[Simh] porting RL01 images to RL02

[Clem Cole]

Going back to the original question (BTW ... everything Paul and Johnny
pointed out are excellent); but I think you need to step back and think a
little conceptually about what you are trying to do.

Ignore simh for a minute and think this through as a thought experiment if
you had two PDP-11 -- the systems:

   1. which you boot - RK05 based
   2. one which you can not boot the current OS with the media you require
   (RL02 - in this case)

How do you move the OS from one system to the other and be able to boot
both systems when done.   Basically, you a few things (which might be
satisfied by a single device but conceptually can be with different devices
that satisfy each action):

1.) A common media  that both systems understand or some way to transfer
binary between both systems.
2.) Some way to boot the second system with >>some<< OS that can read the
common media/run the transfer program.
3.) Some way to build bootable media for the OS you want to run on the
media you want.


It seems to me the issue here is you have an RK05 in common and RL02 on the
new system which you can not create. what you need/want.

As Johnny pointed out, trying try to the RK05 bits on the RL02 is unlikely
to lead to a bootable system, because things like the bootblock code is
wrong.   Other issues are things like interleaving, file system block
clustering etc., which can vary depending the target OS and target HW.

So unless you specific tools the create conformant disk images (RL02) for
the second OS (what ever you are desire - RSX, RSTS, RT11, DOS11, UNIX
etcc), you are likely to have issues.    When we develop/port an OS, this
solution is often what we do/is done.

We write tools that run on original host that make images that are expected
by the target.  This seems to be what you are asking for.   The problem is
such tools will vary per OS and can vary per target media.   So, unless *you
know exactly what you are doing for both the target OS and target media*,
you are unlikely to have a lot direct success.

But.....  what I hear you saying is that you need do boot the second system
with the RK05, and tools to create a bootable file system/regen the system
for the RL02.     Don't despair -- there are a number of ways to do this.


Then build that disk, boot it and then use the RK05 as a common disk
between the systems.   Johnny will have to answer if you can boot RSX11 on
an RK05, Paul can tell you the same for RSTS, many of us on this list, such
me can talk you through UNIX if its not already clear as this is done all
the time there.

But I think the simplest and most fool proof process is this:

1.) build a bootable RK05 RSX11-M image on system 1.
2.) Dismount and remount it on system 2, and boot system 2.
3.) Use the RSX11-M disk build tool create a bootable RL02 system.
4.) Reboot system 2 using the RL02
5.) Then sneaker-net using the RK05 data from the two systems.

Since one of the systems is "virtual" using simh, trick is writing the
common (RK05) and there are multiple ways to do that.

Best wishes,

Clem


BTW:  Another solution (being a UNIX guy) since the first system is simh,
would be to add a virtual RL02 to it. And do the regeneration and set up
all on a virtual RL02.

Then using small UNIX image, and the the common (smaller) disk; bring the
RL02 image over as multiple parts and put it back together with the dd
program.    But you'll need a different tool kit and lot more knowledge of
what's going on under the covers to make that happen.
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