Via one of the articles about that Unix V4 tape I found this https://eylenburg.github.io/os_familytree.htm which is quite an impressive chart of operating systems old and new.
A few bits are clearly incorrect or missing; for example, P/OS and TRAX are both not there. I was going to mention them to the author of that chart but I don't actually know the correct placement. (Is P/OS an RSX-11/M or M+ derivative? I should know but don't.)
Neat to see RSX-15 mentioned as the ancestor of RSX-11/D. Did the earlier RSX-11 versions ever ship? I know I have seen traces of /A and/or /C...
The DOS-11 and RSTS entries aren't quite right either, I can send feedback for those.
Also, while VMS is reasonably listed as RSX-11/M derivative, I always thought that VAXElan was unrelated. Along the same lines, where would MicroPower/Pascal fit?
paul
As many have heard, COMPUTE!'s GAZETTE magazine has been resurrected as of
this past July 2025. And its fifth issue for November is just days away.
I'm not sure if attachments are working here, but there should be a catalog
summary of the article titles (for those who aren't subscribed but were
curious to browse the kinds of things being covered).
That same summary catalog is also archived here:
https://github.com/voidstar78/GC_TOC_SUM_CAT/blob/main/CG_2025_TSC_V0_1.TXT
I am looking for the assembler listing for a bootloader for booting from
MSCP disks like RD-disks.
Google has not been very helpful and my assembler knowledge is not enough
for me to write one from scratch. Does anyone have one they can share?
- Peter
I was just looking at some Friden Flexowriter documentation, specifically the later 2300 series. They look somewhat more modern than the well known Flexowriters but seem to be comparable otherwise. I remember seeing a mix in the TU Eindhoven computer center, around 1970.
The documentation mentions an optional feature, the ability to read and punch "edge punched cards". Those look like conventional Hollerith cards, but instead of the 12 row punching with rectangular holes, they are punched along the bottom edge in exactly the same manner as an 8 channel punched tape. In other words, imagine running a blank card through the tape path of a paper tape punch, and that's what you would see.
I never ran into this before. Has anyone ever seen these in the wild?
paul
I have an ANK 2462 keyboard for my Olivetti M24. The lugs on a couple of the
retaining clips for the keyboard enclosure have broken off and disappeared.
In fact, the keyboard came to me with tape holding it together!
I guess I can live with using tape to hold it together, but it would be nice
if I could fix this. I am looking for clever suggestions for how to replace
the lugs. Any good ideas?
The existing lugs look like this:
https://1drv.ms/f/c/fc758a5a91b91301/Es7R00Lwr6lHosNt3JZlX20BXGTxi5N1SkYkl9K
0QAko3g?e=r1UnbI
Thanks
Rob
I just purchased an old Gimix computer (now if only I can get it from
Orlando to Chicago before my friend goes down there for Christmas).
It has an OMTI 20C-1 MFM hard disk controller with a IMI 5018 19MB hard
disk drive in it.
It has been recommended that i don't even turn the system on with the
hard drive in it but rather I remove the drive an I send the IMI 18MB
drive directly to a recovery house for data recovery.
What do you all think about that?
Do any of you have any experience with a recovery service for MFM ST-506
Drives?
Also, does anyone have a half height 30MB or larger MFM ST-506
compatible drive that will work with the OMTI 20C controller for sale at
a reasonable price. Preferably one that at least spins up.
Also, does anyone have the syquest 5MB removable MFM drive and some
cartridges, also at a reasonable price.
My goal is to equip the Gimix with the following drives:
* 2 80 Track DS/DD 5 1/4" half high floppy drives (in the system)
* 2 77 Track DS/DD 8" Floppies (I have these in need of cleaning up,
just not in a Gimix case)
* 1 18 to 50MB MFM half high MFM Hard Drive (system has a full high
18MB drive)
* 1 6MB Syquest removable cartridge drive half high (I need to find)
At some point I would love to expand the RAM to as close to 1MB as I can
(CPU/Motherboard supports up to 1016KB) and add a 3 or 4 port
intelligent serial card and an intelligent parallel card (I'm sure these
cards are unobtanium).
Thank you all for your help
If you have a dual 8" drive setup (double sided drives, and enclosure)
that you need a good home for, please let me know.
I'm in the Chicago Area.
Thanks,
Mike
bitwiz(a)12bitsbest.com
All –
This is kind of a crazy request, but many years ago (20+ years), I gave away my MicroVAX-II to someone on the list. I can’t find any of the original emails, but I remember it was in a BA23 tower and included an external table-top drive enclosure with, I think, an RD54 in it. It ran Ultrix, but I can’t remember exactly which version. I’ve floated in-and-out of DEC over the years, and honestly, I’m kind of sorry I gave it away (like so many other systems I had over the years). I had gotten it in a haul from Temple University in the late-1990’s.
Anyway, I’d love to get another one. So, if someone is looking to re-home a MicroVAX-II, keep me in mind. Thanks!
Rich
--
Rich Cini
http://cini.classiccmp.orghttps://github.com/RichCini
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Paul Koning <paulkoning(a)comcast.net>
> To: "cctalk(a)classiccmp.org" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
> Cc:
> Bcc:
> Date: Sun, 2 Nov 2025 14:43:49 -0500
> Subject: [cctalk] Re: How hard would it be to make new dec tape media?
>
>
> > On Nov 2, 2025, at 10:46 AM, Jon Elson via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
> wrote:
> >
> > On 11/1/25 20:49, ben via cctalk wrote:
> >> How hard would it be to make new dec tape media?
> >> 60 year tape could use a replacement.
> >> Ben.
> >>
> > DecTape is laminated, ie. it has Mylar on both sides of the oxide. 50
> years ago, we made working replacements from 3/4" instrumentation tape, but
> it was NOT laminated. It had a print-through issue where if left sitting
> for a few months, it would start getting errors. I have no idea if there
> is anywhere you can buy 3/4" instrumentation tape. Maybe you can get 3/4"
> video tape.
>
> Bitsavers has the 3M spec for 480 and 481 sandwich tape, I'm not sure
> which of these two is what DEC used. It seems crazy, but it can't hurt to
> ask 3M if they still make that stuff.
>
> paul
10-20 years ago I had a good Point-of-Contact (POC) at 3M (before we both
retired). I asked him whether they still (at that time) made DECtape media
and was told that 3M had sold their magnetic media operations to another
company who also got out of the business before I contacted them. I also
asked my POC (and the contact at the other company) if any DECtape media
had been kept in a warehouse or similar -- he checked 3M's inventory system
and told me that they had no record of any remaining DECtape media. The
other company's contact had a similar "you've struck out" story.
Bob
P.S. I thought that I read here or in a PDP-8-specific forum/mail-list
that DECtape wasn't actually laminated on both sides, which apparently
explained the visible red oxide material removed from dirty DECtapes while
cleaning them (per whoever posted their observations)?
