[Simh] TSS-8 and ETOS free-redistribution licenses (PDP-8 operating systems)

[Robert Armstrong]

> Johnny Billquist wrote:

>I am pretty sure that DEC did release OS/8 at some point. 

  DEC released OS/278, including sources, to DECUS back when the latter still carried PDP-8 software.  It even had an official "8-nnn" DECUS number; I don't remember it off hand, but I could find out.  As far as I'm concerned, that effectively makes OS/278 in the public domain.

  Unfortunately OS/278 was the somewhat hacked up version of OS/8 for the DECmate family.  It lacked many of the handlers and CUSPS related to traditional OMNIBUS hardware.  I also don't think the sources for any of the languages (e.g. BASIC, FORTRAN-IV, etc) were released with it.  Of course all these sources exist and aren't that hard to find, but AFAIK their legal status is up in the air.

Bob