LINC keyboard. 1962
LINC keyboard
- manual
- LINC_Assembly_Program_2_LAP3_May63.pdf
- manual source http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/washingtonUniversity/linc/LINC_Assembly_Program_2_LAP3_May63.pdf
2025-10-11 thanks to Lars Brinkhoff (his git home page https://github.com/larsbrinkhoff) for telling me about LINC keyboard and its meta key.
Email from Lars Brinkhoff
2025-07-05 from Lars Brinkhoff (his git home page https://github.com/larsbrinkhoff)
Hello,
- We have previously corresponded about Lispm and Knight keyboards, and the history of the META key.
- I have put forward the theory that Les Earnest invented the meta key, and put it on the SAIL keyboard around 1970.
- However, now I have encountered an even earlier meta key: the one on the LINC keyboard.
- I'm sending you a link to a photo of the keyboard, and a 1963 manual that describes the use of the meta key.
- It's not a modifier key, but starts a command.
- Arguably this is similar to the IMSSS and TV-Edit "edit" key, which was close in time and space to the SAIL keyboard.
What is the META key on LINC used for?
- Second, good question; it's highly relevant.
- The LINC key is *not* a modifier at all.
- In fact, the keyboard has no modifiers in the modern sense since it can only handle one key struck at a time.
- The keyboard actually physically locks a key in the down state until the keyboard has read it.
- The way to type an uppercase symbol, is to first type CASE (and then release it), and then type the other key.
- META is the uppercase of EOL.
- EOL is end-of-line, or Newline/Enter/(Carriage) return.
- To to type META, you press CASE and then EOL.
- META is for entering a meta command.
- In Emacs terms, it's the same as M-x!
- e.g. META SM is Save Manuscript (save text file.) META CV is ConVert (assemble source code into binary.) META SB is Save Binary (save executable program code).
- META LO is LOad binary (and run it.) META DX is Display indeX (list files on tape.) There are more, but you get the gist.