--- a/src/sysdep.cc
+++ b/src/sysdep.cc
@@ -25,11 +25,47 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #endif
 
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_UNISTD_H
+#include <unistd.h>
+#endif
 #include <math.h>
+#include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 
+#include "tree-const.h"
+#include "octave.h"
+#include "input.h"
+#include "utils.h"
+#include "oct-obj.h"
 #include "error.h"
 #include "sysdep.h"
+#include "defun.h"
+
+extern "C"
+{
+#include <readline/readline.h>
+
+extern char *term_clrpag;
+extern void _rl_output_character_function ();
+
+#if defined (HAVE_TERMIOS_H)
+#include <termios.h>
+#elif defined (HAVE_TERMIO_H)
+#include <termio.h>
+#elif defined (HAVE_SGTTY_H)
+#include <sgtty.h>
+#else
+LOSE! LOSE!
+#endif
+
+extern int ioctl ();
+}
+
+#ifndef STDIN_FILENO
+#define STDIN_FILENO 1
+#endif
 
 // Octave's idea of infinity.
 double octave_Inf;
@@ -80,6 +116,10 @@
 #ifdef linux
   octave_Inf = HUGE_VAL;
 #else
+#ifdef __alpha__
+  extern unsigned int DINFINITY[2];
+  octave_Inf =  (*((double *) (DINFINITY)));
+#else
   double tmp = 1e+10;
   octave_Inf = tmp;
   for (;;)
@@ -91,6 +131,9 @@
     }
 #endif
 #endif
+#endif
+
+
 
 #if defined (HAVE_QUIET_NAN)
   octave_NaN = (double) quiet_nan ();
@@ -98,9 +141,14 @@
 #ifdef linux
   octave_NaN = NAN;
 #else
+#ifdef __alpha__
+  extern unsigned int DQNAN[2];
+  octave_NaN = (*((double *) (DQNAN)));
+#else
   octave_NaN = octave_Inf / octave_Inf;
 #endif
 #endif
+#endif
 
