TOPS-10: Difference between revisions

The '''TOPS-10''' System ('''''T'''imesharing / '''T'''otal '''Op'''erating '''S'''ystem'''-10''''') was a computer [[operating system]] from [[Digital Equipment Corporation]] (DEC) for the [[PDP-10]] (or DECsystem-10) [[mainframe computer]] launched in 1967. TOPS-10 evolved from the earlier "Monitor" software for the [[PDP-6]] and PDP-10 computers; this was renamed to TOPS-10 in 1970.

TOPS-10 supported [[Shared memory (interprocess communication)|shared memory]] and allowed the development of one of the first true [[multiplayer game|multiplayer]] [[computer game]]s. The game, called [[DECWAR]],<ref>http://hsnewman.freeshell.org/decwar.htm The Decwar Page</ref> was a text-oriented ''[[Star Trek]]'' type game. Users at terminals typed in commands and fought each other in real time.

Another groundbreaking application was called ''FORUM''. This application was perhaps the first so-called ''[[CB Simulator]]'' that allowed users to converse with one another in what is now known as a [[chat room]]. This application showed the potential of multiusermulti-user communication and led to the development of [[CompuServe|CompuServe's]] chat application.

The first release of the PDP-6 Monitor software was first released in 1964. Support for the PDP-10's KA10 processor was added to the Monitor in release 2.18 in 1967. The TOPS-10 name was first used in 1970 for release 5.01. Release 6.01 (May 1974) was the first TOPS-10 to implement Virtual[[virtual Memorymemory]] (demand paging), enabling programs larger than physical memory to be run. From release 7.00 onwards, symmetrical multiprocessing was available (as opposed to the master - /slave conceptarrangement used before). The final release of TOPS-10 was 7.04<ref name=ohist/> in 1988.