Which Operating System for my DCC-116 E / Entrex 480 / Nixdorf 620 / Data General Nova 1200 clone ?

Tue Jan 16 11:03:32 CST 2018

Hello Jay (JRJ),

I'm not sure if I understand well, what do you mean by "drawings", do 
you need additional images of the beast, maybe to better identify it ?
If yes :
http://www.zeltrax.com/classiccmp_forum/tapetransfert/d116_panel_01.jpg
http://www.zeltrax.com/classiccmp_forum/tapetransfert/d116_panel_02.jpg
http://www.zeltrax.com/classiccmp_forum/tapetransfert/d116_panel_side.jpg

Regarding SimH it was one of my questions in previous posts: Is there 
way to make bootable tapes with the data provided with SimH, apparently 
the answer is yes and it is excellent news ! I have never used this 
emulator but I will follow your suggestions and try to install the 
equivalent of a Nova 1200.
After I do not know how to convert a disk image into a bootable tape. 
Regarding RDOS I see that I downloaded with SimH a file "rdos_d31.dsk", 
how to proceed to put this .dsk on a tape?
Regarding my hardware, I have two possibilities, I'm currently working 
on a set of machines that I'm going to dedicate to the production of 
bootable media for a whole assortment of machines, I want to be able to 
generate floppies 8 inches, 5 1/4, 3 1/2 (DD or HD), and also 9 track tapes.

For that I have two machines:
- One is a TU81 Plus attached to a VAX 4000-505A running OpenVMS 6.2
http://www.zeltrax.com/classiccmp_forum/tapetransfert/tu81plus.jpg

- The other is a Shugart (KENNEDY) 9612 which can write in 800, 1600, 
3200 or 6250 bpi, this tape drive is equipped with a SCSI interface but 
I do not know yet if I can connect this drive to a conventional Adaptec 
scsi interface and I do not know which program I can use. I read 
somewhere that Linux seems a good choice concerning the support of old 
tape drive, that'is right ?
http://www.zeltrax.com/classiccmp_forum/tapetransfert/kennedy_9612.jpg

Anyway, all is to make a 800 bpi bootable tape to mount on the Mag-tape 
Pertec 8840A of my DCC D-116(E).

Regarding the floppy drive I have a project but just started, and as 
usual no information, I recovered this triple 8 inches diskette drive , 
it is a Shugart Model 3800 (or SA3800)

http://www.zeltrax.com/classiccmp_forum/tapetransfert/shugartSA3800_01.jpg
http://www.zeltrax.com/classiccmp_forum/tapetransfert/shugartSA3800_02.jpg
I found a brochure about this:
http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/shugart/brochures/Shugart_SA3800_Brochure_Feb78.pdf

I do not know if there is a way to connect this machine to my D-116, I 
don't know if I have the required interface in the D-116, and finally I 
don't know anything about the interface currently present inside the 
SA3800. This machine was hooked to another rare machine, a "Hermes Data 
System 200 FD", machine currently down, and no doc, no info:
http://www.zeltrax.com/classiccmp_forum/tapetransfert/hermes_data_system_200_fd.jpg

I wanted to use the Hermes as a telex and one of these floppy drive - 
Although it's an SD one - for data transfer between my recent machines 
and my dear (still dead) Sperry Univac UTS 40, but that's another topic 
again, sorry, I'm scattering ;-)

FYI I still have many lacks of knowledge, I do not know what an AWS 
image format. I do not know anything about licensing and copywrite 
issues in the context of retro-computer preservation, I've always found 
that very inappropriate in regard of the efforts we make, the time we 
take on our lives to protect this legacy for the unique purpose of 
preserving a piece of history related to the evolution of technology.
Fortunately there are people like you, in a good spirit of mutual help 
that goes beyond the borders of countries and continents,  a big thank 
you for that!

Dominique

On 16/01/2018 02:16, Jay Jaeger via cctalk wrote:
> On 10/4/2017 3:33 PM, Dominique Carlier via cctech wrote:
>> Hi all
>>
>> I start here another topic concerning my research about a new Operating
>> System for my freshly restored DCC-116 E.
>>
>> http://www.zeltrax.com/classiccmp_forum/second_boot/04.jpg
>> http://www.zeltrax.com/classiccmp_forum/second_boot/02.jpg
>>
>> I originally intended to install RDOS on my machine but it seems very
>> difficult to find the files needed to make a system installation tape.
>>
> FIRST:  If you have drawings for the DCC, please let me know.  I have
> two of them (long in storage in the house, but they ran when I pulled
> them from their Unitote/Regitel rack a couple of *decades* ago.
>
> There is an RDOS - disk images, available at:
>
> http://simh.trailing-edge.com/software.html
>
> (Top entry in the list)  It is about a 2.5MB disk image.
>
> I suggest that you might download SimH and that image, configure SimH as
> a straight Nova (rather than a /3 or /4) and see if it runs that image
> OK.  If so, there you go!
>
> Beyond that, I *might* be able to help, but it will depend on what the
> status of copyright is on what I have, and whether your system can even
> run what I do have.  I am looking into the copyright part of it - that
> may take a week or two.  (This is something I needed to to anyway).
>
> In the meantime:
>
> Do you have a way to *write* a tape image?  I have an AWS format image
> of an RDOS starter system.   Note, however, that the label on the RDOS
> starter image I have suggests it may  only be appropriate for a NOVA 3
> or NOVA 4, so it might not run on your system.    So, I'd have to take
> some time to boot it and try and set up a system for a straight Nova.
> As this would take several hours, I'm not keen on doing that unless you
> know that one from SimH will not work for you.
>
> I also have some OS and compiler DG floppy images, if you have a
> DG-compatible floppy setup.  Several different operating systems there.
> Same issue: one would have to see how many are compatible with a
> straight Nova.  I have images of the floppies.
>
> Diagnostics for DG systems are notoriously difficult to find.  I have a
> few, in listing format.
>
> JRJ
>
>