Jerome Fine replies: I also posted the problem on alt.sys.pdp11 and vmsnet.pdp-11. Megan Gentry answered with exactly the same information, although her explanation was only 4 lines since she is aware that I already understand what the RT-11 commands are. I just did not realize that the file being booted had to have the exact name "MONITR.SYS" BUT, your expanded explanation is appreciated since I am sure that most everyone else reading it would not have understood. One point that is interesting is that the command: .R PIP *RK0:*=RK0:RKMNSJ.SYS/U is also accepted so long as the file MONITR.SYS is present and is identical to RKMNSJ.SYS; also MONITR.SYS can be placed on the media before or after the "/U" command. Naturally, the real point to be careful of is that MONITR.SYS is an exact copy of the correct file with the proper resident device driver present within. With so many different monitor files, I imagine that it might have been a bit difficult to keep track if the user was switching back and forth. While I started out with V02 of RT-11, I almost never bothered with V03 of RT-11. So it would have been extremely rare, if ever, that changing monitors was required. By V4.00 of RT-11, the command had become: COPY/BOOT RK0:RT11FB.SYS RK0: and the file RT11FB.SYS was used with ALL devices. MONITR.SYS was no longer in use, although it would certainly have been allowed to have that name if the user had some reason I want to set up a CD with as many RT-11 distributions as possible, but I would STRONGLY prefer to provide RK05 image files rather than multiple RX01 image files. For RT-11 distributions prior to V05.00, I probably have: V01-15 / 1 * DT V02B / 2 * RX01 V02C / 2 * RX01 V03 / 9 * RX01 V03B / 9 * RX01 V4.00 / 1 * RK05 V4.00C / 1 * RK05 but I doubt that I have the correct Volume ID / Owner for V4.00C of RT-11. In addition, I can now provide RK05 file images, but again the Volume ID / Owner will probably be incorrect along with the order of the files. After the CD is prepared and distributed, I want to work on a Y10K compliant V05.03 for hobby users. Sincerely yours, Jerome Fine -- If you attempted to send a reply and the original e-mail address has been discontinued due a high volume of junk e-mail, then the semi-permanent e-mail address can be obtained by replacing the four characters preceding the 'at' with the four digits of the current year.

Jerome Fine replies: The use of a monitor file with the integrated "monitor/device driver" was last used with V03B, as far as I can understand and see with the 7 RT-11 binary distributions that I have prior to V05.00 of RT-11. With V04.00 of RT-11, the separation had occurred. For V03B of RT-11, there was an "almost" impossible number of Monitor files to be distributed. Jerome Fine replies: For V02B of RT-11, as far as I can see, the hardware boot code is only in 2 blocks of the device - block 0 and block 2. By V04.00, the hardware boot code had also expanded to blocks 3, 4 and 5. As for the boot code being in the first directory segment, V04.00 contained a DY.MAC file with code for a double sided RX02 drive. However, I don't think that the hardware boot code allowed the monitor boot file to be on the second side of an RX03 floppy. At one point, I ported the code from V04.00 of DY.MAC to V05.03 of DY.MAC for RX03 media. However, I don't think I bothered to correct that aspect of the boot code. At this point, I am confident I can finish a CD with about thirteen RT-11 distributions of RT-11 for V05.03 and prior. For V05.00 and later, there will be RL02 file images that are bootable. Prior to V05.00, there will be RK05 file images that can be booted. After that is done, my goal is to work on a Y10K compliant V05.03 of RT-11 for hobby users. Sincerely yours, Jerome Fine -- If you attempted to send a reply and the original e-mail address has been discontinued due a high volume of junk e-mail, then the semi-permanent e-mail address can be obtained by replacing the four characters preceding the 'at' with the four digits of the current year.