@library(gsi-patbo)
@library(lisp)
@library(gsi)

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@everyfooting @| CONFIDENTIAL - @datestamp @|
@begin(document)
@center @b[Unresolved Issues and Requirements in the K/Mac Communications Project]
@flushleft

@i[The following is an itemized list of impressions gleaned from the meeting
between Cambridge and Montreal team members currently working on the
K/Mac Interface Project, held June 17, 1988, in Montreal:]

@end flushleft

@enumerate

@item 
It became apparent that Montreal was having difficulty understanding our
statements regarding the workings of shared memory.  We believe most of
the confusion was cleared up, but it may be the case that their recovery
in these areas will generate additional work in Montreal.  There is also
no guarantee that future misunderstandings can be avoided in the absence
of a Montreal-based team member (dedicated to the interface project) who
is fluent both in French and in English.

@item 
Montreal had been working under an original assumption (since revised)
that the Falcon would draw directly to the Macintosh screen.  For
reasons discussed at the meeting, Bob and Keith consider it necessary that
the Macintosh be copying bits from a pre-specified Falcon
screen array.  (Resolution of this misunderstanding resulted in 
the immediate resolution of several other points on the agenda.)

@item 
The above screen I/O issue is just one of the K/Mac communications 
topics which still require detailed discussion.  Others pertain to
paging I/O, disk interactions, and the OPEN command.

@item 
The developers in Montreal expressed their concern over the impact of
having only two Macintoshes dedicated to the project (one of which
appeared to be the personal property of a developer).  The lack of
sufficient Macintosh computers in Montreal may be impeding their coding
efforts.

@item 
Montreal could not give us a demo of their current code (due to
insufficient available Macintoshes), and they have yet to provide us
either with the current code or its documentation.  They agreed to send
code on a Lambda tape but did not make any provisions for code
demonstrations, simulation environments, or required documentation.
Cambridge still urgently needs full documentation describing the current
code and the simulation environment in order to meet our
goal of setting up the simulator in Cambridge for LISP work during the
Montreal team's hiatus from the Communications Project.

@page
@item 
Montreal has programmed many of the needed file server capabilities in detail, but it
became apparent that they will require the assistance of
a Cambridge developer to perform low-level LISP code integration.  This
requirement could be satisfied in either of two ways:
@itemize @bullet
@item
Prior to resuming work in Montreal on K/Mac communications, one or more
members of the Montreal development team could spend a day in Cambridge:
@itemize -
@item
Setting up the simulator (in the absence of a bus coupler);
@item
Reproducing the simulator (in the absence of a bus coupler);
@item
Assisting the Cambridge developers in the integration and testing of code written in Montreal;
@item
Working on any needed revisions or refinements of the existing screen, keyboard,
and mouse implementations.
@end(itemize)
@item
Alternatively, Keith (and/or Bob) could spend a week in Montreal becoming knowledgeable
on issues of code integration (and/or architecture redesign).  This
would appear to be the less satisfactory option, given the vast amount
of work remaining to be done in Cambridge and the critical role both
Keith and Bob play in its timely completion.
@end(itemize)
@end(enumerate)
@end(document)