30 Nov
2015
30 Nov
'15
10:50 a.m.
when I was young in the computer biz wanted to build a timeshare 8
system..
however ended up going down the HP route instead for the rest of my
career .
There was also something called TSS-8 as I remember. Ed# _www.smecc.org_
(http://www.smecc.org)
In a message dated 11/30/2015 11:34:49 A.M. US Mountain Standard Tim,
jwest at classiccmp.org writes:
FYI - in the not too distant future I'm going to get back to my 8E rig.
I'll
be pulling out the TU10/TM11(unused, obviously) from the second cabinet
and
putting in an RX01 and RK05, and hopefully connecting up the TU56 and PC04
that are in the main cabinet.
In any case, my goal is to run ETOS on the thing - so I too am closely
following the progress of the group that is working to replicate the
hardware board for it.
J
30 Nov
30 Nov
10:58 a.m.
Ed wrote...
-----------------------
when I was young in the computer biz wanted to build a timeshare 8
system..
however ended up going down the HP route instead for the rest of my
career .
-----------
You chose the better path for a timesharing system *ducks & runs*
J
11:03 a.m.
Ed wrote:
when I was young in the computer biz wanted to build
a timeshare 8
system..
however ended up going down the HP route instead for the rest of
my
career .
There was also something called TSS-8 as I remember. Ed#
I'd *LOVE* to be able to have a real-hardware HP Timeshared BASIC system
running here, but alas, those are a lot harder to come by than DEC
stuff. I do have a 2000/Access system running under SimH hooked
directly to an ASR-33, which emulates the experience relatively closely,
but there's nothing like the real hardware. I cut my teeth learning
programming on the HP Timeshared BASIC systems starting in 6th grade
under the 2000C version.
TSS-8 was indeed a timeshare system for the PDP 8, but it was written to
run on DECs earlier fixed-head disk drives that are hard to come about
today (compared to RK05's). I've heard that someone had made changes
to TSS-8 to get it to run on an RK05, but the fact that it's a moving
head disk drive versus a fixed head drive that TSS-8 was designed to run
under, the poor RK05 gets thrashed pretty hard when timesharing.
There are also the Edusystem timeshared systems that DEC developed for
the PDP 8, but I haven't looked too deeply into these yet.
-Rick
11:05 a.m.
Rick wrote....
-------
I'd *LOVE* to be able to have a real-hardware HP Timeshared BASIC system
running here, but alas, those are a lot harder to come by than DEC stuff
-------
Contact me off-list :)
J
12:51 p.m.
On Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 11:05 AM, Jay West <jwest at classiccmp.org> wrote:
Rick wrote....
-------
I'd *LOVE* to be able to have a real-hardware HP Timeshared BASIC system
running here, but alas, those are a lot harder to come by than DEC stuff
-------
Contact me off-list :)
J
If you have a 2113B and a 2117F could you use those as a base? What
are the magic parts? Some special and rare interconnect boards? And a
special and rare async mux? And particular disc requirements?
1:07 p.m.
Glen wrote...
------
If you have a 2113B and a 2117F could you use those as a base? What are the magic parts?
Some special and rare interconnect boards? And a special and rare async mux? And
particular disc requirements?
------
2113/2117 - yes.
Off the top of my head....
For 2000E, you can get by with a single cpu, paper tape reader, and 7900 disc drive (non
HPIB). That's the smallest config likely to be runnable by folks (unless you happen to
have a drum unit or fixed head disc for prior versions). And the mux set below....
For Access (by far the best version), of course two cpus, mag tape (non-HPIB), and disc
(again, non-HPIB) are required. 32kw in the main cpu, from 16kw to 32kw in the IO cpu
depending on sysgen choices. I believe one of the processors needs FPP, have to check
that. But the magic bits...
1) You'd need the IOP microcode. This is downloadable from bitsavers for 21MX/E and
you can burn them. I can get people burned chips if they wish. For the M series, you need
the microcode AND a daughterboard to put them in :) For the 2100, I have the microcode -
and I'm not aware that those are available anywhere else. In most - possibly all -
situations the iop firmware must be on a fab (E/F). Trying to put it in a FEM may (have to
check, I think it will) cause issues with hard coded slot assignments in the IOP.
2) You'd need the processor interconnect kit. Basically this is 4 (two per cpu) 12566
boards and you'd have to build or find the cables for them.
3) MOST difficult... you need the 12920A or 12920B mux set (3 board set). These are
unobtainium.
4) If you want to enable the IBM MRJE facility, you'd need the sync modem (2 board
set). Pretty rare...
J
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COURYHOUSE＠aol.com -
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