[Simh] Corrupt BASIC-PLUS 2.7 tpc issue in SimH > 3.9

[Will Senn]

The latest incarnation of SimH does not appear to allow the mounting of 
corrupted tpc images, or at least not the one referred to here. I am 
working with RSX11M-Plus v4.6 using instructions located here:
http://pdp2011.sytse.net/wordpress/pdp-11/sessions/rsx-11m-plus/

The instructions for adding BP2 to RSX11M-Plus includes mounting and 
using files from a known partially corrupt tpc image loacted at:
ftp://ftp.trailing-edge.com/pub/rsxdists/basic_plus_2_rsx_v2_7.zip

There are some important files on the tape. But the tape mount does not 
succeed in the latest SimH:

sim> *set ts ena*
sim> *att ts0 basic_plus_2_rsx_v2_7.tpc*
sim> *set ts0 format=tpc*
**

In the latest SimH, when you perform these instructions, the tape image 
is loaded as SimH format and the set ts0 format=tpc line errors out with 
'Unit already attached'. Reordering logically using:

sim> set ts ena
sim> set ts0 format=tpc
sim> att ts0 basic_plus_2_rsx_v2_7.tpc

SimH replies with:
TS: unit is read only
Format error

However, in 3.9, the instructions work exactly as described in the first 
set of instruction and the files (that are
not corrupted) are then accessible in RSX11M-Plus.

As a workaround, I'm using SimH 3.9 to perform the sysgen, etc. and will 
then use SimH latest because of its slew of improvements.

Does this sound like expected behavior or like an issue with the post 
3.9 SimH? If so, I'll gladly open an issue, but it's weird enough, that 
I thought I would ask first.

Thanks,

Will







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