[Coco] Feralcore: An Internet Protocol Based on the 6809

Fri Jun 25 21:43:44 EDT 2010

All,

The source code zip file is password encrypted. Existing members
of this community are welcome to it, I'll e-mail it out upon
request.

A feralcore node can send packets to a SIP server like there
is no tomorrow. All it takes is a program that sends itself
all around the feralcore network all the time. We need to
safely assess network bandwidth issues before open release.

regards,

Adam

--- On Fri, 6/25/10, Brett Gordon <beretta42 at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Brett Gordon <beretta42 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] Feralcore: An Internet Protocol Based on the 6809
> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Date: Friday, June 25, 2010, 10:07 AM
> Same thing happened here.  I'm
> running linux, and using mplayer, which
> rarely cannot open/play a AV file....
> 
> On Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 12:38 PM, Wayne Campbell <asa.rand at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
> > Adam,
> >
> > I downloaded the MPEG-4 version of the video.
> Quicktime Player opened it,
> > but only in audio mode (no video screen). WMP could
> not play the video. Real
> > Player stated it needs a MPEG-2 decoder installed to
> play the video.
> >
> > I downloaded the Microsoft ASF version. WMP plays it
> without a problem.
> >
> > I downloaded the Feralcore.zip file. Upon trying to
> extract the archive, I
> > am asked for a password. I have no password to
> provide, and WinZip won't
> > extract the files, or even show me what's in the
> archive.
> >
> > Is there something I need to know?
> >
> > I am running Windows XP Professional (all service
> packs and updates
> > installed) on a HP/Compaq nx9020 notebook (Intel
> Celeron M 1.5 GHz), 2 GB
> > RAM, 80 GB HD (28% free).
> >
> > Wayne
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Adam Young" <ay235 at yahoo.com>
> > To: <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 6:19 PM
> > Subject: [Coco] Feralcore: An Internet Protocol Based
> on the 6809
> >
> >
> >
> >  All,
> >>
> >> Based on the responses of Brett, Aaron, Sean, and
> >> Andrew regarding Darwin, Corewar, and Network
> Tierra,
> >> it seems like there might be some interest in
> >> Feralcore (thanks for your feedback guys). Moti
> and I
> >> (along with other contributors) are actively
> researching
> >> Feralcore and welcome experimentation and
> feedback. It
> >> is written in C++ and is POSIX compatible for the
> most
> >> part. Below is a blurb on what it is.
> >>
> >> A Feralcore network is a network consisting of n
> nodes.
> >> Each node in the network has a unique personal
> identity
> >> (R. Pandya. Emerging mobile and personal
> communication systems.
> >> IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 33, pages
> 44-52,
> >> June 1995). Every node can send a message to every
> other
> >> node. So, the network forms the complete graph on
> n vertices.
> >>
> >> Feralcore was inspired in part by the computer
> game Darwin
> >> (Aleph-Null. Computer Recreations. Software:
> Practice and
> >> Experience, vol. 2, pages 93-96, 1972). Core war
> was also
> >> inspired by Darwin. Each player submits a set of
> programs,
> >> called a species, to the game. An umpire program
> >> oversees the execution of the programs in memory.
> Programs
> >> can clobber one another since they run in the same
> address
> >> space. The last species standing wins. We adopt
> the term
> >> feralcore kernel to describe the program that
> >> oversees program execution.
> >>
> >> In feralcore each node has 256 memory cores.
> >> Each memory core consists of 65536 bytes. The
> kernel can
> >> run up to 256 processes at once spread out across
> the 256
> >> cores. Each process has a set of private registers
> that
> >> includes the program counter. Each process also
> has an
> >> associated integer corresponding to which core the
> process
> >> is in. The program counter points to the next
> instruction
> >> to be executed in this core. The privacy of the
> registers
> >> is not ensured, since one process can indirectly
> read
> >> or write the registers of another.
> >>
> >> At any given time, m processes are running in a
> node.
> >> The kernel implements a time sharing strategy to
> >> execute them. They are not executed in parallel
> (at least
> >> when viewed at the C++ source code level). For the
> purposes
> >> of illustration, suppose the processes are labeled
> from
> >> 1 to m. Let c be an m-sided coin having sides
> labeled from
> >> 1 to m. The kernel flips c to get a result r. The
> kernel lets
> >> process r execute a single instruction. The kernel
> flips
> >> c to get a result r. The kernel lets process r
> execute
> >> a single instruction, and so on. If one process
> dies
> >> then a coin having m - 1 sides is used, etc.
> >>
> >> This randomized strategy is clearly fair,
> especially when
> >> you consider the issue of which process gets to
> execute
> >> first. This design was chosen over a
> deterministic
> >> round-robin scheduler since it simplifies the
> >> implementation of break-points in the feralcore
> >> debugger.
> >>
> >> The kernel implements a virtual machine based on
> the
> >> feralcore instruction set. This instruction set
> is
> >> similar to the Motorola 6809 instruction set.
> >> So, processes execute 6809 instructions.
> >> However, 6809 instructions relating to hardware
> interrupts
> >> are not part of the feralcore instruction set.
> Also,
> >> an instruction using opcode 0x02 is included in
> >> the feralcore instruction set. The opcode 0x02 is
> >> not a valid instruction for the 6809. The 0x02
> >> instruction implements the feralcore API call.
> >> It is 0x02 followed by a 16-bit API vector.
> >>
> >> The API calls supplement the 6809 instructions by
> >> providing some very powerful functionality. There
> >> is an API call that lets a process spawn another
> >> feralcore process. There is an API call that
> >> lets a feralcore process move itself to another
> >> core within the same node. There is also an API
> >> call that lets a process move itself to another
> >> feralcore node in the network instantly.
> >>
> >> The kernel terminates a process when that process
> >> executes an invalid instruction. Executing an
> >> invalid instruction is the normal way for a
> process
> >> to terminate itself. Process A can clobber process
> B
> >> by writing an invalid instruction at the memory
> >> location pointed to by the program counter in
> >> process B.
> >>
> >> There are other situations that can cause a
> process
> >> to be terminated. When the 256th process is
> created,
> >> a random process is terminated. A node that is
> >> spammed with incoming feralcore programs may drop
> >> some incoming programs.
> >>
> >> Feralcore is an experiment. The documentation is
> >> currently available at:
> >>
> >> http://www.feralcore.com/download/tfcdocuments/feralcore.pdf
> >>
> >> A video of the 6809 program slowhopper is
> available
> >> at: www.feralcore.com
> >>
> >> slowhopper hops randomly around the feralcore
> network.
> >>
> >> Please let us know if you are interested in
> learning
> >> more or experimenting with it. It is not ready
> for
> >> general distribution due to unresolved bandwidth
> issues.
> >>
> >> I view feralcore in many different ways. The CoCo
> nut
> >> in me likes it since it is a new way to bring the
> 6809
> >> to life. I am wondering if any of you will feel
> the
> >> same way.
> >>
> >> regards,
> >>
> >> Adam
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Coco mailing list
> >> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> >> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > Coco mailing list
> > Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> >
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Brett M. Gordon,
> beretta42 at gmail.com
> 
> --
> Coco mailing list
> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> 