SCSI Questions (Was: "Re: Purchased a Microvax 3800")

[Paul Koning]

On 2015-12-07 20:36, Christian Gauger-Cosgrove wrote:
> On 7 December 2015 at 14:29, Johnny Billquist <bqt at update.uu.se> wrote:
>> I think all (modern PDP-11) OSes can install from TMSCP tapes. RSTS/E is
>> more picky than some others, though, if I remember right...
>> 
> Yes, RSTS/E installs from TMSCP just fine (as can RSX-11/M+); I know
> that in simh you can bring up Ultrix-11 3.1 only on TMSCP
> (specifically a TK50), at least if you want all of the packages to
> install. I've installed RSTS/E 10.1-L from MASSBUS, TS11, TM11, and
> TMSCP in my various experimentation with emulation, it really doesn't
> care what the tape is as long as your SYSGEN device is consistent.

One detail on "it doesn't care what the tape is": RSTS kits on 1/2 inch tape come in 800 and 1600 bpi versions.  They have different boot blocks, each of them designed to work with all tape drives/controllers supported on RSTS that support the density in question.  For example, the 1600 bpi kit doesn't boot on a TM11 controller, and the 800 bpi kit won't boot on a TMSCP controller.  This matters if you try to boot one in an emulator where physical tape density doens't have any meaning.

	paul