Two Top-20 features sought for UNIX

[Larry McVoy]

In article <12970 at sri-unix.SRI.COM> cole at sri-unix.ARPA (Susan E. Cole) writes:
>One is "advise", which allows a user on one tty, with permission, to
>share control of another's tty line.  User A "advises" user B.  Then
>input to user B's job can be given from either person's terminal,
>and output for B goes to both terminals.  This is very handy for
>telephone consulting -- clears misunderstandings up fast.

I wrote something like this once.  Basically you need to setup two
pty pairs, such that the front side of each pair is running on
each terminal.  Then the program that hooked all this up spawns a 
sh/csh/ksh and sends all the input to the shell and all the output 
back to either pty.  It's a drag but it can be done.

>The other capability I'd like is called "trap file openings" on Tops-20.
>Once you set this feature on, the system announces every file open
>done on your behalf (and whether it is for reading or writing).  This 
>can also clear up confusion real fast -- "it's looking in THAT directory?!"

You can't do this without either

a) modifying the kernel or
b) recompiling all appropriate code.

If someone can prove me wrong, I'd like to hear it too.
-- 

Larry McVoy	lm at arizona.edu or ...!{uwvax,sun}!arizona.edu!lm
		Use the force - read the source.