[Simh] RSTS/E 10.1-L and Paper tape

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2016-01-06 15:35, Will Senn wrote:
>
>
> On 1/5/16 11:38 PM, Will Senn wrote:
>>
>>
>> On 1/5/16 7:14 PM, Paul Koning wrote:
>>>> On Jan 5, 2016, at 5:07 PM, Will Senn <will.senn at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> All,
>>>>
>>>> The simulated paper tape device is very handy to copy text around
>>>> between a host and simulated environment. My question for the group
>>>> is, does RSTS/E 10.1-L support the paper tape device? The
>>>> documentation is sketchy about it but does make a rare reference to
>>>> PP: and PR: (help for SYSTAT for example), but it wasn't a question
>>>> during sysgen and I can't figure out how to copy files to it. In
>>>> RT-11, it's as simple as copy whatever PC: or copy PC: whatever...
>>> Yes, RSTS does support those.  I don't know why Sysgen doesn't ask.
>>> It doesn't ask about DECtape, either.  Perhaps they are no longer
>>> officially supported, but the software should be there and it should
>>> work.
>>>
>>> After running sysgen but before running the resulting sysgen.com
>>> script, edit config.mac.  Look for the line that mentions PR11 and
>>> change the 0 to 1, then the next line (PP11) also 0 change to 1.
>>> While you're there, if you want DECtape, change TC11 (just above
>>> PR11) to be the number of DECtape drives.  Typically that's an even
>>> number because a TU56 has two DECtape drives in it.
>>>
>>>     paul
>>>
>> I followed the steps Paul provided with Christian's clarification and
>> am now able to copy files to the paper tape punch device PP:...
>>
>> $ copy instal.log pp:
>> [File INSTAL.LOG copied to PP:[1,2]]
>>
>> The ptp.txt file on the host now contains the contents of instal.log
>> from rsts/e. Woohoo, half way there...
>>
>> but copying files from PR: doesn't seem to work:
>> $ copy pr: hello.mac
>> ?Device hung or write locked - file PR:??????.???
>>
>> I tried PR0: as well, same result. Is the copy command different from
>> what I typed? or do I need to enable read on the PR device somehow?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Will
>>
>>
> Update. If the copy is the first thing after attaching ptr in simh, it
> works:
> $ copy PR: HELLO.MAC
> [File PR:??????.??? copied to [1,2]HELLO .MAC]
> $ macro/rt11 hello/list
> $ link/rt11 hello/map
> $ run hello
> HELLO, WORLD
>
> Any subsequent use of PR fails (which makes sense, really, after all,
> the PTR should be positioned after the read):
> ?Device hung or write locked - file PR:??????.???
>
> until ptr is attached again. I'm not sure how I missed this the first go
> around, I didn't think it ever succeeded, but I've verified that it
> seems to always works after an attach. Is there a
> reset/rewind/reposition device function that will work with PR in RSTS?
> I can work around it with reattachment in SIMH if all else fails.

There is no way to software wise reset the paper tape from the OS. The 
paper tape is a physical thing. I real life, you would need to actually 
take the paper tape and "mount" it in the reader, and set the reader 
online. And after that, the tape can be read by software.

As for transferring files to and from your RSTS/E system, you do know of 
KERMIT, right? Telnet into the RSTS/E system, start a kermit server 
there, switch back to your local kermit, and then send/receive files to 
your hearts content.

Other options could be using a disk with the files on it, setting up 
tapes, but also, if simh supports it, possibly using the virtual DOS 
device, that other emulators have, as well as using DECnet.

If you have some RSX, RT-11 or VMS system nearby, you can also use 
TCP/IP on those systems, and then transfer using one of the above 
suggested methods to just get the files over to RSTS/E.

	Johnny