22 Dec
2006
22 Dec
'06
12:21 p.m.
Mike wrote...
Does ether "kill" or "purge" ring
a bell to you, Richard?
I hadn't thought of that distinction, perhaps because it lumps everything
before access into just one camp. But I think Mike is right here... PUR- in
place of KIL- was an Access-ism. Good tip Mike!
I see many people telling wonderful stories about
HP2000 systems. If some
of the others could also share with us where the systems were located,
someone else in the group may also remember some of them.
Everyone already knows my story ;) In brief... My high school (St. Louis
University High School) had an HP2000/E which was later upgraded to C, then
to Access. Students had a high degree of access to the system. A course in
programming on the HP was required. Some of the math & physics courses had a
few weeks of material on the computer too. Class registration/scheduling was
done on the computer (with mark sense cards no less). Some teachers did
grades on it. It was also used in band classes for teaching music theory.
The school also had a PDP-11/03 running RT-11/TSX, and a course in Fortran
programming was optional on that machine. The HP had 32 terminals throughout
the school. One classroom full of ACT terminals, DEC LA36's (later replaced
by LA120's), several terminals in the library, some in the language labs,
etc. Of course some in administration offices and the jesuit rectory, and
some in the physics department.
Most of the HP2000 TSB installations in the area kept in touch and traded
programs on a regular basis. Other HP 2000 TSB systems that I know traded
programs with us were at Forest Part Community College (St. Louis),
Rockhurst High School (Kansas City), and DeSmet Jesuit High School (St.
Louis).
The group is a good place to ask support questions
about the OS or the
simulation.
Here is good too, But perhaps I'm biased :)
On the subject of Z999, I seem to recall that at least
some of the systems
before Access even had the HELLO program residing in Z999. As far as I
have seen in the Access source Z999 no longer had any special privelages.
I much more familiar with the Access source than the others, and I'm almost
certain there is no Z999 expected, nor used in a special way. I am less sure
about F and C, but I have recently skimmed the code there and see nothing
about it. I could be missing something. I don't think any earlier system had
any special use of Z999 either. Every reference I can find back to 2000A is
HELLO in A000. If someone has some concrete references to the contrary, I'd
love to know about it.
Someone asked about backing up TSB E without a tape
drive...
I described this in a previous post. Yours goes into more detail,
illustrating what I said about it being a pain ;) I use tape :D
The TSB E OS was distributed on two paper tapes, with
a third tape for the
loader.
Tape 1 was the TSB Loader/Utility, tape 2 was OS tape1, tape 3 was OS tape2.
The loader/utility was used every time you boot the system. Also, remember
you can load an E system from mag tape as well.
If anyone knows or may be able to track down anyone
who may still have an
old HP2000 system back up tape, we would love to hear about it. We have
had great success reading and reloading old tapes under simulation.
I'd also like to hear about any tapes, I've had great success reloading them
too ;)
Jay West