On Thu, Dec 3, 2020 at 9:38 PM Josh Dersch <derschjo at gmail.com> wrote:
  On Thu, Dec 3, 2020 at 6:13 PM Kevin Jordan via cctalk
<
 cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
 Specifically, in the case of FORTRAN, the compiler exits with an error
 code
 6204. This occurs even when trying to compile trivial "hello world"
 programs, and it appears to occur in all other TSS/8 distributions we've
 tried as well (i.e., this particular problem is not unique to the LCM+L
 distribution). We haven't found error code 6204 specifically documented in
 the TSS/8 user/admin manuals, but the manuals do document other error
 codes
 in the 62xx range. Documented error codes in the 62xx range appear to
 reflect file I/O errors, so we're wondering if perhaps one of the files
 supporting the FORTRAN compiler is corrupt in all of these distributions.
 
 The LCM+L variant is built starting from the same disk image as all the
 other TSS/8 systems out there (which was originally taken from John
 Wilson's TSS/8 system).  I extended the filesystem to a full megaword (the
 maximum supported by TSS/8) for the RK05 image.
 I suspect you may be right that FORTRAN is corrupted, I'll take a look
 this weekend.  I'll admit to not having played with it; though I did test
 out everything else.
 
Finally had a chance to look at this.  The 6204 error message is documented
in the EDUSYSTEM 50 guide here:
http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/dec/pdp8/tss8/DEC-08-E50UA…
See page 6-49:
"6204     Error in reading the compiler, FDCOMP.  Must be stored under
account 2."
And yes, the library account (2) is missing FDCOMP.SAV, and I know of no
existing copy of this code anywhere, unfortunately.  Perhaps it will turn
up somewhere someday, on a DECtape gathering dust on someone's shelf.  I
really do wish more TSS/8 stuff was out there, but I suppose we should be
thankful that any of it survived.
- Josh