Where to get the Foundation Set?
Jim Leonard
function except both have errors on the hard disks that prevent
booting all the way up (can hear the familiar "clunk" of not being
able to seek). I have replacement MFM hard drives I can put in, and I
can see lots of software resources online for the 7300/3b1, but
nowhere can I find downloadable diskette images of the SVR3 Foundation
Set needed to install the system from scratch. Does anyone have
images of these I can download? (I have a 5150 I can use to write the
diskettes, so that's not a problem.)
DoN. Nichols
Note that if you do find them, you'll need to write two formats.
The boot disks, and a very few others are eight sectors/track, while
most of the later ones are ten sectors/track -- neither matching the 9
sectors/track of the typical PC.
And where are you located?
There are two versions -- one for US only which includes the two
diskette set of the encryption software, and one for non-US which only
includes the rest of the OS.
You'll also need the separate set of diskettes for the
development set, which includes the "enhanced" editor "vi" instead of
just "e" -- which is the *default* editor (if you don't buy a
word-processing package from a third party, even though there is no
documentation for e until you get the development set, which includes
the *hardcopy only* man pages. There are *no* on-line man pages for
that system -- and really as supplied it did not have *room* for
on-line man pages, unless you got the 67 MB disk in the 3B1 version.
Certainly the original 10 MB in the first 7300, and even the 20 MB in
the later 7300 were not enough to devote to on-line man pages. With a
bit of modification to the hardware, you could support a 190 MB MFM
drive -- required a replacement of the WD1010 with a WD2010 (IIRC) to
access the later cylinders, and hardware modifications to add a driver
for the extra head-select line.
If you do get the encryption set -- *don't* install it until
after you've installed the development set, as it installs the
encryption capable version of "vi" only if it finds the non-encryption
version already installed.
As for the problems with the hard disk -- that is usually an
artifact of the connector pins on the power supply having oxidized and
sending spikes and dropouts through the power bus while the disk is
being written. Check for browned sections on the connector on the stiff
ribbon cable from the system board to the power supply, and for cold
solder joints under the power supply (you'll have to pull it to check
for this).
Good Luck,
DoN.
--
Email: <dnic...@d-and-d.com> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
David Gesswein
Jim Leonard <Moby...@gmail.com> wrote:
>I
>can see lots of software resources online for the 7300/3b1, but
>nowhere can I find downloadable diskette images of the SVR3 Foundation
>Set needed to install the system from scratch. Does anyone have
>images of these I can download? (I have a 5150 I can use to write the
>diskettes, so that's not a problem.)
>
David Gesswein
http://www.pdp8online.com/ -- Run an old computer with blinkenlights
Have any PDP-8 stuff you're willing to part with?
tlvp
... And the *.imd files are DiskImage files that one would use
-- what -- dd ? -- to transcribe to an unformatted 5.25" floppy?
Cheers, -- tlvp
Jim Leonard
> http://www.bitsavers.org/bits/ATT/unixPC/
(smacks forehead) Of course! Thanks very much.
Also, thanks to D. Nichols for the editor warning and other info.
I have a 5150 and ImageDisk so I should be able to write these out.
Paul E Coad
> If you do get the encryption set -- *don't* install it until
> after you've installed the development set, as it installs the
> encryption capable version of "vi" only if it finds the non-encryption
> version already installed.
This is correct, but only part of the story. If the procedure is
not followed exactly, the encryption capable version of "vi" can
be retrieved from some temporary directory (/tmp?). The "vi"
executable file must be moved to a safe location before rebooting.
--paul
My is valid coad sonic net
address not use: at dot
David Gesswein
they are ImageDisk format http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/img/
They are intended to be used with a PC running ImageDisk to write new
disks and can't be directly used with a Unix PC. ImageDisk can convert to
a raw image you may be able to write with dd.
tlvp
Ah, thanks, David, for setting me straight,
and offering that ImageDisk URL.
Cheers, and Happy New Year, -- tlvp
Jim Leonard
> In article <op.um3yzxadwqr...@acer250.gateway.2wire.net>,tlvp <PmUiRsGcE.TtHlEv...@att.net> wrote:
> >On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:57:47 -0500, David Gesswein <d...@pdp8.net> wrote:
>
> >... And the *.imd files are DiskImage files that one would use
> >-- what -- dd ? -- to transcribe to an unformatted 5.25" floppy?
>
> The other posting probably answered your question but if not
> They are intended to be used with a PC running ImageDisk to write new
> disks and can't be directly used with a Unix PC. ImageDisk can convert to
> a raw image you may be able to write with dd.
I am going to try to write them on a 5150 with DSDD drives. The 8-
sector disks will not be a problem but the 10-sector disks might.
After all this research, a few friends came out of the woodwork and
claimed they had a foundation set still shrinkwrapped, so that's
another possibility. Thanks to all who offered advice; it's a
fascinating setup/system.