From: adhir@cygnus.umd.edu (Alok Dhir)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc,comp.os.os2.programmer
Subject: Mutex (multiple session Unix terminal client...over modem!)
Date: 17 Dec 92 04:39:47 GMT
Originator: adhir@cygnus.umd.edu

Hello fellow happy OS/2ers (and you unhappy ones too :-) )...
I am somewhat amazed by the efforts of Ronald Wong and his DOS mode
comm program called Mutex.  For those of you that don't know, it is a
client/server package for DOS-Unix connections over the phone line which
allows multiple shells in different windows.  You run Mutex.exe on the
PC and 'make' Mutex on the Unix machine (currently only BSD 4.3 and
SunOS 4.1.2).  Then you run run mutex on the Unix box and all of a sudden
the screen clears and you end up with an Xwindow-ish display (in DOS
char mode) with a window in the middle with a shell in it.  Hitting shift
insert gets you another shell window and you can switch between them
using hot keys or by moving the mouse into the other window (the 
windows are auto-focusing, like xterms).  The unregistered version can
only open up to 2 sessions...registered one up to 32.   The registered
version ALSO allows ymodem transfers in one session while the other
sessions remain active.  This is impressive folks.  It is available from any
simtel20 mirror in pub/msdos/modem.

The version out right now is fairly buggy and doesn't fully implement the
vt100 terminal.  I am looking forward to improvements in this package
before I register...

So why am I bringing it up here, in comp.os.os2.misc?  Because I want an
Mutex/PM!!  Imagine the flexibility of such an incredible beast!  I know, I
know, sounds like slip...  But the impression I have is that SLIP requires
a SLIP server and is quite a bit more complicated than a 40k program 
running on the Unix host and a 50k one running on the PC.  (Correct me if
I am wrong).  Not only that, but there would be no way for me to
dial my university's generic access number and telnet to a machine, run
slip_server and be able to do this (I think...I've actually never used SLIP).
From what I know of SLIP, you must directly attach a modem to the
SLIP server and dial into that machine.  With the Mutex way, I can just
keep a copy of the mutex server program in my Unix account and dial
in just like normal and have access to multiple sessions (!!).

So I think that one of you genius programmers out there should put your 
shoulder to the wheel and create Mutex/PM...perhaps you could contact the 
author of Mutex PC and get source from him...or co-develop.  I would
be willing to pay a couple hundred for a well implemented Mutex/PM, and
I know about 10 other people who would also.

Actually, I am not sure if something like this exists already...does it?  
Any info is appreciated.  And please, if you think you can do it, DO IT!

The author of Mutex is Ronald Wong, tow@egret.medsch.wisc.edu...
-- 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Al Dhir                      			   Technical Consulting Staff
 Internet: adhir@cygnus.umd.edu	  	 University of Maryland, College Park
 Bitnet:   adhir%cygnus.umd.edu@Interbit      (301) 405-1500 * (301) 405-3014
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc