There have been a few versions of the utility imd2raw.c floating around
that will take Dave Dunfield's ImageDisk-created images (i.e. an .IMD file)
and make a linear binary image devoid of any metadata. This is similar to
the function of Dave's IMDU.COM program's /b switch.
I've corrected a problem with the assumption that all imd2raw.c descendants
to date have made: sectors that have a skew (i.e. not 1-1 interleaved)
weren't linearized correctly. The skewed sectors need to be written out in
"sorted" order, which is not necessarily captured/physical order. This is
easily verified by comparing output from "IMDU /b" to earlier imd2raw
outputs on any .IMD that has a sector skew that isn't 1, 2, 3 [...].
It's up on github here:
https://github.com/RetroFloppy/imd2raw
Hello,
I'm an employee with the National radio astronomy observatory here in Socorro New Mexico.
As part of our NGVLA upgrades, we are seeking to get rid of old data tapes from the tape reel days of Computing. These contain things such as the boot loaders, OS, specific collection programs and antenna movement programs.
I personally would hate to see these just wind up in the literal dumpster and would like to see them sent out to a museum or an archiving body that can preserve them and keep them safe as a dynamic part of history.
If anyone is interested or knows someone who would be interested in the VLAs data tape library please let me know.
V/R
Danielle Werts
Front end engineer
VLA Socorro New Mexico
I'm just starting to clean up a NeXT system that a friend has had in
storage for decades...
I assume the thing has a battery somewhere - I just hope it isn't Ni-Cad!
This is the original cube, monitor, keyboard (& mouse?), printer,
assorted cables, and a SCSI secondary hard drive box. So far the manuals
haven't shown up, but that is all online AFAICT.
My plan is to give them all a good cleaning, then open up and inspect
capacitors, look for batteries and any other perishable items, and then
do diode checks prior to considering powering up. The remembered
background story was a nearby lightning strike may have taken out the
(1200 baud?) external modem, so will be paying extra attention to the
serial ports! Sniff test may still be useful even after 20ish years.
Any suggestions on what else to watch for on this setup prior to first
power? I also will be using the Dim-Bulb setup once it seems safe to
turn on. Anyone seen a common problem in power supplies for these
components for example?
Planned destination is auction...
Thanks!
John :-#)#
Peter,
The command file below is from a SYSGEN driver build of DDDRV from my system but I think it should work for yours. Note that OU: is defined by the SYSGEN process and should be set as a logical to your system disk (DL0:) or perhaps more simply just edited to be SY: Also, note that it uses RSXVEC.STB which should work on the pregenned RL02 RSX11M+.
[200,200]DDDRVBLD.CMD
;
; DDDRVBLD.CMD -- RSX-11M-PLUS loadable DD: driver build command file
;
; Created on 01-NOV-2024 at 14:00:05
;
OU:[1,54]DDDRV/-MM/-HD,SY:[1,34]DDDRV/SH/-SP,OU:[1,54]DDDRV=
SY:[1,24]RSX11M/LB:DDDRV:DDTAB
LB:[3,54]RSXVEC.STB/SS
LB:[1,1]EXELIB/LB
/
STACK=0
PAR=DRVPAR:120000:20000
/
If for some reason you need to assemble the DDDRV driver below is the SYSGEN produced assembly command files.
[200,200]DDDRVASM.CMD
;
; DDDRVASM.CMD -- RSX-11M-PLUS loadable DD: driver assembly command file
;
; Created on 01-NOV-2024 at 12:56:02
;
OU:[11,24]DDDRV,LS:[11,34]DDDRV/-SP=IN:[1,1]EXEMC/ML,[11,10]RSXMC/PA:1,DDDRV
OU:[11,24]DDTAB,LS:[11,34]DDTAB/-SP=IN:[1,1]EXEMC/ML,[11,10]RSXMC/PA:1,DDTAB
Good Luck,
Mark
>
> 1. I need some RSX11M+ TKB help (Peter Ekstrom)
>
> From: Peter Ekstrom <epekstrom(a)gmail.com>
> Subject: [cctalk] I need some RSX11M+ TKB help
> Date: December 29, 2024 at 6:21:46 PM CST
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
> Reply-To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
>
> I have RSX11M+ 4.6 BL87 installed and running on my real PDP 11/23+ and
> have gotten DECnet to work as well. But recently a need to access a TU58
> tape has come up, and turns out the DD driver on disk isn't built against
> the correct RSX11M.STB file. So I need to, I guess, recreate the DDDRV.TSK
> file. I have tried some very simplistic TKB commands but keep getting an
> error saying a required file is missing.
