cctalk Digest, Vol 89, Issue 21

[Paul Koning]

You could boot a packaged Linux that doesn't need installation but runs directly from the boot device.  I haven't done this but I know they are out there and easy to use.

SimH complex and lots of setup?  Not my experience.  The documentation may be sparse in places, as I found when configuring a PDP-10 setup, but the PDP-11 setups are well documented.

SCSI controller, that's beside the point.  I assume it looks to the PDP-11 as an MSCP controller, right?  It would have to be, else you'd have no chance of running a standard OS.  If so, you'd just tell SIMH to configure an MSCP controller with a disk of size matching what you have.

When you said "won't write a disk image to a real RX50" do you mean an RX50 drive, or an RX50 floppy in a plain PC 5.25 inch drive?  I don't know about the former, but the latter has long worked for me.  I haven't used Windows for stuff like that in ages, and don't want to use it if I can avoid it, but my RSTSFLX 2.6 can be build for DOS (using DJGPP).  I don't have an executable of that version handy but could probably create one.  That doesn't create from images, though; it manipulates RSTS file systems.  A simple program to copy an image, along the lines of the rx50.py I mentioned, would not be hard to make.

	paul

> On Feb 22, 2022, at 5:20 PM, Rod Smallwood via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> 
> I'm sure that will work. Unfortunatly dd is a linux command.
> 
> I only have windows PC's.
> 
> simH is highly complex and needs a lot of setup. ( I know - I tried - total nightmare)
> 
> It does not have support for the CMD CDD 220 SCSI controller and a RH-18A
> 
> I have a working 11/83 with a 2gig SCSI drive and RX50.(it passes the diags and boots XXDP+)
> 
> None of the methods suggested so far gets me an RX50 bootable OS install set.
> 
> Latest fail.. putR does not as claimed write disk images to a real RX50 under W95. (write protect error)
> 
> The SCSI25D costs  $150 US in the UK.
> 
> So the  simple requirement to copy an RX50 disk image (which I have) to an RX50 remains.
> 
> Rod
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 22/02/2022 19:27, Adam Thornton via cctalk wrote:
>> The 11/83 question sounds like a job for SCSI2SD to me.  Install a system
>> with simh.  dd the resulting disk image to your sd card.  Hook the SCSI2SD
>> up to your 11/83 and boot from the card.  Copy the contents of that drive
>> to your real SCSI drive.  Done.
>> 
>> SCSI2SD cards are not expensive and are a tremendous value for money.