A report on Compatible Time-Sharing System

Preamble of two version of the CTSS scheduler, one in MAD and one in FAP
Diagram of the Intrex running on CTSS

The first general purpose time-sharing operating system.

- Compatible Time-Sharing System
Preamble of two version of the CTSS scheduler, one in MAD and one in FAP

27 related topics with Alpha

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MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

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Research institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) formed by the 2003 merger of the Laboratory for Computer Science (LCS) and the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (AI Lab).

Research institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) formed by the 2003 merger of the Laboratory for Computer Science (LCS) and the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (AI Lab).

To this end, Corbató brought the first computer time-sharing system, Compatible Time-Sharing System (CTSS), with him from the MIT Computation Center, using the DARPA funding to purchase an IBM 7094 for research use.

Unix time-sharing at the University of Wisconsin, 1978

Time-sharing

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Sharing of a computing resource among many users at the same time by means of multiprogramming and multi-tasking.

Sharing of a computing resource among many users at the same time by means of multiprogramming and multi-tasking.

Unix time-sharing at the University of Wisconsin, 1978

One of the deliverables of the project, known as the Compatible Time-Sharing System or CTSS, was demonstrated in November 1961.

login screen

Multics

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Influential early time-sharing operating system based on the concept of a single-level memory.

Influential early time-sharing operating system based on the concept of a single-level memory.

login screen
login screen
Multics Commands reference manual

Dennis Ritchie wrote that the design of UNIX was influenced by CTSS

TYPSET and RUNOFF

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Early document editor that was used with the 1964-released RUNOFF program, one of the earliest text formatting programs to see significant use.

Early document editor that was used with the 1964-released RUNOFF program, one of the earliest text formatting programs to see significant use.

The original RUNOFF type-setting program for CTSS was written by Jerome H. Saltzer circa 1964.

IBM 7090 console

IBM 7090

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Second-generation transistorized version of the earlier IBM 709 vacuum tube mainframe computer that was designed for "large-scale scientific and technological applications".

Second-generation transistorized version of the earlier IBM 709 vacuum tube mainframe computer that was designed for "large-scale scientific and technological applications".

IBM 7090 console
IBM 7094 operator's console showing additional index register displays in a distinctive extra box on top. Note "Multiple Tag Mode" light in the top center.
IBM 7090 operator's console at the NASA Ames Research Center in 1961, with two banks of IBM 729 magnetic tape drives. The card reader is in front of the man and woman at right.
Dual 7090s at NASA during Project Mercury.

The Compatible Time-Sharing System (CTSS), the first general purpose time-sharing operating system, developed at MIT's Computation Center on three successive computers, an IBM 709, 7090 and 7094 with RPQs for additional features. It eventually ran on two separate 7094s, one of them at Project MAC.

Louis Pouzin

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French computer scientist.

French computer scientist.

Having participated in the design of the Compatible Time-Sharing System (CTSS) at MIT, Pouzin wrote a program for it called RUNCOM around 1963–64.

John McCarthy at a conference in 2006

John McCarthy (computer scientist)

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American computer scientist and cognitive scientist.

American computer scientist and cognitive scientist.

John McCarthy at a conference in 2006
McCarthy in 2008

McCarthy was instrumental in the creation of three of the very earliest time-sharing systems (Compatible Time-Sharing System, BBN Time-Sharing System, and Dartmouth Time Sharing System).

History of IBM mainframe operating systems

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Significant within the history of mainframe operating systems, because of IBM's long-standing position as the world's largest hardware supplier of mainframe computers.

Significant within the history of mainframe operating systems, because of IBM's long-standing position as the world's largest hardware supplier of mainframe computers.

MIT's Fernando Corbató produced the first experimental time-sharing systems, such as CTSS, from 1957 to the early 1960s, using slightly modified IBM 709, IBM 7090, and IBM 7094 mainframes; these systems were based on a proposal by John McCarthy.

RUNCOM

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RUNCOM is a CTSS macro command (script) processor.

CDC NOS batch file to get the file STARTRK and output it to the card punch

Batch processing

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Method of running software programs called jobs in batches automatically.

Method of running software programs called jobs in batches automatically.

CDC NOS batch file to get the file STARTRK and output it to the card punch

The first general purpose time sharing system, CTSS was compatible with batch processing.