Birth

Jan

ROE, RGO VAXs delivered.

Many sites expressed dismay at the prospect of Versatecs only, without lineprinters. It was hoped that sufficient funds would be available for a cheap printer at each site.

Order placed for SIGMA ARGS displays.

Bob Dickens joined Starlink as Head of Starlink (half time).

RAL Estimates (80/81) and Forward Look:

DMY

8

8

8

7

6

6

Staff costs/overhead

114

Recurrent

351

Capital

650

Total

1115

461

527

529

502

440

Feb 6

Outline specification of Starlink environment issued (SAG/3/80).

11

SAG/4: Most sites felt a lineprinter was needed. Site managers approved - Dave Terrett (MAN), Sid Wright (UCL), Dave King (RGO), Carol Robinson (CAM).

14

SMM/2 (RAL)

CAM, MAN VAXs delivered.

Mar 4

Dave Pearce joined Starlink at RL as assistant to Lawden.

22

Draft application programmer environmental description issued.

28

1st Starlink Software Release.

Bridget Astridge (Starlink secretary RAL) left Starlink.

31

Bob Fosbury became the first registered Starlink `User' when he signed up at RGO (6 weeks before Barry Kent - claimed as first user in Bul 3).

Apr 1

Starlink started as a standard project within Computing Division, RL.

Starlink officially began offering a service to users.

15

Dave Pearce moved to work on System Software under Walter.

28

SAG/5: All 6 VAXs delivered; not yet running at RGO and MAN.

Starlink Bulletin 1 (ENTERPRISE) issued.

Slavka Cole joined Starlink part time as Starlink Secretary RAL.

May 28

SMM/3 (ROE)

1st SIGMA ARGS image display device installed at RAL.

Jun 27

SAG/6: Bernie McNally now Site Manager at ROE. Local Management Committees set up.

Jul

Starlink Bulletin 2 issued.

VAX installation at MAN completed - last of the original 6 sites.

Sites started to communicate via DECNET at 2.4 Kbaud. Remote file access was the only facility supported.

Initial Site Managers were: CAM - Carol Robinson MAN - Dave Terrett RAL - Lorna Claringbold RGO - Dave King ROE - Bernie McNally UCL - Sid Wright

Aug

Pavelin & Wallace attended `Image Processing in Astronomy' conference at JPL, and visited Kitt Peak, VLA, NRAO (Charlottesville), DEC (Boston).

Sep 1

Patrick Wallace joined Starlink at RL as Head of Applications Software.

4

SMM/4 (CAM)

23

1st release of INTERIM software environment (first Starlink environment).

29

Meeting to discuss End-User Environment (based on draft SGP/6 produced by Lawden). Decided that command language is to be designed by Walter & Wright (monitored by Shortridge). Timescale - Nov 80: Technical proposal produced; Dec 80: Primer presented to community; Feb 81; Ready.

Office moves at RAL caused by opening of R31. People have offices in R27 and R31.

Oct 6

Paper on "The development of Starlink Applications Software" issued.

9

RAL Estimates (81/82) and Forward Look:

DMY

8

8

8

7

6

6

Staff costs/overhead

112

112

112

98

84

84

Recurrent

333

350

355

342

392

378

Total

445

463

467

440

476

462

20

SAG/7: VMS 2.0 installed on RAL VAX. Decided not to buy Eigen video system.

24

Grand Inauguration of Starlink at RAL by Mr D N MacFarlane, Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Dept of Education and Science.

Nov

Starlink Bulletin 3 issued, together with `Glossy Brochure'.

Dec 3

SMM/5 (RAL)

Jan 5

Mark Banwell joined Starlink as assistant to Lawden.

21

SAG/8: SRC financial problems affected Starlink - almost impossible to spend money. Printronix printers have been delivered to all sites except RGO & CAM.

Rodney Warren-Smith (DUR) joined Starlink on 1-year contract to write 2-D Photometry programs.

Mar 1

Eric Dunford replaced Cliff Pavelin as Project Manager.

25

SMM/6 (MAN)

Jeremy Martin joined Starlink at RAL as a student working on graphics with Julian Gallop

Apr 21

SSC/1: The method of distributing software was changed from large releases at long intervals distributed on magnetic tape to small releases at frequent intervals distributed by network.

29

SAG/9

Althea Wilkinson (MAN) joined Starlink as application programmer.

Jack Giddings (UCL) joined Starlink as application programmer.

