Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

RL02 disk images on simh

314 views
Skip to first unread message

Beppe Alborè

unread,
Jun 26, 2004, 2:35:44 PM6/26/04
to
hello.
i need your help. (please excuse my english, but i'm italian)

i've just downloaded the simh package and the file unix_v7_rl.dsk
so i started the pdp11 executable, and made the unix 7 start.

however i have to tell that i have never used unix before, but only ms dos.

the first thing i need to know is: how can i access to an another disk from
unix ? in msdos, i just put the disk in the drive and type (for example) B:
at the prompt.

in unix i know that i have to make the mount, but i have no success in doing
it. can you explain me the correct and complete syntax for an RL02 image ?
(and if you can, the procedure in SIMH !)

my last question is: what program do i need to use to transfer files between
my pc and an RL02 disk image ?
i found on internet that there's a program called PUTR. I tried in very much
ways, with no success... can you tell me how can i solve this problem ?

thanks for your attention, i'm waiting your answers !!!


Renaissance

unread,
Jun 27, 2004, 1:18:14 PM6/27/04
to
Beppe Alborè wrote:

> i've just downloaded the simh package and the file unix_v7_rl.dsk
> so i started the pdp11 executable, and made the unix 7 start.
> however i have to tell that i have never used unix before, but only ms dos.

[SNIP]

http://cm.bell-labs.com/7thEdMan/bswv7.html
(Forse e' meglio, senza offesa, avere un minimo di skill
su unix. Anche un sistema unix recente. Dimentichiamoci
il dos, quasi del tutto..)

> my last question is: what program do i need to use to transfer files between
> my pc and an RL02 disk image ?
> i found on internet that there's a program called PUTR. I tried in very much
> ways, with no success... can you tell me how can i solve this problem ?

Mmmhhh... I don't know, but i dont' think this utility was
developed for pdp11 *nix file systems... right or not?

bye G.L.

--
« E' assolutamente evidente che l'arte del cinema
si ispira alla vita, mentre la vita si ispira alla TV »
(Woody Allen)

Beppe Alborè

unread,
Jun 27, 2004, 4:51:54 PM6/27/04
to

> http://cm.bell-labs.com/7thEdMan/bswv7.html
> (Forse e' meglio, senza offesa, avere un minimo di skill
> su unix. Anche un sistema unix recente. Dimentichiamoci
> il dos, quasi del tutto..)

ciň che voglio capire č un esempio su come si fa il mount di un disk pack
rl02 :
se ad esempio ho prova.dsk, e voglio metterla su un drive RL, in simh faccio
uso del comando

att rl1 prova.dsk (oppure rl0 a seconda del drive...)

ma poi come faccio in unix ad accedervi ?

Renaissance

unread,
Jun 28, 2004, 3:23:30 AM6/28/04
to
Beppe Alborč wrote:

> ciň che voglio capire č un esempio su come si fa il mount di un disk pack
> rl02 :
> se ad esempio ho prova.dsk, e voglio metterla su un drive RL, in simh faccio
> uso del comando
> att rl1 prova.dsk (oppure rl0 a seconda del drive...)
> ma poi come faccio in unix ad accedervi ?

May be wrong, i never prepared a disk on unix 7...
However, try this:

# /etc/mkfs /dev/rl1 18000 (18000*512: my hipotetic size of rl02
10mb disk pack)
# mkdir /mnt
# /etc/mount /dev/rl1 /mnt
# cd /mnt
# ...

Eric Smith

unread,
Jun 28, 2004, 3:48:57 AM6/28/04
to
> However, try this:
>
> # /etc/mkfs /dev/rl1 18000 (18000*512: my hipotetic size of rl02
> 10mb disk pack)
> # mkdir /mnt
> # /etc/mount /dev/rl1 /mnt
> # cd /mnt

Careful with that! I don't know what the request in Italian was, but
the English request suggested a desire to transfer files from an
existing RL02 image. If so, you don't want to do a mkfs on it, since
that creates a new file system. For an existing file system, skip mkdir
command (or to the /etc/mount, if the mount point already exists.
(I don't know the details for 7th Edition or RL02, though.)

Eric


----------
To unsubscribe (or subscribe) from (to) this list, send a message to
info-pdp1...@village.org, with the first line of the message
body being "unsubscribe" or "subscribe", respectively (without the quotes).

