What is The Tardis?
The Tardis is a computing service offered and maintained by the Tardis Project. The Tardis Project exists to provide this service for whoever wants to use it, without regard to academic or commercial affiliations.
The Tardis is currently a Sun 3/260 minicomputer running SunOS 4.1.1, although it is expected we will shortly have other machines running providing other services. It is connected to Edinburgh Universitys network through a router and packet-filtering bridge. (If this means nothing to you, don't worry. You'll learn.) It provides a place where people can
learn about computing and programming generally,
learn about UNIX in particular,
access electronic mail and USENET news;
write and share software;
do anything else within reason.
Tardis is set up to allow connections from the Internet, but not to allow outgoing terminal connections to the Internet. Ie., you can telnet to Tardis, but from Tardis you cant telnet out.
How Is The Tardis Run?
There is no official management, only a group of users (collectively, 'timelords') who take voluntarily take responsibility for some of those tasks normally carried out by system managment. These tasks include (but are not limited to) backups, accrediting new users, maintaining the hardware and system software, and liaising with the outside world. Anyone who demonstrates that they are capable of handling the responsibility may join this group. Most of the current group in fact have full time jobs outwith their Tardis involvement.
Many things which might normally be carried out by system management in a conventional system are things which users are encouraged to do for themselves, or help with if others are doing them. This includes rebooting the machine if it crashes, backing up their own files, and helping with dumps. It also includes any aspect of the machine's day-to-day existence which users feel able to deal with. Only if you can't fix it yourself should you ask the timelords to, although as a matter of courtesy they should also be informed of any fixes that are made by users.
In many respects, then, Tardis is essentially an anarchy. The most significant aspect of Tardis use is that of personal responsibility:
USERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS ON THE MACHINE.
This is not to say that "anything goes". People who indulge in irresponsible behaviour will be censured, not by the timelords but by everyone who uses the machine.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REALISE THAT THE TARDIS DEPENDS ON THE GOODWILL OF OTHERS TO PROVIDE MANY OF ITS MOST USEFUL SERVICES.
In particular, the Tardis Project relies on the support of Edinburgh University Computing Service and Edinburgh University Computer Science Department, for network connections, space for the machinary, and power.
IRRESPONSIBLE USERS ENDANGER NOT ONLY THEMSELVES, BUT THE ENTIRE FUTURE OF TARDIS SERVICES.
By exercising a bit of reason and restraint, the Tardis can be made to work. Without it, it will probably die.
Sponsors Scheme
Every user on Tardis must have a sponsor - an existing user who recommends them for a Tardis account. In general, your sponsor should have been a Tardis user for a reasonable period of time, and may not sponsor more than two users.
Your sponsor is resposible for your behaviour, to an extent. If we have to remove your Tardis account due to your actions we reserve the right to remove your sponsors account also.
However, we have never yet had to remove a user from Tardis, and hope never to have to do so.
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