Mark Banwell (RAL) left Starlink.

Software Environment SIG set up.

May 29

Slavka Cole (RAL) left Starlink, her work was taken over by Susan Fuller.

Jun 2

Steve Yip joined Starlink at RL as assistant to Walter.

Starlink Bulletin 4 issued.

Jul 2

SMM/7 (RGO)

8

SAG/10

15

Starlink User Guide binders arrived. Distributed Starlink User Guide 1.0

20

Siu Chun Yeung joined Starlink at RL as assistant to Lawden.

S T Yee joined Starlink at RAL as a student.

Aug 1

Clive Davenhall (ROE) joined Starlink as application programmer.

Design of HDS started by Pearce. Anton joins effort in Oct.

Sep

Jeremy Martin (RAL) left Starlink.

Sue Mitchell (RAL) joined Starlink as Starlink secretary.

Dave Brownrigg (ROE) joined Starlink as application programmer.

Doug Tudhope (ROE) joined Starlink as application programmer.

Oct 8

RAL Estimates (82/83) and Forward Look:

DMY

8

7

7

7

8

Recurrent

425

455

455

480

500

13

SMM/8

31

Bob Dickens resigned as Head of Starlink. The posts of Head of Starlink and Project Scientist were merged into that of Project Scientist.

Eric Dunford moved to IRAS.

Patrick Wallace became acting Project Manager at RAL.

Nov 4

SAG/11:

Ann Sweeney joined Starlink at RAL. Worked with Julian Gallop on GKS.

Dec 9

Starlink directory structure reorganised.

Windfall of 150K pounds - Discs, Memory, Terminals.

Jan 11

17th Starlink Progress Meeting (RAL) was cancelled because of snow. This series of meetings stopped being held (last one on 9 Nov 81) and was replaced by a new series of Weekly Progress Meetings in May.

Windfall of 250K pounds - led to Durham node being purchased.

Keith Tritton (RAL) joined Starlink as Project Scientist.

Steve Morris (CAM) joined Starlink as Application Programmer.

Feb 24

SAG/12: Durham chosen as 7th Starlink node - based on VAX 11/750.

35 people had applied for the post of Project Manager.

Mar

Durham - Starlink's 7th node opened (Alan Lotts SM).

Apr 16

RAL VAX hardware moved from plinth in computer hall in R27 to a new room in R30. A new terminal room also became available.

27

SMM/9 (RAL)

Starlink Bulletin 5 issued.

May 17

First Weekly Progress Meeting (RAL) held. Brief minutes were recorded until May 85, after which no formal minutes were kept.

22

Paper on `Starlink' submitted by Disney & Wallace to Q Jl R astr Soc.

Jun 24

SAG/13:

HDS - Data system ready for testing.

Jul 23

Siu Chun Yeung left Starlink.

Patrick Wallace confirmed as Project Manager.

S T Yee (RAL) left Starlink.

Aug 24

SMM/10 (DUR)

Starlink Bulletin 6 issued.

Sep 9

SUG version 2 issued.

29

VMS 3.0 introduced on RAL VAX.

Len Culhane replaced Mike Disney as SAG chairman.

Oct

Birmingham - Starlink's 8th node became operational (Billy Wilson SM).

Most sites now have 4Mbyte memory with 3 at MAN and 2 at BIR and DUR.

8

RAL Estimates (83/84) and Forward Look:

DMY

9

10

10

11

11

11

Manpower

181

202

202

222

222

222

Recurrent

573

574

574

604

604

604

Total

754

776

776

826

826

826

Nov 3

SAG/14: Wallace drew attention to Starlink's serious problems with manpower and development of the environment. Decided to set up a `Tiger Team' to produce a written case for more manpower (Culhane, Penston, Kibblewhite, Wallace).

11

Tiger Team met at RAL. Reported to ASR Board on 24 Nov 82.

18

SMM/11 (ROE)

22

Anton Walter died.

Dec 21

Special Environment SIG meeting at UCL. Abandoned attempt to develop environment by a strong central team. Sid Wright (UCL) given responsibility for the coordination of the implementation effort - within guidelines.

Starlink Bulletin 7 issued.

Althea Wilkinson (MAN) left Starlink.

David Brownrigg (ROE) left Starlink.

Pat Moore (JOD) joined Starlink as application programmer.

Jim Peden (BIR) joined Starlink as application programmer.