Renaissance

unread,
Jun 28, 2004, 4:17:32 AM6/28/04
to
Eric Smith wrote:

>>However, try this:
>>
>># /etc/mkfs /dev/rl1 18000 (18000*512: my hipotetic size of rl02
>> 10mb disk pack)
>># mkdir /mnt
>># /etc/mount /dev/rl1 /mnt
>># cd /mnt

> Careful with that! I don't know what the request in Italian was, but
> the English request suggested a desire to transfer files from an
> existing RL02 image. If so, you don't want to do a mkfs on it, since
> that creates a new file system. For an existing file system, skip mkdir
> command (or to the /etc/mount, if the mount point already exists.
> (I don't know the details for 7th Edition or RL02, though.)

Argh... You have totally reason, Eric. However Beppe does not have
any experience on unix, and then I have thought that he was
simply probing the emulator with sco unix 7 just for his fun.
Nothing makes me to think that it has the requirement of
transfer *real* rl02 disk pack into images, and manipulate
them to obtain files from.
The italian request, translated, was (more or less):

"What I want to understand is an example on how makes the mount
of a disk pack rl02: if, as an example, I have probe.dsk,
and I want to put it on drive RL, in simh I make use of the command

att rl1 probe.dsk (or rl0, depending on the drive...)

but then, how can I access it from UNIX?"

Beppe Alborè

unread,
Jun 28, 2004, 4:40:49 AM6/28/04
to

> >># /etc/mkfs /dev/rl1 18000 (18000*512: my hipotetic size of rl02
> >> 10mb disk pack)
> >># mkdir /mnt
> >># /etc/mount /dev/rl1 /mnt
> >># cd /mnt

this doesn't work... the first command gives me an error of insufficient
disk space...
so i tried to create an empty RL01 disk pack image, and i tried to mount
it... but with no success...

please, do you know how can we solve it ?

thanks again !!!

Renaissance

unread,
Jun 28, 2004, 5:07:43 AM6/28/04
to
Beppe Alborè wrote:

>>>># /etc/mkfs /dev/rl1 18000 (18000*512: my hipotetic size of rl02
>>>> 10mb disk pack)
>>>># mkdir /mnt
>>>># /etc/mount /dev/rl1 /mnt
>>>># cd /mnt

> this doesn't work... the first command gives me an error of insufficient
> disk space...
> so i tried to create an empty RL01 disk pack image, and i tried to mount
> it... but with no success...

You created a "raw" disk image, but the disk, in msdos
terms, has to be "formatted". In unix term, you have
to create a filesystem (note: in this ancient version of
unix partitions or slices do not appear... or so it seems.).

Probably the mkfs command doesn't work because the rl01
have a capacity equivalent to the half of an rl02 (if
i remember well). Replace 18000 (the number of 512 kbyte
blocks) with 9000, and then retry.

John Wilson

unread,
Jun 28, 2004, 7:50:08 AM6/28/04
to
From: "Beppe Alborè" <joker-...@libero.it>

>my last question is: what program do i need to use to transfer files between
>my pc and an RL02 disk image ?
>i found on internet that there's a program called PUTR. I tried in very much
>ways, with no success... can you tell me how can i solve this problem ?

Sorry, PUTR doesn't currently support UNIX disk formats. It might be fun
to add them some time, but first the filename parsing would have to be
changed to have the option of being case-sensitive.

John Wilson
D Bit

Beppe Alborè

unread,
Jun 29, 2004, 6:58:08 AM6/29/04
to
here's what i've done :

sim> set cpu 18b
sim> set rl0 RL02
sim> att rl0 unix_v7_rl.dsk
sim> boot rl0
@boot

...


: rl(0,0)rl2unix

#

so, at the prompt, i interrupted the emulation and typed:

sim> att rl1 test.dsk
RL: creating new file
Create bad block table on last track? [N] (i answered n)
sim> c

# /etc/mkfs /dev/rl1 9000
isize = 2880
m/n = 3 500


# mkdir /mnt
# /etc/mount /dev/rl1 /mnt

mount: Block device required


at this point i get this error.
what does this error mean ?
please help me !

thanks very much !

"Renaissance" <gluc...@tiscali.it> wrote in message
news:2ka5f0F...@uni-berlin.de...

