Wanted: Xerox Star-VAX Communication

[guyton%rand-unix at sri-unix.UUCP]

The odds are not very good for Ethernet communication with the
Star, as Xerox has not released the specs for any of their
higher-level protocols.  The published XNS protocols go only up
to remote-procedure calls (Courier).  Mail, printing, file
transfer, are all still secret.

There is a chance that simple file transfers could be done with
the Star's foreign device software, but I have a feeling that
this isn't what you had in mind.

Needless to say, I think Xerox is being pretty dumb to not have
announced these protocols.  It is one key factor in why we've not
purchased Stars here.

You might ask them about the Mesa system though.  They have been
trying to come out with a workstation product that would allow
you to write your own applications in the Mesa language.

-- Jim Guyton