Problem running RPM

[Ggrinton]

It's been a while since I had time to work with my PiDP11, but have now fired it up again. 

When I try to run RPM, I see:

>@rpm fetch
>;
>; Fetching RPM.LST...
>;
FTP V3.0
(c) 2014-2025 by Johnny Billquist
Parse error - mim.softjar.se/user=rpm/pass=x
FTP>

It is the first time since Johnny Bilquists' repository moved to mim.softjar.se - I am not sure if that is relevant.

I can ftp to mim.softjar.se without problems. Indeed, if I execute the command 

    FTP @FTP.CMD

it behaves as expected and I get the normal response. I have also reinstalled the RPM package after a fresh download.

Any suggestions please?

Geoffrey

[Johnny Billquist]

I think you are a bit unlucky. You seem to be at the version when I was
experimenting with a rewrite of ftp, which I eventually backed out of,
but which had that bug for a while.
Fetch a newer version of the ftp client by hand, install, and then run
again, in order to get back in order. Sorry.

Johnny

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

[Ggrinton]

Sorry to have to ask, Johnny, but I will need some more instructions about how to "Fetch a newer version of the ftp client by hand, install, and then run
again". Would you mind spelling it out a bit more for me please.

Thanks.

Geoffrey

[Johnny Billquist]

No problem. Your FTP client works fine, but it has a bit of a parsing
problem with indirect command lines, which is why RPM is failing.

So basically, you can use FTP to fetch a new version of FTP.

I've put up a version of ftp for anonymous access on MIM, so you
basically do this:

.ftp mim.softjar.se
FTP V4.3
(c) 2014-2022 by Johnny Billquist
Connecting to 50.73.179.9:21...
220-=============================================================
220-Welcome.
220-
220-This is the ftp server at Mim.SoftJAR.SE.
220-
220-This is a running RSX-11M-PLUS system.
220-
220-Contact Johnny Billquist (b...@mim.softjar.se) for more information.
220-=============================================================
220 Welcome
Username: ftp
230-+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
230-This is the anonymous area for BQTCP for RSX.
230-
230-Note that BQTCP.TAP is an RSX virtual device
230-file, and can only be downloaded using the
230-RSX ftp client.
230-
230-Please contact b...@mim.softjar.se if you have any questions.
230-+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
230 Login successful.
Remote system is RSX-11M-PLUS
Switching to native mode!
FTP>get ftp.tsk
229 Entering Extended Passive Mode (|||64273|)
150 Sending file DU1:[FTP]FTP.TSK;1
Receiving file DU:[BQT]FTP.TSK;1 (Size 38.5 KB)...
100% Size: 38.5 KB in: 860ms Rate: 44.8 KB/s
226 File done.
FTP>quit
221-Thank you for using this ftp service.
Data traffic was 38.5 KB in 1 file.
Total traffic was 38.5 KB in 1 transfer.
221 Closing connection.
.rem ftp
.ins ftp
.

And then you should be able to run RPM to update things to a proper state.

Johnny

On 2025-11-19 06:07, Ggrinton wrote:
> Sorry to have to ask, Johnny, but I will need some more instructions
> about how to "Fetch a newer version of the ftp client by hand, install,
> and then run
> again". Would you mind spelling it out a bit more for me please.
>
> Thanks.
> Geoffrey
>
>
> On Wednesday, 19 November 2025 at 01:14:08 UTC+11 b...@softjar.se wrote:
>
> I think you are a bit unlucky. You seem to be at the version when Iwas
> experimenting with a rewrite of ftp, which I eventually backed out of,
> but which had that bug for a while.
> Fetch a newer version of the ftp client by hand, install, and then run
> again, in order to get back in order. Sorry.
>
> Johnny
>
> On 2025-11-18 11:20, Ggrinton wrote:
> > It's been a while since I had time to work with my PiDP11, but
> have now
> > fired it up again.
> >
> > When I try to run RPM, I see:
> > >@rpm fetch
> > >;
> > >; Fetching RPM.LST...
> > >;
> > FTP V3.0
> > (c) 2014-2025 by Johnny Billquist

> > Parse error - mim.softjar.se/user=rpm/pass=x <http://

> mim.softjar.se/user=rpm/pass=x>
> > FTP>
> >
> > It is the first time since Johnny Bilquists' repository moved to

> > mim.softjar.se <http://mim.softjar.se> - I am not sure if that is
> relevant.
> >
> > I can ftp to mim.softjar.se <http://mim.softjar.se> without

> problems. Indeed, if I execute the
> > command
> >     FTP @FTP.CMD
> > it behaves as expected and I get the normal response. I have also
> > reinstalled the RPM package after a fresh download.
> >
> > Any suggestions please?
> >
> > Geoffrey
> >
> > --
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> > Groups "[PiDP-11]" group.
> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it,
> send
> > an email to pidp-11+u...@googlegroups.com
> > <mailto:pidp-11+u...@googlegroups.com>.
> > To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/

> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/>
> > pidp-11/0040b769-89f7-48e1-8c60-46a8ba1e6ee7n%40googlegroups.com
> <http://40googlegroups.com>
> > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ <https://groups.google.com/d/
> msgid/>
> > pidp-11/0040b769-89f7-48e1-8c60-46a8ba1e6ee7n%40googlegroups.com
> <http://40googlegroups.com>?

> > utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
>
> --
> Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
> || on a psychedelic trip
> email: b...@softjar.se || Reading murder books
> pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
>

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> a74d-1b5ed2a7ac5fn%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.

[Ggrinton]

Thanks Johnny.  That has resolved the issue. RPM running fine now.

Geoffrey