Renaissance

unread,
Jun 29, 2004, 7:18:04 AM6/29/04
to
Beppe Alborè wrote:

> here's what i've done :
>
> sim> set cpu 18b
> sim> set rl0 RL02

if you, also, set the type RL02 for rl1, automatically
simh create an empty rl02 disk for you, and not a rl01,
by default. Add this line:

set rl1 RL02

After this, you must use 18000 512 byte block when you
make the new file system on unix 7. (No more than 18000:
you risk to overlap the swap area)

[SNIP]


> so, at the prompt, i interrupted the emulation and typed:
>
> sim> att rl1 test.dsk
> RL: creating new file
> Create bad block table on last track? [N] (i answered n)
> sim> c

mmhhh... IMHO it's better to do this *before*, without
interrupting the emulation. I think that in this way
is not guaranteed unix 7 can see a the disk pack
attached to the rl1 unit, at runtime. The rest, seems
to be correct.

>
> # /etc/mkfs /dev/rl1 9000
> isize = 2880
> m/n = 3 500
> # mkdir /mnt
> # /etc/mount /dev/rl1 /mnt
> mount: Block device required

> at this point i get this error.
> what does this error mean ?

Very strange.

1) unix 7 doesn't see any attached disk pack on rl1?
2) Some missing special file on /dev directory?

In the scenario 1): as suggested, attach the rl1 before starting unix.

In the scenario 2):

ls -al /dev/rl1 /dev/rrl1 should return:

brw------- 1 root 8, 1 Sep 22 08:00 /dev/rl1
crw------- 1 root 18, 1 Sep 22 07:31 /dev/rrl1

If not, type these commands:

/etc/mknod /dev/rl1 b 8 1
/etc/mknod /dev/rrl1 b 18 1

Good luck. :-)

Beppe Alborè

unread,
Jun 29, 2004, 10:04:10 AM6/29/04
to
eventually i solved the problem ! thanks again!!
just another question: do you know the procedure to use the tapes instead ?


this is my complete sequence of instructions to use the RL disk pack.


sim> set cpu 18b
sim> set rl0 rl02
sim> set rl1 rl01
sim> att rl0 unix_v7_rl.dsk


sim> att rl1 test.dsk
RL: creating new file

Create bad block table on last track? [N] (answered n)
sim> boot rl0
@boot
New boot...
: rl(0,0)rl2unix
mem = 177856
# ls -al /dev/rl1 /dev/rrl1
/dev/rl1 not found
/dev/rrl1 not found
# /etc/mknod /dev/rl1 b 8 1
# /etc/mknod /dev/rrl1 b 18 1


# /etc/mkfs /dev/rl1 9000
isize = 2880
m/n = 3 500
# mkdir /mnt
# /etc/mount /dev/rl1 /mnt

# cd /mnt
# ls -l (for example, to show the directory of the mounted device)

Renaissance

unread,
Jun 29, 2004, 11:57:46 AM6/29/04
to
Beppe Alborè wrote:

> eventually i solved the problem ! thanks again!!
> just another question: do you know the procedure to use the tapes instead ?

> this is my complete sequence of instructions to use the RL disk pack.

[SNIP]

Strange. My pre-installed disk image has already
devices entry for rl1 on /dev...

BTW, I never used a simulated tape with simh,
(and much less unix 7...)
In little words, I'm learning with you. :-)

simh shows the following tape devices:

simh> sh dev

TC, address=17777340-17777351, vector=214, 8 units
TM, address=17772520-17772533, vector=224, 8 units
TS, disabled
TQ, TK50, address=17774500-17774503, no vector, 4 units

I don't know what of these devices unix 7 supports.
I suppose the MT device.

But, what is now important is the creation of the
device nodes on /dev (hoping that the related drivers
are effectively compiled into the kernel...),
because /dev contains initially only the basic devices
(console terminal, current tty, disks, memory etc.)

You previously used the mknod command to create
device for a second rl.

A easiest way is based on a existing makefile
file on /dev, and the make command. this
makefile is able to create for you the requested
devices, without the need of remembering the name,
and the major and minor number that link
the special file with the kernel driver.

