27 Aug
1998
27 Aug
'98
5:04 p.m.
I've sometimes wished there were more FAQs and
tutorials for
emulators like this. For that matter, for the preservation of
any old machine... so much knowledge isn't written down, much
less on the web.
AFAIK, just about everything about the -11 and the DEC software that
users might run on it is written down. I moved several thousand
pounds of such documentation in my last big move, and that was
even after pruning it down to only the most essential stuff!
Tim.
27 Aug
27 Aug
5:36 p.m.
At 04:04 PM 8/27/98 -0400, you wrote:
Bad choice of words on my part. I meant it wasn't in electronic
form. As you point out, it's tempting to toss the docs because
of their bulk, and has others have shown on this list, the docs
are the first thing to have disappeared when they come to
rescue a system.
Someone mentioned the old DEC fiches, and Megan (gee, only the
most famous are known by their first names) said something
about the way they were produced with specially formatted text
that printed direct to fiche film. Has DEC liberated these
docs in pure electronic text form, or even RUNOFF form, or
whatever system they used to typeset the original docs?
- John
I've
sometimes wished there were more FAQs and tutorials for
emulators like this. For that matter, for the preservation of
any old machine... so much knowledge isn't written down, much
less on the web.
AFAIK, just about everything about the -11 and the DEC software that
users might run on it is written down. I moved several thousand
pounds of such documentation in my last big move, and that was
even after pruning it down to only the most essential stuff! 
5:45 p.m.
Hi:
There's a big assortment of pdp-11 and pdp-8 docs developing on the
highgate.comm.sfu.ca web site. Check out
http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/pdp8 and
http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/~rcini/pdp11
Kevin
PS If you have any docs you want to ADD to the site, then let me know and
I'll create an account for you!
Kevin
At 04:04 PM 8/27/98 -0400, you wrote:
Bad choice of words on my part. I meant it wasn't in electronic
form. As you point out, it's tempting to toss the docs because
of their bulk, and has others have shown on this list, the docs
are the first thing to have disappeared when they come to
rescue a system.
Someone mentioned the old DEC fiches, and Megan (gee, only the
most famous are known by their first names) said something
about the way they were produced with specially formatted text
that printed direct to fiche film. Has DEC liberated these
docs in pure electronic text form, or even RUNOFF form, or
whatever system they used to typeset the original docs?
- John
--
Kevin McQuiggin VE7ZD
mcquiggi(a)sfu.ca
I've
sometimes wished there were more FAQs and tutorials for
emulators like this. For that matter, for the preservation of
any old machine... so much knowledge isn't written down, much
less on the web.
AFAIK, just about everything about the -11 and the DEC software that
users might run on it is written down. I moved several thousand
pounds of such documentation in my last big move, and that was
even after pruning it down to only the most essential stuff! 
6:22 p.m.
Someone mentioned the old DEC fiches, and Megan (gee, only the
most famous are known by their first names) said something
about the way they were produced with specially formatted text
that printed direct to fiche film. Has DEC liberated these
docs in pure electronic text form, or even RUNOFF form, or
whatever system they used to typeset the original docs?
- John
The program listing fiche were (I used to do IBM fiche at Bell & Howell
Microphoto while working my way through tech school before DEC Field
Service) probably generated via a COM machine which took tapes with
print file spools and generated microfilm.
I figure DEC printed the listings to file and then from file to tape and
then sent the tapes out for repro as fiche. The maintenance manuals
are shot by cameras which actually take a picture of each page
to generate the master film for repro.
DEC used blue (diazo) microfiche for their stuff, while IBM used mostly
silver film images (much more expensive -- but they never got clear from
exposure to sunlight). I almost wore out the DEC TU77 maint. manuals
fixing tape drives.
I wonder if DEC's MIS department has the tapes somewere.
9734
days inactive
9734
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CLASSICCMP＠trailing-edge.com -
jfoust＠threedee.com -
mcquiggi＠sfu.ca -
pechter＠pechter.dyn.ml.org