WHAT IS TSLIP?

Tslip is an implementation of Internet Protocol over Serial Lines
(SLIP) for SVR4, providing transparent dial-out on demand, automatic 
disconnect during idle periods, modem sharing with uucp/cu/getty, as well as
support for permanent links using modems or direct lines.  VJ header
compression is included.  Modem dialing uses Taylor UUCP.

PPP is a newer protocol sometimes used instead of SLIP.  It is hoped that a 
compatible PPP driver will be developed in the future for use with this 
package (volunteers are welcome).

Tslip was implemented by Jim Avera (jima@netcom.com), combining a new
daemon, Taylor UUCP dialing code, and core driver and utility code from
Sudji Husodo and Van Jacobson.


HISTORY

Once upon a time, SVR4.0.x vendors like ESIX advertised slip support with
auto-dial.  Then everybody found out it didn't work, and vendors were
not anxious to fix it.

The slip implementation by Sudji Husodo at Intel was freely available.
In 1992, Van Jacobson's header compression was merged in, and the 
resulting package made available on ftp.tcp.com and uunet.
This software supports dedicated, manually established connections which 
do not require login chats.

Various commercial providers began selling dial-up SLIP service at moderate 
cost (e.g., $2/hr).  To use these services, a client machine must dial the 
server and log in, after which the line is converted to a slip interface.  
This really requires the kernel to support dial-out on demand, transparent 
to IP, and some means of breaking the connection when not needed, to control 
costs.  It also needs login chat script support ala uucp.

Meanwhile, Ian Lance Taylor wrote a free uucp package, now part of GNU, which 
is used by many sites including uunet to replace vendor-supplied software.
Taylor UUCP achieves much better throughput, up to 95% of link speed. It can
use the configuration files from older uucp software, although many 
extensions are available if a new file format is used.  Taylor UUCP sites
do not usually welcome new and different control files for slip or other 
dial-out functions.

Tslip is the marriage of Taylor UUCP, core software from Sudji Husodo and 
Van Jacobson, and a new dialer daemon.  Dialing and login is controlled
using the same configuration files as Taylor uucp.

Taylor UUCP source was not copied to make tslip.  Instead, tslip is built by 
linking in object code from the Taylor UUCP build directory.  A small patch
must be applied to the Taylor UUCP source before compilation.  The patch
has no effect on uucp operation.  This approach should make it easy to
merge future (or locally customized) versions of Taylor UUCP with tslip.

(7/5/93)

/*..........................................................................
 . Copyright 1993, Jim Avera.  All Rights Reserved.
 . 
 . This program contains new material owned by the above copyright holder, and
 . may also contain portions derived from existing works used by permission.
 .
 . You are prohibited from copying, distributing, modifying, or using this
 . file (or the portions owned by the above copyright holder) except as 
 . described in the file "COPYRIGHT" which accompanies this program.
 ...........................................................................*/
