Abstract
The Pilot operating system provides a single-user, single language environment for higher level software on a powerful personal computer. Its features include virtual memory, a large “flat” file system, streams, network communication facilities, and concurrent programming support. Pilot thus provides rather more powerful facilities than are normally associated with personal computers. The exact facilities provided display interesting similarities to and differences from corresponding facilities provided in large multi-user systems. Pilot is implemented entirely in Mesa, a high-level system programming language. The modularization of the implementation displays some interesting aspects in terms of both the static structure and dynamic interactions of the various components.
D. D. Redell, Y. K. Dalai, T. R. Horseley, H. C. Lauer, W. C. Lynch, P. R. McJones, H. G. Murray and S. C. Purcell, Pilot: an operating system for a personal computer. Communications of the ACM 23, 2 (February 1980), 81–92.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Brinch-Hansen, P. The nucleus of a multiprogramming system. Comm. ACM 13, 4 (April 1970), 238–241.
Boggs, D.R., Shoch, J.F., Taft, E., and Metcalfe, R.M. Pup: An internetwork architecture. To appear in IEEE Trans. Commun. (Special Issue on Computer Network Architecture and Protocols).
Cerf, V.G., and Kahn, R.E. A protocol for packet network interconnection. IEEE Trans. Commun. COM-22, 5 (May 1974), 637–641.
Cerf, V.G., and Kirstein, P.T. Issues in packet-network interconnection. Proc. IEEE 66, 11 (Nov. 1978), 1386–1408.
Farber, D.J. and Heinrich, F.R. The structure of a distributed computer system: The distributed file system. In Proc. 1st Int. Conf. Computer Communication, 1972, 364–370.
Habermann, A.N., Flon, L., and Cooprider, L. Modularization and hierarchy in a family of operating systems. Comm. ACM 19, 5 (May 1976), 266–272.
Horsley, T.R., and Lynch, W.C. Pilot: A software engineering case history. In Proc. 4th Int. Conf. Software Engineering, Munich, Germany, Sept. 1979, 999.
Internet Datagram Protocol Version 4. Prepared by USC/Information Sciences Institute, for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Information Processing Techniques Office, Feb. 1979
Lampson, B.W. Redundancy and robustness in memory protection. Proc. IFIP 1974, North Holland, Amsterdam, 128–132.
Lampson, B.W., Mitchell, J.G., and Satterthwaite, E.H. On the transfer of control between contexts. In Lecture Notes in Computer Science 19, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1974, 181–203.
Lampson, B.W., and Redell, D.D. Experience with processes and monitors in Mesa. Comm. ACM 23, 2 (Feb. 1980), 105–117.
Lampson, B.W., and Sproull, R.F. An open operating system for a single user machine. Presented at the ACM 7th Symp. Operating System Principles (Operating Syst. Rev. 13, 5), Dec. 1979, 98–105.
Lauer, H.C., and Satterthwaite, E.H. The impact of Mesa on system design. In Proc. 4th Int. Conf. Software Engineering, Munich, Germany, Sept. 1979, 174–182.
Lockemann, P.C., and Knutsen, W.D. Recovery of disk contents after system failure. Comm. ACM 11, 8 (Aug. 1968), 542.
Metcalfe, R.M., and Boggs, D.R. Ethernet: Distributed packet switching for local computer networks. Comm. ACM 19, 7 (July 1976), 395–404.
Mitchell, J.G., Maybury, W., and Sweet, R. Mesa Language Manual. Tech. Rep., Xerox Palo Alto Res. Ctr., 1979.
Pouzin, L. Virtual circuits vs. datagrams—technical and political problems. Proc. 1976 NCC, AFIPS Press, Arlington, Va., 483–494.
Ritchie, D.M., and Thompson, K. The UNIX time-sharing system. Comm. ACM 17, 7 (July 1974), 365–375.
Ross, D.T. The AED free storage package. Comm. ACM 10, 8 (Aug. 1967), 481–492.
Rotenberg, Leo J. Making computers keep secrets. Tech. Rep. MAC-TR-115, MIT Lab. for Computer Science.
Stern, J.A. Backup and recovery of on-line information in a computer utility. Tech. Rep. MAC-TR-116 (thesis), MIT Lab. for Computer Science, 1974.
Sunshine, C.A., and Dalai, Y.K. Connection management in transport protocol. Comput. Networks 2, 6 (Dec. 1978), 454–473.
Stoy, J.E., and Strachey, C. OS 6—An experimental operating system for a small computer. Comput. J. 15,2 and 3 (May, Aug. 1972).
Transmission Control Protocol, TCP, Version 4. Prepared by USC/lnformation Sciences Institute, for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Information Processing Techniques Office, Feb. 1979.
Wulf, W., et. al. HYDRA: The kernel of a multiprocessor operating system. Comm. ACM 17, 6 (June 1974), 337–345.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Redell, D.D. et al. (2001). Pilot: An Operating System for a Personal Computer. In: Hansen, P.B. (eds) Classic Operating Systems. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3510-9_20
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3510-9_20
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-2881-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-3510-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive