[Simh] PDP for beginners

[Zane Healy]

> On Feb 2, 2018, at 6:25 PM, Pär Moberg <ghostdewolf at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I am looking to put up a PDP-# machine to play with. What machine and
> OS should I use. I am looking for simple/beginner system, or as
> beginner it got. Also, not *nix, it is still alive and therefore
> boring.
> Telnet terminals would be awesome but not necessary.
> //Pär (or Paer)

Reading this, I assume you’re looking to use SIMH, and not real hardware, but I’m honestly not 100% sure.

I totally understand your UNIX comment.

System and OS’s options that come to my mind are the following.

PDP-10:
TOPS-10
TOPS-20
ITS

PDP-11:
RSTS/E
RSX-11M or M+
TSX-plus

There was talk of a Hobbyist License for TSX-Plus, which runs on top of RT-11, but I’m not sure if that happened or not.

While it’s not a PDP system, realistically, from a “simple/beginner” standpoint, VAX/VMS would be a good option.  There is a great webpage out there on installing it, which means the hardest thing to do is to get registered for a Hobbyist License.
http://www.wherry.com/gadgets/retrocomputing/vax-simh.html

Zane