test-drb May 2019

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

149 participants
165 discussions

by cctalk＠gtaylor.tnetconsulting.net

On 4/28/19 6:27 PM, Ray Jewhurst wrote: > I already have a Hobbyist License.? I am just interested in > experimenting with different OSes and different versions of OSes. ACK I don't know what VAX hardware VMS 1.5 supported, what VAX hardware that Simh supports, or what the overlap is between the two. There's a reasonable chance that someone will chime in with experience. -- Grant. . . . unix || die

4 years, 11 months

RT-11 doesn't recognize my 3.5" floppy

by charlesmorris800＠centurytel.net

On 06/05/2019 23:38, John Forecast via cctalk wrote: > The release notes on bitsavers indicate that the RX33 was not supported > until RT-11 V5.04. >> On May 6, 2019, at 6:20 PM, Charles via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> >> wrote: >> >> I have installed an RQDX3 >> But, when I boot the system (with RT-11SJ V5.01), it can't see the drive >> at all. Not only was the RX33 not supported until 5.04, there's a bug in the MSCP DU driver that wasn't fixed until 5.03 (IIRC) or maybe 5.04, which means nothing on an RQDX3 can be guaranteed to work properly before that. It caused me a lot of grief, way back in 1994. See the files at http://www.dunnington.info/public/RQDX/ and particularly http://www.dunnington.info/public/RQDX/DUX.TXT if you're interested. -- Pete Pete Turnbull ========================================================================= thanks for the additional info. Will check out the links. Meanwhile, I found an RK05 image of RT-11 "5.4" on bitsavers, made an RL02 bootable -SJ image on SIMH, then copied it over to the hardware with VTserver. (I didn't have to wait for the entire 10 MB since the contents were all on the first 3 MB anyway and no bad blocks). The system booted up to a 5.04 prompt and DU0: is fully usable with 2382 blocks on a 3.5" diskette :) My TSX+ 6.50 copy also didn't have DU enabled in TSGEN.MAC so I had to uncomment that DEVDEF line and reassemble/relink. It's SLOW on my 11/23+... we're spoiled with GHz PC's and GB of RAM. Now I can use the floppy under TSX+ too. But the generic 3.5" drive in my WinXP box can't successfully emulate an 3.5" RX33 with PUTR, apparently. (Nor an RX23). I only get read/write/directory errors after several seconds of head activity even with /RX33 and /RT11 switches set. Time for more reading and maybe drive swapping/tweaking...

4 years, 11 months

VMS versions

by raywjewhurst＠gmail.com

Does anyone know if there is a comprehensive list of changes from version to version for VMS? Wikipedia's list only shows the models that were introduced and I am more interested in the evolution of features. If anyone knows a website that shows this it would be much appreciated. Thanks Ray