# cd /dev
# cat makefile

Ok. Have you seen the content of this file?
Well. Apparently unix 7 supports two types
of tape device, "tm" and "ht":

tm:
/etc/mknod mt0 b 3 0
/etc/mknod rmt0 c 12 0
/etc/mknod nrmt0 c 12 128
chmod go+w mt0 rmt0 nrmt0

ht:
/etc/mknod mt0 b 7 64
/etc/mknod mt1 b 7 0
/etc/mknod rmt0 c 15 64
/etc/mknod rmt1 c 15 0
/etc/mknod nrmt0 c 15 192
/etc/mknod nrmt1 c 15 128
chmod go+w mt0 mt1 rmt0 rmt1 nrmt0 nrmt1

I think (but I'm not sure) "tm" is the makefile "target" for
the creation of special files for the first tape attacched
to the TM tape interface showed by simh.

then:

# cd /dev
# make tm

The unix command used to archive files on a tape is
"tar".

suspend the simulation, attach the tape (e.g.: "at tm0 test.tap"),
continue the simulation.

# man tar

Example of backup:

# cd /bin
# tar cvf /dev/mt0 * # backup all the files of /bin
# tar tvf /dev/mt0 # View (not restore) files archived on mt0

bye G.L.

p.s.: Isn't better to learn unix (or linux, also) with a
recent version, on a normal pc? ;-)
p.p.s.: This version of unix seems a funny toy, compared
with actual flavours of *nix. :-)

Beppe Alborè

unread,
Jun 29, 2004, 2:23:09 PM6/29/04
to
yes, it worked !!!
thanks !!!!!!


P.S. ... the truth is that i love old computers, and i'm very interested in
computers like the ibm 360 or the pdp 11 !!!

"Renaissance" <gluc...@tiscali.it> wrote in message

news:2kdhrqF...@uni-berlin.de...

Renaissance

unread,
Jun 29, 2004, 3:00:25 PM6/29/04
to
Beppe Alborè wrote:

> P.S. ... the truth is that i love old computers, and i'm very interested in
> computers like the ibm 360 or the pdp 11 !!!

Good, have a lot of fun! ;-)
I think that DEC emulated computer are much more appreciable
with the originals proprietary operating systems, such as
RT, RSTS, RSX, TOPS-10, etc., Unfortunately I have not had still
time or interest to use or install one of thes OS'es,
even if in the past I used rsx-11m as normal user (not
administrator), at school days...

bye G.L.

Douglas A. Gwyn

unread,
Jun 30, 2004, 2:08:53 AM6/30/04
to
Renaissance wrote:
> I don't know what of these devices unix 7 supports.
> I suppose the MT device.

TC (DECtape) and TM (TM11 controller, tm).
Don't forget that the disk files used as "magtapes"
must be in TAP format.

> A easiest way is based on a existing makefile
> file on /dev, and the make command.

Yes, indeed; "make tm" for example. This only has
to be done once per Unix system.

> Well. Apparently unix 7 supports two types
> of tape device, "tm" and "ht":

Yes; if you have properly set up the "manual pages"
you can type "man ht" etc. to read about them.

> The unix command used to archive files on a tape is
> "tar".

Actually "tar" can make archives in disk files too.
But a "tar" archive on "magtape" is probably the best
way to exchange data with a non-Unix system, once
you have unpacked the TAP-format magtape image into
a disk file.

If you need magtape utility sources in C that include
support for using TAP-format magtape-image files, I
can send them to you. I use them all the time with
SIMH (as well as with real magtapes under Unix).

> suspend the simulation, attach the tape (e.g.: "at tm0 test.tap"),
> continue the simulation.

You can do that before booting Unix; it doesn't look
at the (simulated) magtape device until you tell it to.

> p.s.: Isn't better to learn unix (or linux, also) with a
> recent version, on a normal pc? ;-)
> p.p.s.: This version of unix seems a funny toy, compared
> with actual flavours of *nix. :-)

Actually, 7th Edition Unix was the first version that
resembled modern Unix releases closely enough to be
worth using today. One can add various things such
as screen-oriented text editors, and if you plan to
use it much that is highly recommended. You might
also consider bringing up 2.9BSD (or later) or DEC's
Unix V7M, which already have a lot of stuff added but
are still based on 7th Edition Unix.

At some time in the future I hope to be able to make
available BRL/JHU PDP-11 Unix, which was in many ways
the nicest Unix environment for the PDP-11.

