[Simh] Simh Digest, Vol 37, Issue 11

[bsupnik at comcast.net]

The OS/8 disk you are using doesn't have a DECtape handler.

To see what's included, use the command

RES

at the . command prompt.

/Bob Supnik

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> Today's Topics:
> 
>    1. Problems with OS/8 (Richard Hunt)
>    2. Re: Problems with OS/8 (Vince Mulhollon)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 19:07:26 +0000
> From: Richard Hunt <richard.hunt500 at ntlworld.com>
> Subject: [Simh] Problems with OS/8
> To: simh at trailing-edge.com
> Message-ID: <1166641646.6310.11.camel at localhost>
> Content-Type: text/plain
> 
> Hi,
> 	I am trying to work out OS/8 using the OS8_Handbook_Apr1974.pdf,
> but I am having some trouble. I cannot work out how to access a storage
> device other than the system device. I am using the software kit from
> the simh webstite and starting pdp8 with the following commands:
> 
> att rx0 Disks/os8_rx.dsk
> att rx1 Disks/os8f4_rx.dsk
> att dt0 Disks/working
> boot rx0
> 
> working doesn't exist, so simh creates a new file.
> 
> OS/8 starts and I get the . prompt and help, dir etc work correctly, but
> I think there is not space left on the disk so I tried adding the DEC
> tape. Here are the errors I have had:
> 
> .DIR DTA0:
> DTA0 DOES NOT EXIST
> 
> .AS DTA0
> DTA0 NOT AVAILABLE
> 
> etc. What do I need to get the DECtape working. Is there another device
> that it would be easier to use for storage?
> 
> The handbook I am using seems to refer to an earlier version of OS/8
> than the version in the software kit, since it doesn't mention a 
> version for RX disks, is there a newer manual I could try?
> 
> Thanks for any help,
> Richard Hunt
> 
> PS. Thanks to everyone who created simh, I am having fun playing with
> the simulators.
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 15:27:34 -0600
> From: Vince Mulhollon <vlm at mulhollon.com>
> Subject: Re: [Simh] Problems with OS/8
> To: simh at trailing-edge.com
> Message-ID: <20061220212734.GA19319 at mulhollon.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> 
> On Wed, Dec 20, 2006 at 07:07:26PM +0000, Richard Hunt wrote:
> > Hi,
> > 	I am trying to work out OS/8 using the OS8_Handbook_Apr1974.pdf,
> > but I am having some trouble. I cannot work out how to access a storage
> > device other than the system device. I am using the software kit from
> > the simh webstite and starting pdp8 with the following commands:
> > 
> > att rx0 Disks/os8_rx.dsk
> > att rx1 Disks/os8f4_rx.dsk
> > att dt0 Disks/working
> > boot rx0
> > 
> > OS/8 starts and I get the . prompt and help, dir etc work correctly, but
> > I think there is not space left on the disk so I tried adding the DEC
> > tape. Here are the errors I have had:
> > 
> > .DIR DTA0:
> > DTA0 DOES NOT EXIST
> >
> 
> Probably you don't have the driver loaded for DTA devices, which 
> is nonintuitively called "TC"
> 
> To verify, from the OS8 prompt, run "R BUILD" and you should get a 
> dollar sign prompt.  At the dollar sign prompt type PRINT and hit enter.
> If you had a TC driver you'd see something like this cut and paste 
> from my machine:
> 
> .R BUILD
> 
> $PRINT
> 
> RX01: *RXA0 *RXA1
> KL8E: *TTY
> LPSV: *LPT
> RK8E: *SYS
> PT8E: *PTP  *PTR
> TC  : *DTA0  DTA2  DTA3  DTA4  DTA5  DTA6  DTA7
> TM8E: *MTA0  MTA2  MTA3  MTA4  MTA5  MTA6  MTA7
> RF  : *RF    NULL
> RK05: *RKA0 *RKB0 *RKA1 *RKB1  RKA2  RKB2  RKA3  RKB3
> 
> DSK=RF:RF
> $
> 
> Note the line TC which is the device driver and of the eight supported
> devices I'm only loading DTA0.
> 
> Now rebuilding to include other drivers is a good hours entertainment.
> 
> Here is my cruddy cheatsheet using a different set of system disks where
> I transfer a system from two floppys to a RK drive.  I provide no guarantee
> but this might help you understand the numerous steps in the build of an OS8.
> 
> The distribution floppy disk images (originally) came from:
> http://www.pdp8.net/images/images/misc_floppy.shtml
> os8_v3d_bin_1.rx01
> os8_v3d_bin_2.rx01
> 
> Boot off the "distribution RX disks" in rxa0: and rxa1:
> .set sys no init
> .zero rka0:
> .zero rkb0:
> .copy rka0:<rxa0:
> .copy rka0:<rxa1:*.sv
> .copy rka0:<rxa1:*.rl
> .copy rka1:<rxa1:*.bn
> .copy rka1:<rxa1:*.sy
> .copy rkb1:<rxa1:*.pa
> .r build
> $unload rk05
> $unload rx8e
> $load rxa1:rk8esy.bn
> $insert rk8e:sys
> $load rxa1:pt8e.bn
> $insert pt8e:ptp
> $insert pt8e:ptr
> $load rxa1:tc08ns.bn
> $insert tc:dta0
> $insert tc:dta1
> $load rxa1:tm8e.bn
> $insert tm8e:mta0
> $insert tm8e:mta1
> $load rxa1:rf08ns.bn
> $insert rf:rf
> $load rxa1:rk8ens.bn
> $insert rk05:rka0
> $insert rk05:rkb0
> $insert rk05:rka1
> $insert rk05:rkb1
> $sys rk8e
> $dsk rf:rf
> $boot
> .save sys build
> .save rka0 build
> 
> I thought I set up DTA1: in addition to DTA0:, will have to figure out 
> where that got lost...
> 
> Sometimes, depending on your drivers, you get to assemble them first, like
> for a SBC6120, which is a bit beyond this discussion.
> 
> Anyways good luck and happy holidays
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
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> End of Simh Digest, Vol 37, Issue 11
> ************************************