Universal Library (ULB) Files for RSX-11

[Charles Richmond]

Files with the extension ".ulb" on the RSX-11 system are archives for
source code/data. Somewhere within a ".ulb" archive, the name for each
stored file is given in RADIX-50 (RAD50) format.

I have done a hex dump of an entire ".ulb" file adv.ulb. Also I have a
program to convert characters to RAD50 format (both using the digits
first (" 1234567890ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ$.%") and also converting
using the alphabet first (" ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ$.%01234567890").

I know from the dump and copies of the files sent me by Lee Gleason
(thanks again Lee!) that the first file in the archive is named
README.1ST I converted the string "README" to RAD50 (both ways) and I
am unable to find the name anywhere in the dump of the ulb archive.

Help!!! What am I missing here??? RSX-1 experts needed!!!

--
numerist at aquaporin4 dot com

[Lee Gleason]

"Charles Richmond" wrote in message news:ovchcg$7b7$1...@dont-email.me...

>Files with the extension ".ulb" on the RSX-11 system are archives for
>source code/data. Somewhere within a ".ulb" archive, the name for each
>stored file is given in RADIX-50 (RAD50) format.
>
>I have done a hex dump of an entire ".ulb" file adv.ulb. Also I have a
>program to convert characters to RAD50 format (both using the digits first
>(" 1234567890ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ$.%") and also converting using the
>alphabet first (" ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ$.%01234567890").
>
>I know from the dump and copies of the files sent me by Lee Gleason (thanks
>again Lee!) that the first file in the archive is named README.1ST I
>converted the string "README" to RAD50 (both ways) and I am unable to find
>the name anywhere in the dump of the ulb archive.

The names of each of the modules are in RAD50 in a couple of places in the
ULB file. I'm not sure why you didn't see one for README.

Have a look at
http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp11/rsx11/RSX11Mplus_V4.x/3a/AA-JS15A-TC_RSX-11M-PLUS_4.0_Utilities_Manual_Aug87.pdf
Chapter 10 is about the Librarian utility and includes diagrams that show
where everything is located.

--
Lee K. Gleason N5ZMR
Control-G Consultants
lee.g...@comcast.net

[Charles Richmond]

On 11/25/2017 6:17 PM, Lee Gleason wrote:
>
>
> "Charles Richmond"  wrote in message news:ovchcg$7b7$1...@dont-email.me...
>
>> Files with the extension ".ulb" on the RSX-11 system are archives for
>> source code/data.  Somewhere within a ".ulb" archive, the name for
>> each stored file is given in RADIX-50 (RAD50) format.
>>
>> I have done a hex dump of an entire ".ulb" file adv.ulb.  Also I have
>> a program to convert characters to RAD50 format (both using the digits
>> first (" 1234567890ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ$.%") and also converting
>> using the alphabet first (" ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ$.%01234567890").
>>
>> I know from the dump and copies of the files sent me by Lee Gleason
>> (thanks again Lee!) that the first file in the archive is named
>> README.1ST  I converted the string "README" to RAD50 (both ways) and I
>> am unable to find the name anywhere in the dump of the ulb archive.
>
>
>  The names of each of the modules are in RAD50 in a couple of places in
> the ULB file. I'm not sure why you didn't see one for  README.
>
>  Have a look at
> http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp11/rsx11/RSX11Mplus_V4.x/3a/AA-JS15A-TC_RSX-11M-PLUS_4.0_Utilities_Manual_Aug87.pdf
>
> Chapter 10 is about the Librarian utility and includes diagrams that
> show where everything is located.
>

Thanks Lee! Yes, I've seen the charts in the utility manual and in one
other RSX-11 manual... showing the format of the LBR archives. It's
*not* as explicit as I would have wanted... but I found my mistake.
There is *no* file named "README" in the ADV.ULB archive!!! What I
thought was "README" was a file named "ADVHDR" with an extension of
"TXT". The RAD50 for the file names were in the Entry Point Table. The
names might have been in the Module Table also, but that table was full
of 0xFF values.

The file extension is found in the Module Header for the file in bytes
14 and 15... also in RAD50 format and of course in LSB order.

In addition to <bitsavers.org>, there are quite a few RSX-11 manuals at:

http://mim.update.uu.se/manuals/rsx/


Thanks again for your help!!!