Renaissance

unread,
Jun 30, 2004, 3:16:40 AM6/30/04
to
Douglas A. Gwyn wrote:

>> A easiest way is based on a existing makefile
>> file on /dev, and the make command.

> Yes, indeed; "make tm" for example. This only has
> to be done once per Unix system.
>
>> Well. Apparently unix 7 supports two types
>> of tape device, "tm" and "ht":

> Yes; if you have properly set up the "manual pages"
> you can type "man ht" etc. to read about them.

reassuming: tm ==>> TM , ht ==>> TC, is it correct?

>> The unix command used to archive files on a tape is
>> "tar".

> Actually "tar" can make archives in disk files too.

In fact, I verified that tar on unix 7 require a device.
If you instead use a file, the error returned inherit
a unexpected change of the file size.

> But a "tar" archive on "magtape" is probably the best
> way to exchange data with a non-Unix system, once
> you have unpacked the TAP-format magtape image into
> a disk file.

I imagine a "tar" port for other systems exists.

> If you need magtape utility sources in C that include
> support for using TAP-format magtape-image files, I
> can send them to you. I use them all the time with
> SIMH (as well as with real magtapes under Unix).

if I have understood well, you can make a tar on a file, and transform
it in tap format, and vice-versa, in order to be able to transfer file
from/to. this can compensate the lack of a "putr" utility for unix,
right?

>
>> suspend the simulation, attach the tape (e.g.: "at tm0 test.tap"),
>> continue the simulation.

> You can do that before booting Unix; it doesn't look
> at the (simulated) magtape device until you tell it to.

oh, I verified it works also suspending the emulation.
May be this a necessary choice, in case of tape exchange?

>> p.s.: Isn't better to learn unix (or linux, also) with a
>> recent version, on a normal pc? ;-)
>> p.p.s.: This version of unix seems a funny toy, compared
>> with actual flavours of *nix. :-)

> Actually, 7th Edition Unix was the first version that
> resembled modern Unix releases closely enough to be
> worth using today. One can add various things such
> as screen-oriented text editors, and if you plan to
> use it much that is highly recommended.

I agree. No terminfo, no vi... Also the lack of
the "more" command is annoying :-)
Have I seen well the lack of "shutdown"?

> You might
> also consider bringing up 2.9BSD (or later)

Without a source license fee, now? I think
yes, because bsd 4.3 is freely available for the vax,
as I've seen at simh.trailing-edge.com.
(I must confess to have tried the 2.11 bsd, a years ago...)

> or DEC's
> Unix V7M, which already have a lot of stuff added but
> are still based on 7th Edition Unix.

Is it available, especially in the form of preistalled
disk image?

> At some time in the future I hope to be able to make
> available BRL/JHU PDP-11 Unix, which was in many ways
> the nicest Unix environment for the PDP-11.

I attend with interest. :-)

Thanks, Douglas

bye G.L.

Beppe Alborè

unread,
Jun 30, 2004, 4:14:22 AM6/30/04
to
>
> If you need magtape utility sources in C that include
> support for using TAP-format magtape-image files, I
> can send them to you. I use them all the time with
> SIMH (as well as with real magtapes under Unix).
>
yes, please can you send them to me ?
thanks !!


Douglas A. Gwyn

unread,
Jun 30, 2004, 2:03:56 PM6/30/04
to
Renaissance wrote:
> reassuming: tm ==>> TM , ht ==>> TC, is it correct?

No, "ht" is the Massbus magtape.

> In fact, I verified that tar on unix 7 require a device.
> If you instead use a file, the error returned inherit
> a unexpected change of the file size.

It should work if used properly (the f flag and a
subsequent flag option in the appropriate place,
e,g, tar cbf 512 foo.tar files).

> if I have understood well, you can make a tar on a file, and transform
> it in tap format, and vice-versa, in order to be able to transfer file
> from/to. this can compensate the lack of a "putr" utility for unix,
> right?

PUTR does other things.. It is not necessary to
have the tar archive file embedded in TAP format
unless you want to treat the file as a magtape
device within a simulator such as SIMH. If you
want to access the archive under Windows, for
example, it needs to *not* be in TAP format, so
if you created it as a magtape image using SIMH
you need to extract it from the TAP image file
before trying to use it with WinZip etc. I have
a little utility program I use for that purpose.

