This directory contains a NEW version of the PTYDRIVER that first
appeared on the Cincinatti DECUS SIG tape.  It has been considerably
enhanced.  The [.OLD] directory contains a version of that driver
that has been converted to VMS 4.n, but is otherwise the same.  This
one, however, it MUCH better...

It supports the HANGUP functions of the terminal device to allow PTY
terminals to be used with more than one process (lets you use
LOGOUT/NOHANGUP if you just want to log into another account on the
same PTY without making a new TELNET network connection, for example).

Also, allows unsolicited data to make job control log in a process on
the device.  This is MUCH better than having everyone's network server
have to use $CREPRC.  In addition, this means that PTY terminals work
just fine with VTA virtual terminals, allowing CONNECT/DISCONNECT from/to
jobs on pseudo terminals.  This is REAL useful!  To use this feature,
you have to get the DISCONNECT bit set in the terminal characteristics.
Do this by either modifying the system default terminal characteristics in
SYSGEN or edit the source to this driver and put it in.  I suggest the
first approach over trying to edit my driver!

This causes trouble with PHOTO because it tries to SPAWN a
process to use the device and SPAWN deassigns the device at
least once before creating the process.  The device thus gets
hung up prematurely.  In order to use SPAWN, PHOTO needs to
first set NOHANGUP on the control device (which propagates
to the terminal device) and then do it's SPAWN.  I haven't had the
time to convert PHOTO to use this yet.  It's a trivial fix, though.

This driver is barely finished as of this DECUS tape.  It seems to
be at least as reliable as the older version in the directory above.
All the new functionality has been tested and works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is one minor bug in it.  If you use the driver with virtual
terminals, it will not delete the terminal device's PTY (though it
does mark it offline.  I do not know why this happens, I think that
the reference count may be one too high because of the VTA device.
In any case, anything you do to touch the device (like SHOW TERM PTYn:)
will cause it to go away.  Unless you use it a LOT and run out of non-paged
pool, this should not be a problem.  I will fix this ASAP, but do not
have time before DECUS.  Contact me at the address below for the fix.

This driver is (almost) the greatest thing since sliced bread...
(You'd feel this way too after 4 days of VMS source fiche
 and XDELTA and a couple'a daiquiris at Goldie's...)

	/Kevin Carosso
	 Hughes Aircraft Co.
	 Space and Communications Group
	 PO Box 92919
	 Bldg. S-50/X303
	 Los Angeles, Ca. 90009
	 (213) 648-1025

	 ARPA:          engvax!kvc @ CIT-VAX.ARPA
	 UUCP: {allegra, seismo, ihnp4}!scgvaxd!engvax!kvc