Now I need some OS/8 experts...

[Johnny Billquist]

Charles <charlesmorris at hughes.net> skrev:

> Now that OS/8 is running on my 8/A, RL02 system, I find I'm in
> need of some more detailed help. Although I'm wading through the
> 900+ pages of the "OS/8 Handbook" (and the Device Extensions
> document which at least addresses RL01's), I'm having a problem
> adding device handlers as follows.
> 
> When I built the OS/8 image, it looks like I added only one RL02
> partition (here is the current BUILD printout):
> 
>> sim> bo rl
>>
>> .SET SYS NOINIT
>>
>> .RUN SYS BUILD
>>
>> $PR
>>
>> BAT : *BAT
>> KL8E: *TTY
>> LPSV: *LPT
>> RK05: *RKA0 *RKB0 *RKA1 *RKB1  RKA2  RKB2  RKA3  RKB3
>> RX02: *RXA0 *RXA1
>> TD8A: *DTA0 *DTA1
>> R2SY: *SYS  *R20A
>>
>> DSK=R2SY:R20A
>> $
> 
> Doing a DIR shows "118 Files in 2517 Blocks - 1515 Free Blocks",
> or ~4000 total blocks on the disk, which is also consistent with
> one RL02 partition (A=40%,B=40%,C=20%) of the total 10000 free
> blocks.
> 
> The RKB0: Diagnostic Pack has several handlers including:
> RL2SY.BH (which is what I am using), and also RL20.BH, RL21.BH,
> and RL2E.BH (not sure what that one is).
> 
> But any attempt to LOAD RKB0:RL20.BH (for example) causes SIMH to
> stop with a "HALT instruction, PC: 20100 (ISZ 122)" message. I
> tried removing R2SY: entirely (after setting SYS to RKA0:) and
> still it won't work when trying to install other RL handlers.
> 
> Also when reloading it will only allow n=1 (platter) which I
> suppose is correct. This may be why I only have one partition. I
> did this over a year ago and don't remember all the details.
> ANY ideas how to install the next partitions (R20B and C)?
> 
> Also, since I am planning on adding a second RL02 drive, I will
> need (I think) R21A, B, C to appear in the active list. Is it even
> possible to add a second RL02 under OS/8?
> 
> The C partitions aren't really necessary and are slow. I doubt I
> will ever get close to filling up even the A and B's (8 Mb per
> pack)....

They way you talk about this makes it sound like you're thinking of RL01 
drives here. Are you aware of the fact that the RL02 will appear as five 
drives to OS/8?
RLnA to RLnE?

Apart from that, I can't help you at the moment. My PDP8 systems are all 
offline, and have been for a couple of years now. Although I have a real 
8/A with RL02 drives, which do work.
Too long for my memory to be fresh on this one. Build have always been a 
bit magical... :-)

	Johnny

-- 
Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se             ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol