RSX11M STB files

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John Brezak

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Dec 26, 2025, 7:12:54 PM (2 days ago) Dec 26
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Not exactly a pure PiDP topic.. if there is a better place to ask, please let me know.

Does anyone have pointers on how to decode the STB files generated by TKB?

I’m trying to extract the symbol and psect info for remote debugging using ODT instead of parsing MAP files.

The DBG debugger seems to be able to do this. So it does seem possible.

Sent from my iPhone

Anton Lavrentiev

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Dec 26, 2025, 7:23:02 PM (2 days ago) Dec 26
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Try:


Appendix A, pg A-28: TKB-generated records (in general, IIRC, an STB file has a structure of an object module, with much simpler data types and no text -- e.g. executable code to relocate)

HTH


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Johnny Billquist

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Dec 26, 2025, 7:51:09 PM (2 days ago) Dec 26
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It's described in the TKB manual. It's the same as an object file,
except it only have the symbol stuff, and no actual data.

Johnny
--
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

John Brezak

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Dec 26, 2025, 9:08:51 PM (2 days ago) Dec 26
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For just the symbol stuff - is that only the GSD and there won't be TXT, RLD, ISD sections? Trying to figure out if I can simplify the parser.

(I’ll still verify though)

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Johnny Billquist

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Dec 26, 2025, 9:17:47 PM (2 days ago) Dec 26
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No TXT for sure. RLD I'm not entirely sure, but they might not exist.
ISD can definitely be in there, but they are a bit special, and not so
obvious. Also, they will only appear if you compile/assemble with extra
debug information.

Johnny

On 2025-12-27 03:08, John Brezak wrote:
> For just the symbol stuff - is that only the GSD and there won't be TXT,
> RLD, ISD sections? Trying to figure out if I can simplify the parser.
>
> (I’ll still verify though)
>
> *From: *pid...@googlegroups.com <pid...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of
> Johnny Billquist <b...@softjar.se>
> *Date: *Friday, December 26, 2025 at 4:51 PM
> *To: *pid...@googlegroups.com <pid...@googlegroups.com>
> *Subject: *Re: [PiDP-11] RSX11M STB files
>
> It's described in the TKB manual. It's the same as an object file,
> except it only have the symbol stuff, and no actual data.
>
>    Johnny
>
> On 2025-12-27 01:12, John Brezak wrote:
> > Not exactly a pure PiDP topic.. if there is a better place to ask,
> please let me know.
> >
> > Does anyone have pointers on how to decode the STB files generated by
> TKB?
> >
> > I’m trying to extract the symbol and psect info for remote debugging
> using ODT instead of parsing MAP files.
> >
> > The DBG debugger seems to be able to do this. So it does seem possible.
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
>
> --
> 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
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "[PiDP-11]" group.
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John Brezak

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Dec 26, 2025, 9:20:55 PM (2 days ago) Dec 26
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I see that there is a SYM in RPM. I’ve installed that - but how can I use it to dump the .STB file?

From: Johnny Billquist <b...@softjar.se>
Date: Friday, December 26, 2025 at 6:17 PM
To: John Brezak <jbr...@hotmail.com>, pid...@googlegroups.com <pid...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [PiDP-11] RSX11M STB files

> url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fd%2Fmsgid%2Fpidp-11%2F4b3e7def-1e50-4d4f-9218-152d221b660e%2540softjar.se&data=05%7C02%7C%7C4f7add9c16c944c4f4f408de44e20604%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639023934713417342%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Fh4sOxo7IDcs5CitSOQOw%2FVbt1UmyOjz1u226uNZwVM%3D&reserved=0 <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fd%2Fmsgid%2Fpidp-11%2F4b3e7def-1e50-4d4f-9218-152d221b660e%2540softjar.se&data=05%7C02%7C%7C190635ad70a34e688c8c08de44ee1ea0%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639023986666634930%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qNzUoKWGB%2FZ8gISmwhbAkZ7xzIIg2of3b86KBuqdb4E%3D&reserved=0>.

Johnny Billquist

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Dec 26, 2025, 9:27:19 PM (2 days ago) Dec 26
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.sym /he
SYM <ofil>=<ifil>/sw

Defaults: ofil: TI:OUTPUT.LST
ifil: SY:.OBJ,SY:.STB

Switches:
/HE This help
/ID Give version
/PS:xxx List matching PSECTs
/SY:xxx List matching symbols
/DE:xxx List matching defined symbols
/RE:xxx List matching refered symbols
/HD Show general information

xxx represents a list of symbols, separated by ;
Symbols can be matched with wildcards, like filenames
.