 #else
 
@@ -158,6 +206,289 @@
 }
 
 /*
+ * Set terminal in raw mode.  From less-177.
+ *
+ * Change terminal to "raw mode", or restore to "normal" mode.
+ * "Raw mode" means 
+ *	1. An outstanding read will complete on receipt of a single keystroke.
+ *	2. Input is not echoed.  
+ *	3. On output, \n is mapped to \r\n.
+ *	4. \t is NOT expanded into spaces.
+ *	5. Signal-causing characters such as ctrl-C (interrupt),
+ *	   etc. are NOT disabled.
+ * It doesn't matter whether an input \n is mapped to \r, or vice versa.
+ */
+void
+raw_mode (int on)
+{
+  static int curr_on = 0;
+
+  int tty_fd = STDIN_FILENO;
+  if (! isatty (tty_fd))
+    {
+      if (interactive)
+	error ("stdin is not a tty!");
+      return;
+    }
+
+  if (on == curr_on)
+    return;
+
+#if defined (HAVE_TERMIOS_H)
+  {
+    struct termios s;
+    static struct termios save_term;
+
+    if (on)
+      {
+// Get terminal modes.
+
+	tcgetattr (tty_fd, &s);
+
+// Save modes and set certain variables dependent on modes.
+
+	save_term = s;
+//	ospeed = s.c_cflag & CBAUD;
+//	erase_char = s.c_cc[VERASE];
+//	kill_char = s.c_cc[VKILL];
+
+// Set the modes to the way we want them.
+
+	s.c_lflag &= ~(ICANON|ECHO|ECHOE|ECHOK|ECHONL);
+	s.c_oflag |=  (OPOST|ONLCR);
+#if defined (OCRNL)
+	s.c_oflag &= ~(OCRNL);
+#endif
+#if defined (ONOCR)
+	s.c_oflag &= ~(ONOCR);
+#endif
+#if defined (ONLRET)
+	s.c_oflag &= ~(ONLRET);
+#endif
+	s.c_cc[VMIN] = 1;
+	s.c_cc[VTIME] = 0;
+      }      
+    else
+      {
+// Restore saved modes.
+	s = save_term;
+      }
+    tcsetattr (tty_fd, TCSAFLUSH, &s);
+  }
+#elif defined (HAVE_TERMIO_H)
+  {
+    struct termio s;
+    static struct termio save_term;
+
+    if (on)
+      {
+// Get terminal modes.
+
+	ioctl (tty_fd, TCGETA, &s);
+
+// Save modes and set certain variables dependent on modes.
+
+	save_term = s;
+//	ospeed = s.c_cflag & CBAUD;
+//	erase_char = s.c_cc[VERASE];
+//	kill_char = s.c_cc[VKILL];
+
+// Set the modes to the way we want them.
+
+	s.c_lflag &= ~(ICANON|ECHO|ECHOE|ECHOK|ECHONL);
+	s.c_oflag |=  (OPOST|ONLCR);
+#if defined (OCRNL)
+	s.c_oflag &= ~(OCRNL);
+#endif
+#if defined (ONOCR)
+	s.c_oflag &= ~(ONOCR);
+#endif
+#if defined (ONLRET)
+	s.c_oflag &= ~(ONLRET);
+#endif
+	s.c_cc[VMIN] = 1;
+	s.c_cc[VTIME] = 0;
+      }      
+    else
+      {
+// Restore saved modes.
+	s = save_term;
+      }
+    ioctl (tty_fd, TCSETAW, &s);
+  }
+#elif defined (HAVE_SGTTY_H)
+  {
+    struct sgttyb s;
+    static struct sgttyb save_term;
+
+    if (on)
+      {
+// Get terminal modes.
+
+	ioctl (tty_fd, TIOCGETP, &s);
+
+// Save modes and set certain variables dependent on modes.
+
+	save_term = s;
+//	ospeed = s.sg_ospeed;
+//	erase_char = s.sg_erase;
+//	kill_char = s.sg_kill;
+
+// Set the modes to the way we want them.
+
+	s.sg_flags |= CBREAK;
+	s.sg_flags &= ~(ECHO);
+      } 
+    else
+      {
+// Restore saved modes.
+	s = save_term;
+      }
+    ioctl (tty_fd, TIOCSETN, &s);
+  }
+#else
+LOSE! LOSE!
+#endif
+
+  curr_on = on;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Read one character from the terminal.
+ */
+int
+kbhit (void)
+{
+  int c;
+  raw_mode (1);
+  c = cin.get ();
+  raw_mode (0);
+  return c;
+}
+
+DEFUN ("clc", Fclc, Sclc, 1, 0,
+  "clc (): clear screen")
+{
+  Octave_object retval;
+
+  rl_beg_of_line ();
+  rl_kill_line (1);
+
+#if ! defined (_GO32_)
+  if (term_clrpag)
+    tputs (term_clrpag, 1, _rl_output_character_function);
+  else
+    crlf ();
+#else
+  crlf ();
+#endif
+
+  fflush (rl_outstream);
+
+  return retval;
+}
+
+DEFUN ("getenv", Fgetenv, Sgetenv, 2, 1,
+  "getenv (STRING): get environment variable values")
+{
+  Octave_object retval;
+
+  int nargin = args.length ();
+
+  if (nargin == 2 && args(1).is_string_type ())
+    {
+      char *value = getenv (args(1).string_value ());
+      if (value)
+	retval = value;
+      else
+	retval = "";
+    }
+  else
+    print_usage ("getenv");
+
+  return retval;
+}
+
+DEFALIAS (home, clc)
+
+DEFUN ("kbhit", Fkbhit, Skbhit, 1, 1,
+  "kbhit: get a single character from the terminal")
+{
+  Octave_object retval;
+
+// XXX FIXME XXX -- add timeout and default value args?
+
+  if (interactive)
+    {
+      int c = kbhit ();
+      char *s = new char [2];
+      s[0] = c;
+      s[1] = '\0';
+      retval = s;
+    }
+
+  return retval;
+}
+
+DEFUN ("pause", Fpause, Spause, 1, 1,
+  "pause (seconds): suspend program execution")
+{
+  Octave_object retval;
+
+  int nargin = args.length ();
+
+  if (! (nargin == 1 || nargin == 2))
+    {
+      print_usage ("pause");
+      return retval;
+    }
+
+  if (interactive)
+    {
+      switch (nargin)
+	{
+	case 2:
+	  {
+	    int delay = NINT (args(1).double_value ());
+	    if (delay > 0)
+	      {
+		sleep (delay);
+		break;
+	      }
+	  }
+	default:
+	  if (kbhit () == EOF)
+	    clean_up_and_exit (0);
+	  break;
+	}
+    }
+
+  return retval;
+}
+
+#if !defined (HAVE_GETHOSTNAME) && defined (HAVE_SYS_UTSNAME_H)
+extern "C"
+{
+#include <sys/utsname.h>
+int
+gethostname (char *name, int namelen)
+{
+  int i;
+  struct utsname ut;
+
+  --namelen;
+
+  uname (&ut);
+  i = strlen (ut.nodename) + 1;
+  strncpy (name, ut.nodename, i < namelen ? i : namelen);
+  name[namelen] = '\0';
+
+  return 0;
+}
+}
+#endif
+
+/*
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