> May be this a necessary choice, in case of tape exchange?

Obviously, to "load a different magtape" under
SIMH, you need to either suspend SIMH, detach the
old file from the simuated magtape device, then
attach the new file, or else simply copy the new
file onto the one that SIMH already has attached.

> Have I seen well the lack of "shutdown"?

7th Edition Unix is shut down safely in the manner
you previously described.

>> You might
>> also consider bringing up 2.9BSD (or later)
> Without a source license fee, now?

I believe that all the PDP-11 BSDs are available
free for hobbyist use.

> (I must confess to have tried the 2.11 bsd, a years ago...)

The main problem with 2.11BSD is that it runs on
only a few models of PDP-11 (requires I&D and
Supervisor mode). SIMH may be able to handle it
if configured as an 11/73.

David Evans

unread,
Jun 30, 2004, 2:08:33 PM6/30/04
to
In article <pLidnb22-oQ...@comcast.com>,

Douglas A. Gwyn <DAG...@null.net> wrote:
>The main problem with 2.11BSD is that it runs on
>only a few models of PDP-11 (requires I&D and
>Supervisor mode). SIMH may be able to handle it
>if configured as an 11/73.
>

I've run 2.11BSD on SIMH. Worked fine.

--
David Evans dfe...@bbcr.uwaterloo.ca
Ph.D. Candidate, Computer/Synth Junkie http://bbcr.uwaterloo.ca/~dfevans/
University of Waterloo "Default is the value selected by the composer
Ontario, Canada overridden by your command." - Roland TR-707 Manual

Renaissance

unread,
Jun 30, 2004, 2:41:36 PM6/30/04
to
David Evans wrote:

> In article <pLidnb22-oQ...@comcast.com>,
> Douglas A. Gwyn <DAG...@null.net> wrote:

>>The main problem with 2.11BSD is that it runs on
>>only a few models of PDP-11 (requires I&D and
>>Supervisor mode). SIMH may be able to handle it
>>if configured as an 11/73.

> I've run 2.11BSD on SIMH. Worked fine.

I confirm. And also the network works very well.

Renaissance

unread,
Jun 30, 2004, 3:01:04 PM6/30/04
to
Douglas A. Gwyn wrote:

> Renaissance wrote:
>
>> reassuming: tm ==>> TM , ht ==>> TC, is it correct?

> No, "ht" is the Massbus magtape.

How is it identified on the simh simulator
(if supported, of course)?

>> In fact, I verified that tar on unix 7 require a device.
>> If you instead use a file, the error returned inherit
>> a unexpected change of the file size.

> It should work if used properly (the f flag and a
> subsequent flag option in the appropriate place,
> e,g, tar cbf 512 foo.tar files).

ouch... I forget the switches b and k I used in
the past on sco unix 3.x x86... then, it's only a
problem of block size (512 is the standard block size
of a file in the unix file system, right?)

>> if I have understood well, you can make a tar on a file, and transform
>> it in tap format, and vice-versa, in order to be able to transfer file
>> from/to. this can compensate the lack of a "putr" utility for unix,
>> right?
>
>
> PUTR does other things..

I try to explain better: putr let me to
get/put files on a disk/filesystem of a dec
operating system (...or threat entire images).
It's a way to transfer files
between eterogeneus operating environments
(windows <--> RT, Unix <--> RSTS, etc.).
What you have described let me to do a similar thing,
but in another manner.
Example: I need to transfer the C source of the
"more" command to unix 7, and then compile it. Well,
i make a tar file with the sources, convert it
to magtape format, attach it to the simulator,
I "untar" the "virtual" tape. Right?

>> Have I seen well the lack of "shutdown"?

> 7th Edition Unix is shut down safely in the manner
> you previously described.

Curiosity: fsck reports always errors, and doesn't
seems to terminate correctly at the end of the check
(doesn't return the prompt, until is interrupted).
There is a way to check the filesystem,
mounting it read only?

Dan Lanciani

unread,
Jun 30, 2004, 4:12:24 PM6/30/04
to
Renaissance <gluc...@tiscali.it> wrote:

|Curiosity: fsck reports always errors, and doesn't
|seems to terminate correctly at the end of the check
|(doesn't return the prompt, until is interrupted).

