Hey all,
I was trying to track down some kind of image/photo of "what IBM VM/370
looks like" (the operating system)
I tried looking also in the IBM manuals - I'm just not finding much. Some
kind of image of what maybe a remote login looked like, a task process
list, or maybe basic file/folder management commands, or how an editor or
programming worked on that system.
There is a bit of media with a VM/370 emulator, but I wasn't sure how
accurately representative it was of a kind of "look and feel" of that OS.
What I'd need is maybe photographs of teletype printouts? This was still
early 1970s. Which is understandable not much of that was probably kept
around.
Thanks, just digging around - like wasn't sure if VM/370 was still
six-character filename limited like earlier 60s era OS's, or whatever
characteristics it had in operating it.
-Steve
*Just a reminder*
The next Glen Ellyn CCC chat and repair meeting will be held on March
28th, 2026.
Anytime after 2PM until we all get to tired to solder and talk.
We will order Pizza around 5:30pm.
As usual Beer and Pop will be provided.
I look forward to seeing you all there.
385 Saint Charles Rd
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
+1 (773) 414-1044 (Cell)
The 1800 used the 1130's instruction set but from what I heard the CPU was
faster. (Integer multiply and divide in particular). And it had some other
differences, e.g. index registers were real registers, not the first three
locations of core. Also it had a couple more instructions, and the ability
to make sections of core readonly once initialized -- I believe this was
done with toggle switches rather than under software control. It's been a
while. From what I wrote on ibm1130.org/today, apparently at one time I
believed Mike Ross and Bob Rosenbloom have 1800's
I have never found a copy of MPX either as a distribution card set or disk
image. Would LOVE to have it so we can try it out on the ibm1130 simulator
in simh
Brian
Hey all, I came across an OS called MPX for the IBM 1800 system.
bitsavers has some documentation, but again I was hoping to get some sense
(or photo) of what it "looked like" - process control list, disk/memory
resource, or how one might interact or "run" FORTRAN on it.
My understanding is the 1800 was basically an upright (fridge-style)
version of the 1130?
MPX is described as supporting both real-time and background processing. A
main use case seems to be in factory automation (power plants, oil
refineries, steel mills).
Per this article, it looks like there was an effort to make a PC (x86) port
of this MPX around 1989.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/65294.71219
(to me, making it a comtemporary to MINIX)
Searching for IBM MPX info is confused since it looks like CDC had an MPX
OS in the 1980s, and Microsoft more recently had some components called MPX
(along with Intel once upon a time having MPX instructions). So it's a
fairly overloaded term.
Around the year 2000, there was an interview with Ray Gwinn (developer of
high performance SIO drivers for OS/2) - in there, he describes using MPX
on an 1800, as early as 1968.
bitsavers main MPX archive doc is a 5th adition from 1970.
Not urgent, was just a curiosity. I didn't see MPX mentioned in this epic
IBM OS discussion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip0cQiQjd18
Maybe IBM MPX got overshadowed by the RSX-11 systems - but there are claim
that IBM 1800's being in use as recently as 2010.
-Steve
Tandy Assembly is Oct 2-4. Anyone planning to attend this year? I am going
to get a hall pass from the old battleaxe. The airline prices are really
good right now, for me at least.
I am going to be a sponsor.
Daniel
sysop | Air & Wave BBS
finger | calcmandan(a)bbs.erb.pw
*Just a reminder*
The next Glen Ellyn CCC chat and repair meeting will be held on March
28th, 2026.
Anytime after 2PM until we all get to tired to solder and talk.
We will order Pizza around 5:30pm.
As usual Beer and Pop will be provided.
I look forward to seeing you all there.
385 Saint Charles Rd
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
+1 (773) 414-1044 (Cell)
