15 Jul
2004
15 Jul
'04
9:33 a.m.
Eric Moody wrote:
Hello,
I have wanted a PDP11 for years but currently do not have the space for
one so I have decided to do the next best thing use simh. I have
downloaded simh and the rt11 disk image but I am kind of stuck on where
to go. Does anyone know of any sites or documents available online that
cover configuration of simh and the installation and use of rt11. I
have done some messing around and have managed to boot the rt11 image by
using the commands
at rl0 rtv53_rl.dsk
at rl1 eric_pdp11_rt11.dsk <- This is a file that I intend to do my
install to. Is that wrong?
Boot rl1.
I choose the automatic option but then it wants me to mount a disk in
dl1 so that it can backup the media. I try to attach dl1 but I get an
error non existent device. If try to create the disk during the install
the install just errors out and dies.
Any help with this will be most appreciated.
Jerome Fine replies:
What does "eric_pdp11_rt11.dsk" contain? If it is a zero length
file, then the install will probably not work.
Also, I presume that you actually typed: "Boot rl0" since that
is where the RT-11 distribution is located.
Also, although RT-11 uses "dl" as the device name, SIMH uses
""rl" as the device name. That is the reason for the confusion!
And if you want to go through the installation, then I suggest you
use PUTR to produce an empty "working" dsk (container) file
via the command:
FORMAT eric_pdp11_rt11.dsk/RL02
before you "Boot rl0"
PUTR with the "/RL02" switch automatically produces a
container file with the extra blocks required by a PDP-11
for the system area on an RL02 media.
BUT, before you boot rl0, you should probably:
SET RL0 LOCK
Then, the install will abort because rl0 is WRITE PROTECTED.
At that point, you can:
COPY/DEVICE DL0: DL1:
If you want to avoid the install, just:
COPY/BOOT DL1:RT11XM.SYS DL1:
BOOT DL1:
In your situation, the install is NOT needed. However,
"rtv53_rl.dsk" does not have the required system area
which is required under RT-11 to:
INIT DL0:
So if that is ever required, you MUST start with PUTR to
set up that empty file and then COPY from DL0: to DL1:
which can be done after you Boot rl0: (DL0: as far as
RT-11 is concerned) even though no system area is
present on rl0:
After you exit from SIMH, you might want to make a backup
copy (under the Windows OS) of rl1:
Once that is done, if you have more RT-11 questions, please ask.
Sincerely yours,
Jerome Fine
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