Johnny

On 2025-12-27 03:20, John Brezak wrote:
> I see that there is a SYM in RPM. I’ve installed that - but how can I
> use it to dump the .STB file?
>
> *From: *Johnny Billquist <b...@softjar.se>
> *Date: *Friday, December 26, 2025 at 6:17 PM
> *To: *John Brezak <jbr...@hotmail.com>, pid...@googlegroups.com
> <pid...@googlegroups.com>
> url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fd%2Fmsgid%2Fpidp-11%2F4b3e7def-1e50-4d4f-9218-152d221b660e%2540softjar.se&data=05%7C02%7C%7C4f7add9c16c944c4f4f408de44e20604%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639023934713417342%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Fh4sOxo7IDcs5CitSOQOw%2FVbt1UmyOjz1u226uNZwVM%3D&reserved=0 <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fd%2Fmsgid%2Fpidp-11%2F4b3e7def-1e50-4d4f-9218-152d221b660e%2540softjar.se&data=05%7C02%7C%7C190635ad70a34e688c8c08de44ee1ea0%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639023986666634930%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qNzUoKWGB%2FZ8gISmwhbAkZ7xzIIg2of3b86KBuqdb4E%3D&reserved=0 <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pidp-11/4b3e7def-1e50-4d4f-9218-152d221b660e%40softjar.se>>.
>
> --
> 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
>

Johnny Billquist

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Dec 26, 2025, 9:29:02 PM (2 days ago) Dec 26
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And if you don't give arguments to the switches showing them, you'll
just get all.

Johnny

John Brezak

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Dec 27, 2025, 2:14:06 AM (2 days ago) Dec 27
to Johnny Billquist, pid...@googlegroups.com
observation-
the STB built without the /DA (odd) is fairly easy to decode. But once you add the /DA, it gets very strange after what appears to be the GSD.
Johnny do you happen to have the source for SYM - it would be interesting to see how that is walking the STB file across the different sections. I’m following the layout in the TKB appendix A, and the ODT is throwing this off - so I’m clearly missing something.


From: pid...@googlegroups.com <pid...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Johnny Billquist <b...@softjar.se>
Date: Friday, December 26, 2025 at 6:29 PM
To: pid...@googlegroups.com <pid...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [PiDP-11] RSX11M STB files

>> url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fd%2Fmsgid%2Fpidp-11%2F4b3e7def-1e50-4d4f-9218-152d221b660e%2540softjar.se&data=05%7C02%7C%7C4f7add9c16c944c4f4f408de44e20604%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639023934713417342%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Fh4sOxo7IDcs5CitSOQOw%2FVbt1UmyOjz1u226uNZwVM%3D&reserved=0 <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fd%2Fmsgid%2Fpidp-11%2F4b3e7def-1e50-4d4f-9218-152d221b660e%2540softjar.se&data=05%7C02%7C%7C7b541373d95f496cd0f508de44efb278%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639023993439932050%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=hIILYjw%2FOR1zQiPLoHGJmsEfyAWCSOuVFjdlYihf3eM%3D&reserved=0 <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fd%2Fmsgid%2Fpidp-11%2F4b3e7def-1e50-4d4f-9218-152d221b660e%2540softjar.se&data=05%7C02%7C%7C7b541373d95f496cd0f508de44efb278%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639023993439945674%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=rSC1dEcW0YxEfm%2Fpve38hMMGbtyvQNhCSNSghM6%2FUUU%3D&reserved=0>>.

>>
>> --
>> 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
>>
>

--
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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Johnny Billquist

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Dec 27, 2025, 5:25:11 AM (2 days ago) Dec 27
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Sure. I wrote SYM. :-)
You can find the source at MIM::DU:[CUSPS], which you also can see if
you do RPM INFO SYM

But I don't think there is anything odd or different if /DA is added at
task build time.

Johnny

On 2025-12-27 08:13, John Brezak wrote:
> observation-
> the STB built without the /DA (odd) is fairly easy to decode. But once
> you add the /DA, it gets very strange after what appears to be the GSD.
> Johnny do you happen to have the source for SYM - it would be
> interesting to see how that is walking the STB file across the different
> sections. I’m following the layout in the TKB appendix A, and the ODT is
> throwing this off - so I’m clearly missing something.
>
>
> *From: *pid...@googlegroups.com <pid...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of
> Johnny Billquist <b...@softjar.se>
> *Date: *Friday, December 26, 2025 at 6:29 PM
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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
> >>
> >
>
> --
> 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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