>
> I don't have the sysgen stuff on this disk... What I have comes from the
> pregenned RL02 image.
>
> Does anyone know how the TKB command line should look for this? I know, I
> am looking for the easy way out. I have skimmed through some manuals but
> nothing has stood out to me (I'm sure I missed it).
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> - Peter
Hello everyone,
I am working on a Rainbow 100A which is showing a diagnostic code on the
lights at the back of 0110101. This is supposed to be Message 1 "Main Board
Video".
I have disassembled the 8088 firmware and checked address traces with a
logic analyser and my suspicion is that actually this is something to do
with the interaction with the Z80 because it is reading a status from the
shared memory and then using that to set the status lights.
I have been unable so far to work out where in the ROMs the Z80 code lives
or where in the 8088 code it transfers it to the shared memory to allow the
Z80 to run.
Can anyone tell me where the Z80 firmware is in the ROMs? And does anyone
have any insight into the above error or have details of the interaction
between the Z80 and the 8088? The Technical Manual only goes so far
unfortunately.
Thanks
Rob
The IBM 1403 printer had interchangeable print chains. I know of only
four 1403 printers still working — two at the Computer History Museum
in Mountain View, CA, one at the IBM Technology Center in Böblingen,
Germany, and one near Endicott, NY.
All four have the 48-character "A" or "Business" chain, and CHM has a
16-character numeric chain that allows the printer to run twice as fast
for numeric-only output. CHM doesn't have an "H" or "Fortran" chain,
and as far as I know, none of the others do. The difference is that
parentheses are % and "lozenge" — a square with indented edges
— apostrophe is @, and = is # on the "A" chain. IBM also had a 64-
character chain that included box and line drawing graphics. BTW,
nobody seems to know what "lozenge" was meant to represent.
Does anybody know of an existing "H" chain or graphics chain for a
1403?
Van Snyder
I have RSX11M+ 4.6 BL87 installed and running on my real PDP 11/23+ and
have gotten DECnet to work as well. But recently a need to access a TU58
tape has come up, and turns out the DD driver on disk isn't built against
the correct RSX11M.STB file. So I need to, I guess, recreate the DDDRV.TSK
file. I have tried some very simplistic TKB commands but keep getting an
error saying a required file is missing.
I don't have the sysgen stuff on this disk... What I have comes from the
pregenned RL02 image.
Does anyone know how the TKB command line should look for this? I know, I
am looking for the easy way out. I have skimmed through some manuals but
nothing has stood out to me (I'm sure I missed it).
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
- Peter
Anyone have an IBM 4245 printer? I came into a box of NOS print bands and have zero use for them. Don't want to hard them, don't want to throw them out. FTGH, pitch in a couple of bucks for shipping and they're yours. I can get part numbers and quantities if there's interest. There's about a dozen of them and I think they're all the same belt, but do not know for sure.
Hello
I have been doing a several years effort to save (very) old software for posterity, researchers, students. Mostly early 90s UNIXes, SunOS, Solaris, DG-UX, HP-UX, AIX, DEC-UNIX, some VMS software even. I uploaded some things to the Archive, and elsewhere, but I would rather get this off my shoulders, for mortality affects us all. This vanishing would be a loss, with many of these things are nowhere to be found anymore.
I tried contacting the admin(?) bear at typewritten dot org, offering a few things for archiving, without results. Do any of the users here have any means to contact the admin there? I would very much like to access some of the UNIXes software there, and would gladly offer a quid pro quo.
Similarly, if you have any software for Solaris (2.6, earlier) and other UNIXes, regardless of licensing status, I would be very much interested.
Some things probably are lost forever though, such as Proliant PL/I, VisualWorks 2.5, Tibco S-PLUS, Harlequin WebWorks and such.
Thanks in advance, and all the best
Seb.
