or even an SDS-940).
Sorry, those were all pdp-10's.
I have some html with an attempt at a partial lineage of the MIT '10s if
anyone is interested.
(sound of papers rustling... ah yes, here...)
...
<pre>
<ul>
<li>AI-KA ITS, KA-10 1971-1983 7-trk, 800bpi
<li>ML-KA ITS, KA-10 1973-1983 (MathLab)
<li>DM-KA ITS, KA-10 1976-1983 (Dynamod) 9-trk, 800bpi
<li>MC-KL ITS, KL-10 1976-1986 (Macsyma Consortium) 7-trk, 1600bpi
<li>XX TWENEX, KL-10 1979-1989 9-trk, 1600bpi
<li>OZ TWENEX, KL-10 1982-1988 (replaced AI as main system) 6250
<li>MX-KL ITS 1986 (MC-KL renamed) 9-trk, 6250bpi
<li>AI-KS ITS 1985-1990 9-trk, 6250bpi
<li>MC-KS ITS 1986-1990 9-trk, 6250bpi
<li>ML-KS ITS 1986-1989 9-trk, 6250bpi
<li>MD-KS ITS 1986-1988 9-trk, 6250bpi
</ul>
</pre>
...
KA, KL & KS are various models of pdp-10's (my apologies to fell '10
lovers. that description does not do justice to the differences).
I thought the MDL sources were available on the net. The mdl compiler
was harder to find. I thought I found one for ITS at one point. Never
tried it however. ITS is easy to run on the 10 emulators. fast too.
-brad
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brad＠heeltoe.com -
elf＠ucsd.edu