23 May
2026
23 May
'26
3:17 p.m.
So there's RSX .TAP format that works with VCP.
Then there's this simh .TAP that doesn't.
Is there a conversion program to make one into the other?
Or a way to write simh .TAP to physical tape from RSX?
Asking because I want to write a physical TK50 from my real 11/70 running
RSX-11M-PLUS using this handy rsts/e dist .TAP I found on the Internet and
install me an rsts but VCP doesn't like the format!
$ dir *.tap
Directory DU0:[RITORTO]
23-MAY-26 15:16
RSTS101.TAP;1 47249. 23-MAY-26 14:53
Total of 47249./47250. blocks in 1. file
$ vcp connect rsts101.tap
VCP - *Diag* - Error opening file DU0:[RITORTO]RSTS101.TAP;1,
Status = Bad record type
Other ideas on how to proceed with a minimum (or even a modicum) of
friction?
thx
jake
24 May
24 May
1:10 p.m.
On Sat, May 23, 2026 at 6:18 PM Jacob Ritorto via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
So there's RSX .TAP format that works with VCP.
Then there's this simh .TAP that doesn't.
Do you have a Unix or Linux system handy? I have a "vtape" utility that
will write
files to a SIMH virtual tape file, and an "unvtape" utility that does the
reverse:
https://github.com/kgober/Tools/tree/master/vtape
If your SIMH virtual tape contains just one file then unvtape will extract
it. If your
SIMH virtual tape contains multiple files with multiple block/record sizes
unvtape
can probably extract that as well, but you may lose important record
boundary
information.
-ken
26 May
26 May
9:08 a.m.
Thank you for that ,Ken - good to have in the pocket!
I tried Johnny's tpw under 2.11BSD and it achieved writing simh TAP to a
real TK50. So I'm booting real hardware from that sept 1992 rsts/e image
now!
On Sun, 24 May 2026 at 16:11, Kenneth Gober via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
On Sat, May 23, 2026 at 6:18 PM Jacob Ritorto via
cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
So there's RSX .TAP format that works with
VCP.
Then there's this simh .TAP that doesn't.
Do you have a Unix or Linux system handy? I have a "vtape" utility that
will write
files to a SIMH virtual tape file, and an "unvtape" utility that does the
reverse:
https://github.com/kgober/Tools/tree/master/vtape
If your SIMH virtual tape contains just one file then unvtape will extract
it. If your
SIMH virtual tape contains multiple files with multiple block/record sizes
unvtape
can probably extract that as well, but you may lose important record
boundary
information.
-ken
31
days inactive
34
days old
2 comments
2 participants
participants (2)
-
Jacob Ritorto -
Kenneth Gober