teaching machines; language learning problems; library retrieval; text editing; algebra manipulators; and many more.
The Compatible Time-Sharing System (CTSS) is a general-purpose programming system which allows a new form of computer operation to evolve and yet allows most older pre-time-sharing programming systems to continue to be operated. CTSS is used at a console which may be of several varieties, but which in essence is an electric typewriter. Each console user controls the computer (i.e. as seen by him) by issuing standard commands, one at a time. The commands allow convenient performance of most of the routine programming operations such as input, translation, loading, execution, stopping and inspection of programs. This command convenience, although it has a fixed format, is with no loss of generality since a command can also be used to start an arbitrary programming subsystem with its own control language level.
The consoles of CTSS form the foreground system, with computation being performed for the active console users in variable-length bursts, on a rotation basis, according to a scheduling algorithm. The background system is a conventional programming system (slightly edited for the time-sharing version) which, at the least, operates whenever the foreground system is inactive, but which may also be scheduled for a greater portion of the computer time. The entire operation of the computer is under the control of a supervisor program which remains permanently in the 32,768 word A-bank of core memory; all user programs are either kept in the 32,768 word B-bank of core memory, or swapped in and out of the disk (or drum) memory as needed.
Not only are the active user programs swapped in and out of the two secondary memory disk modules (4.6 x 106 words each) and the drum (.2 x 106 words) but it is expected that all console users will utilize the disk memory for semi-permanent storage of their active program and data files. Cards and magnetic tapes will still serve in secondary roles as long-time and back-up storage devices; they will be usable in CTSS only through the central Computation Center facilities and not directly through the remote user consoles.
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