Wait, did v7 get fsck? I don't remember it when I was using v7.

Dan Lanciani
ddl@danlan.*com

Dan Lanciani

unread,
Jun 30, 2004, 4:10:17 PM6/30/04
to
"Douglas A. Gwyn" <DAG...@null.net> wrote:

|I believe that all the PDP-11 BSDs are available
|free for hobbyist use.

Or even for commercial use/distribution (assuming Caldera/SCO has not
retracted the last open source license).

Bob Hoffman

unread,
Jun 30, 2004, 4:31:16 PM6/30/04
to
On Wed, Jun 30, 2004 at 04:12:24PM -0400, Dan Lanciani wrote:
> Wait, did v7 get fsck? I don't remember it when I was using v7.

Our v7 didn't have fsck. We had icheck, dcheck and ncheck. We didn't get
fsck until BSD 2.x.

---Bob.
--
Bob Hoffman, N3CVL University of Pittsburgh Tel: +1 412 624 8404
hof...@cs.pitt.edu Department of Computer Science Fax: +1 412 624 8854

Carl Lowenstein

unread,
Jun 30, 2004, 5:47:25 PM6/30/04
to
> Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2004 16:12:24 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Dan Lanciani <ddl-...@danlan.com>
> To: info-...@village.org
> Subject: Re: eventually i solved the rl problem

>
> Renaissance <gluc...@tiscali.it> wrote:
>
> |Curiosity: fsck reports always errors, and doesn't
> |seems to terminate correctly at the end of the check
> |(doesn't return the prompt, until is interrupted).
>
> Wait, did v7 get fsck? I don't remember it when I was using v7.

Somewhere among the tuhs/pups archives I found fsck for v7.
Seemed to work for me after compiling it. All under SIMH,
of course.

carl
--
carl lowenstein marine physical lab u.c. san diego
clow...@ucsd.edu

Douglas A. Gwyn

unread,
Jul 1, 2004, 1:11:39 AM7/1/04
to
Renaissance wrote:
>> e,g, tar cbf 512 foo.tar files).

Oops, change that 512 to 1 (or at least no more
than 20).

> ... (512 is the standard block size


> of a file in the unix file system, right?)

It varies, but on 7th Edition Unix disk files are allocated
in 512-byte units (which are not shared by multiple files).
This matches the format of PDP-11 disk devices.

> Example: I need to transfer the C source of the
> "more" command to unix 7, and then compile it. Well,
> i make a tar file with the sources, convert it
> to magtape format, attach it to the simulator,
> I "untar" the "virtual" tape. Right?

Yes, that is probably the simplest approach.
(Watch out for incompatible changes to "tar" archive
format found on some systems.)

Renaissance

unread,
Jul 1, 2004, 2:08:45 AM7/1/04
to
Dan Lanciani wrote:

> |Curiosity: fsck reports always errors, and doesn't
> |seems to terminate correctly at the end of the check
> |(doesn't return the prompt, until is interrupted).
>
> Wait, did v7 get fsck? I don't remember it when I was using v7.

The preinstalled image from simh.trailing-edge.com
has fsck.

Renaissance

unread,
Jul 1, 2004, 11:23:54 AM7/1/04
to
Douglas A. Gwyn wrote:

>> ... (512 is the standard block size
>> of a file in the unix file system, right?)

> It varies, but on 7th Edition Unix disk files are allocated
> in 512-byte units (which are not shared by multiple files).
> This matches the format of PDP-11 disk devices.

Yes, I knew it varies, but more precisely
I was referring to the history of unix, and
the initial choice of 512 block size on
first unix filesystems.

>> Example: I need to transfer the C source of the
>> "more" command to unix 7, and then compile it. Well,
>> i make a tar file with the sources, convert it
>> to magtape format, attach it to the simulator,
>> I "untar" the "virtual" tape. Right?

> Yes, that is probably the simplest approach.
> (Watch out for incompatible changes to "tar" archive
> format found on some systems.)

With pdp11 bsd 2.11/2.9 and vax bsd 4.3,
I would not have problems to transfer
files, because these are network capable os'es... :-)
But on unix 5/6/7, or other unices without network,
the utility you mentioned is very useful.

Thanks Douglas, please can you send me it
at renaissance (at) tiscali (dot) com?

0 new messages