4 years, 11 months

RT-11 doesn't recognize my 3.5" floppy

by charlesmorris800＠centurytel.net

On 05/07/2019 11:15 AM, Douglas Taylor via cctalk wrote: > Very interesting , now that you got it to work, what can you use it for? > Will it be an exchange media with PUTR? > > Doug > > On 5/6/2019 6:20 PM, Charles via cctalk wrote: >> I have installed an RQDX3 and the M9058 distribution board in my >> 11/23+. Since I don't have a 5.25" drive yet, I hooked up a 3.5" HD >> (1.44 MB) drive from an old PC. >> After a struggle (which I documented on VCFED's DEC forum), I managed >> to get all the jumpers and cables set correctly, and now my XXDP >> diagnostics (ZRQA?? ... ZRQF??) recognize the drive as an RX33 (DU0:, >> logical drive 0 since no hard disks are attached). It passes all the >> tests, and I can INIT, DIR, and copy files to it using the limited OS >> with the XXDP suite. The LED on the RQDX3 blinks once when the drive >> is accessed. So far so good. >> Did you actually test the drive by formatting, reading and writing? >> But, when I boot the system (with RT-11SJ V5.01), it can't see the >> drive at all. Attempts to access it result in the command hanging >> indefinitely, the drive does not select, and the RQDX3 lamp flashes >> rapidly. SHOW DEV:DU does say that the handler is installed for the >> correct 172150, 154 location. However, SHOW DEV:DUn where n=[0..3] >> displays two blank lines then back to the dot prompt. >> >> Is my version of RT-11 just too old to recognize an RX-33? If so, >> what do I need to fix this? Presumably a later DU.SYS? >> Thanks for any help. Most of my experience is with PDP-8's so this is >> slow going... >> -Charles >> > RT11V5 works for me using RQDX3 and the distribution board in the BA23 box assembled as a MicroPDP-11 with RX33 and RD52 (Quantum 31mb). Never thought much about it other than to make sure the RX33 was jumpers were correct and making a dummy panel for the smaller than RX50 drive. The 11/73 system has the RQDX3 and the signal distribution board (m8058) out of BA123 to hook up RD52, RX33, RX23 and never had issues due to addressing devices under RT11. Is it possible you have a interrupt grant gap between the various boards and the RQDX? That would cause a hang. If you successful it makes using PUTR easier though RX50 works for that too just smaller. =============================================================================== Not a hardware or installation problem (once I got everything hooked up right, that is)... As another member helpfully pointed out, 5.04 is the first version of RT11 that supports RX33. I have 5.01 on my TSX+ RL02 pack. Once I booted with an RT11XM 5.04 disk, I can format, read and write the floppy :) Now I have to figure out how to upgrade to RT11SJ 5.04 or later without bombing the contents of the RL02. Remaking a pack with VTserver is a pain. Yes, the plan is to use PUTR on an old Windows box that I use with my PDP's. I'll probably use Front Panel Express to make a nice rack panel for a 3.5" and a 5.25" drive, instead of having the bare drive sit on top of the RL02 in the corporate cabinet ;)

4 years, 11 months

IBM 4506 Digital TV display unit (System 360 peripheral)

by steven＠malikoff.com

I was going through some items of my fathers-in-law and found a photocopy of a 1972 conference paper that mentions the IBM 4506 Digital TV display unit being used by reporters and editors at the New York Times. These and other terminals (2741 I/O selectric, 2265 VDU) were connected to a 360/40. Apparently they could take a TV camera input as well as output from the Mod 40, and had a keyboard. I found the article pdf online, it was 'System quality through structured programming' by FT Baker, 1972 at https://www.computer.org/csdl/proceedings/afips/1972/5080/00/50800339.pdf My google-fu hasn't found any picture of the IBM 4506 or even a reference outside this article, and I'm mildly curious as to what they looked like. Anyone? Steve.

4 years, 12 months

MPE versions

by couryhouse＠aol.com

I? ?remember? giving the database? some? w/? ?Orley? Larson? ?in Brighton UK? when I was there? giving? invited? paper on? FORUM/USA.... ---Ed Sharpe In a message dated 5/7/2019 1:35:00 PM US Mountain Standard Time, cctalk at classiccmp.org writes: Thanks for the awareness. TurboImage Release History - get it while available!https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c020… Keven Miller ----- Original Message ----- From: "Frank McConnell via cctech" <cctech at classiccmp.org>To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>Sent: Mon 06 May 2019 05:02 PMSubject: Re: VMS versions On May 6, 2019, at 15:48, Antonio Carlini via cctalk wrote:>> On Mon, May 6, 2019, 5:17 PM Zane Healy <healyzh at avanthar.com> wrote:>>>> It would be nice to see this through 8.4-2L1 (I think that?s the latest>> version).>>>> Zane>>>> There used to be an article about OpenVMS release history, naturally it's > been wiped. Likewise, there used to be an article about MPE release history.? Links I know for it are: <http://community.hpe.com/t5/General/MPE-Release-History/td-p/4075425> (20 Aug 2014)<http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/General/MPE-Release-History/td-p/4075425> (28 Apr 2016) Naturally it?s been wiped, and archive.org *doesn?t* have a copy, even though they have other pages under that t5/General directory in both cases. -Frank McConnell

