At 05:16 AM 2/7/2014, Bob Vines wrote:
Can OS/8 run on pre-OMNIBUS machines, i.e., anything
other than the
PDP-8/E, /M, /F, or /A? The DECmates use OS/278 (and WPS 8/278 &
COS-310) instead, but what about the pre-8/E machines?
OS/8 will run on any 8 family machine with at least 8K of memory.
You'll need 12K for some devices (those with 2 page system handlers).
Some device handler writers didn't think about pre-8/E machines, and
use instructions like BSW that aren't in pre-omnibus 8s. Those devices
won't work.
The VT-278 uses serial port hardware that doesn't behave like a real
KL8E so needs OS/278 to work properly. Other than that, there's really
not a huge difference between OS/8 and OS/278.
-Rick