Jerome Fine replies: I know of one system that is running TCP/IP under TSX-PLUS with a UNIX system at the other end. I assume that it is the Baldwin version, but I am not sure. Which version of RT-11 are you using? It is possible that the EQ driver that came with the Baldwin package was not compatible with the version of RT-11? Also, the NQ driver may not be compatible with both the TCP/IP and the RT-11 or the TSX-PLUS? Just suggesting!!! I would presume that Alan Baldwin would have more definite information. I notice that the error message also included a DATE. Was that just a text string as part of the error code or an actual live running DATE? And does TCP/IP require the DATE to be correct as part of the running of the software? Under the RSX-11M version, must the DATE be set correctly? And are file creation dates sent along with the files? Then, of course, the real big question, does the Baldwin package need to be fixed for Y2K bugs? Or do all TCP/IP packages have a protocol that needs Y2K bugs fixed? If so, would that mean that that ONLY the official Y2K versions of RT-11 can be used with a TCP/IP that is Y2K compliant or would any version of RT-11 that have been made Y2K compliant be able to run a Y2K compliant version of TCP/IP? Sorry for the dumb questions on TCP/IP, but I don't use it myself at this point and I was thinking of putting it on a PDP-11 which I have available. Right now, the system uses Kermit to transfer files, which of course, is very slow. Since there is an RX50, that is used when there are a couple of floppies of data. The data is being transferred to a PC which can read the RT-11 format of the RX50 with the files. We are thinking of two solutions. The simple one would substitute an RX33 for the RX50. The second would be much more expensive. Place an Iomega Zip drive (the cartridge is 100 MBytes) on both the PC and the PDP-11. The PDP-11 is running V5.4G of RT-11 which has been patched to be Y2K compliant and the MSCP device driver has even been fixed so that non-zero partitions on the RD53 can also be booted after the initial hardware boot. Sincerely yours, Jerome Fine RT-11/TSX-PLUS User/Addict

Jerome Fine replies: Any RQDX1,2,3 controller can support the RX50 dual drive in the backplane since it has no bus grant continuation. ONLY the RQDX3 supports the RX33. In a BA23, the use of just the RX50 is via the right hand header in the I/O distribution panel which is just in back of the space for drives. A straight through cable without any twists is the correct connection. Likewise for the cable from the RQDX3 to the I/O distribution panel via the little opening just below for I/O distribution panel. Yes!!! I AGREE!! RD53s drives don't live all that long. and SCSI is still very expensive since the Qbus host adapters have not become inexpensive, as has most other PDP-11 hardware. Why don't you just switch to an emulator on your PC? It is also much faster than the PDP-11!!!! UNLESS the real fun is running on real PDP-11 hardware and the software is not the issue. With me, the software is far more important than the hardware. I have seen an 11/73 systems with a Sigma RQD11-EC, a quad ESDI MSCP compatible Qbus controller which allows up to 4 ESDI drives of any size. The system I saw had 3 * 600 Mbyte Hitachi DK515-78 drives. I was told that the drives set as units 1 and 2 were only for backup and all 20 partitions on each drive were identical after the backups had been done. Of the 60 partitions in total, all could be active simultaneously and all were bootable. The Sigma controller does allow fixed hard drives to be split into segments or partitions of various sizes each with its own UNIT number which can then be booted from a hardware level. But I understand that the drives were not segmented in any way as the firmware on the Sigma controller was told that the drives were removable. In fact, a demonstration was made - VERY CAREFULLY - and one of the drives was powered off, uncabled, and a different physical drive substituted while everything else was still running. The new drive cam back on line and was available without a hitch. You can do the same thing with an RD53, but you MUST usually UNLOAD and LOAD the device driver the activate an RD5x drive after it is powered down. If the system device is also the same device driver, then a software BOOT is required. If you are running with re-initialize the RQDXn and bring the RD5x back on-line. Sincerely yours, Jerome Fine RT-11/TSX-PLUS User/Addict