4 years, 12 months

VCF Southeast Photos

by silent700＠gmail.com

Last weekend I made an unannounced visit out to Roswell, GA to visit our brothers-and-sisters-in-hoarding at the Vintage Computer Festival Southeast. They were hosted by the new location of the Computer Museum of America, not yet open to the public. The show was a solid representation of the hobby, with a wide range of micros, minis and workstations as well as a few calculators and computing ephemera. On the museum side, I've never seen so many Crays in once place - and they're not even done yet! Here is my photo set: https://photos.app.goo.gl/aiKGadREX511xeUt5 (contains computers, computer collectors and one giant rabbit) Big thanks to Earl and the gang for putting on another great VCF and showing me that southern hospitality. More VCF Midwest news coming soon! -j

4 years, 12 months

MPE release history (was: Re: VMS versions)

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: R. Stricklin > I saved a copy in 2012. ... Grab them while you still can. The tendency of links to go bad is momumental; the probability of it happening over long time periods seems to asymtotically approach 1.0. So everyone ought to make a habit of down-loading a copy of anything they have an interest in; the existence of multiple copies seems to be the best safeguard that material will not be lost. Noel

4 years, 12 months

LA50 and Computest Docs wanted

by ard.p850ug1＠gmail.com

Firstly, does anyone have the printset (schematic) for the DEC LA50 printer? It's not on Bitsavers and I can't find it anywhere else. Secondly (and more interesting/less likely to be known) I have a thing here called a 'Computest 3020'. It seems to be a luggable data logger. A case, very deep from front to back, with a carrying handle. The front hinges down and contains a keyboard, this reveals a monochrome monitor (about 9" diagonal CRT) and a pair of half-height 5.25" Teac floppy drives. Inside there's a logic board that slides in from the back. It contains a Z80A, boot ROM, 64K DRAM, a pair of 8251 USARTs (oddly, only one is brought out to a connector, there is a single DB25 on the back), Intel 8276 video chip, Western Digital FDC (I think 2797, but don't quote me!) etc. It plugs in on what seems to be separate sets of edge fingers for the floppy drives, keyboard, monitor and a 50 wire link to the motherboard that is located above this logic board. The motherboard has 8 edge connectors for '64 channel switch' PCBs (look to be analogue multiplexers, full of 4052s), a 'measurement PCB' (ADC, etc) and a 'control PCB' which I think is to control the thing you are taking measurements from, it has 3 DE9 connectors). Anyway, I can't find anything about it with Google. Manuals would be useful the software disks (which I don't have) even more so. -tony

4 years, 12 months

RT-11 doesn't recognize my 3.5" floppy

by charlesmorris800＠centurytel.net

I have installed an RQDX3 and the M9058 distribution board in my 11/23+. Since I don't have a 5.25" drive yet, I hooked up a 3.5" HD (1.44 MB) drive >from an old PC. After a struggle (which I documented on VCFED's DEC forum), I managed to get all the jumpers and cables set correctly, and now my XXDP diagnostics (ZRQA?? ... ZRQF??) recognize the drive as an RX33 (DU0:, logical drive 0 since no hard disks are attached). It passes all the tests, and I can INIT, DIR, and copy files to it using the limited OS with the XXDP suite. The LED on the RQDX3 blinks once when the drive is accessed. So far so good. But, when I boot the system (with RT-11SJ V5.01), it can't see the drive at all. Attempts to access it result in the command hanging indefinitely, the drive does not select, and the RQDX3 lamp flashes rapidly. SHOW DEV:DU does say that the handler is installed for the correct 172150, 154 location. However, SHOW DEV:DUn where n=[0..3] displays two blank lines then back to the dot prompt. Is my version of RT-11 just too old to recognize an RX-33? If so, what do I need to fix this? Presumably a later DU.SYS? Thanks for any help. Most of my experience is with PDP-8's so this is slow going... -Charles

4 years, 12 months

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test-drb May 2019