Hello, and please help with RSX-11M/PDP parts

From: Daniel T. Burrows <dburrows_at_netpath.net>
Date: Fri Nov 16 19:39:03 2001

In most cases you can type <ctrl>Z when it asks for the date and time.
Unless they were clever in the startup routines)

The you are logged in as [200,200]
SET /DEF [1,54] the "normal" system account.
Then your able to totally corrupt anything you want. Suggestion: DO NOT do
anything but read files in [0,0] They are the equivalent of the MFT.
You should find in [1,2] plain text help files for almost anything you
should happen to want to do.

I could help more if you had posted the version of RSX and whether it is M+
plain M or 11S. I doubt it is 11S as there it is uncommon.

When it comes to the older core memory UNIBUS systems - good luck. I lost a
couple in the fire and the hobby market has gone crazy for them over the
last couple years. I do know of a few still in commercial use that may
eventually be replaced but they are dual processor shared memory and
peripheral configurations that really complicates their replacement.

Dan - Going back to check on the RSX11M+ SYSGEN I started for a customer
when I started to catch up on the list.

-----Original Message-----
From: Christopher Smith <csmith_at_amdocs.com>
To: Classiccmp (E-mail) <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Date: Friday, November 16, 2001 11:30 AM
Subject: Hello, and please help with RSX-11M/PDP parts


>
>This will be a lot to cram into one mail, but here we go...
>
>First off, Hi everybody. I'm newly subscribed to this list.
>
>Next, I was wondering whether anyone here can help my with my newly
acquired
>(IE rescued from the crusher) PDP-11/73.
>
>Straight to the point, I can get it to boot up RSX-11M, which is installed
>on the fixed drive, and do *stuff*. (please correct me if I'm wrong on any
>of this, by the way)
>
>I've figured out that the previous owner has disabled logins from the
>console port, perhaps to defeat the "forgotten password" procedure that I
>can't get to work ;) I can hit ^C and get an "MCR>" prompt, but nothing
>else.
>
>There is another port which has user [10,10] logged in automatically when
>the machine finishes booting, so I've been able to experiment with it some.
>I've managed to figure out that INS and REM are MCR commands to insert and
>remove images from the system. RUN seems to automatically insert, execute,
>and perhaps afterwards remove an image. HEL will log you in (but not
>without a password!), and BYE will log you out.
>
>What I'm missing here are basically any file-management commands! :) Does
>anyone have a short reference? I could also use suggestions on a recovery
>procedure to get access to the 0,0 account.
>
>Here are my thoughts:
>
>Put the drive in a MicroVAX-II (write-protected!), in place of the
>MicroVAX's system disk. MOPboot the VAX from another, larger VAX, and
><edit?/move/do-something-to> either the UAF or the startup files to change
>the 0,0 password, or change the boot procedure so that the "forgotten
>password" process will work.
>
>(Anyone know if this is possible, or whether there's an easier way?)
>
>My understanding of this "forgotten password" process is that you hit ^C
>early in the boot procedure to get the "MCR>" prompt, and run the command
>REM ...AT. to de-install the command-file processor so that the system
can't
>fully bring itself up. This somehow should cause the system to give you
>privileged CLI access.
>
>This system is a MicroPDP-11/73, with an "MFM" type fixed drive of unknown
>size, two 4-port serial boards, and an RX50 (I think that's the strange
>2-in-1 floppy drive?). It tells me on bootup that it's got 512k of RAM
>"mapped." I've been assuming that this is the full amount of built-in RAM.
>Please correct me if I'm wrong there. I'll get the CPU revision/OS
>version/etc if needed, but I don't have the system handy right now.
>
>Once I get the machine up and running, I'll need to make a good backup of
>the drive, in some kind of bootable form, since it's the only copy of RSX
>I've got. I hear there's a stand-alone BRU. Is that the way to go? It's
>likely I'll backup to floppy, and image the floppies to CD. I may also
>remove a tk50 and controller from a MicroVAX II, so that I can backup to
>tape, and dump the tape into a file using one of my VAXen.
>
>Given all of the above, any suggestions?
>
>If I've kept your attention this far, let me also ask another, more
>open-ended question.
>
>I'd like to get an older, unibus based PDP-11 eventually. Ideally, here is
>what I'd like:
>
>Core memory
>Programming switches on the front-panel
>Reel-to-reel tape
>Small package (meaning half-size to 2/3 size a normal rack. I've seen
>pictures of things like this.
>Some kind of disk storage
>Multi-port serial
>
>Any advice on collecting parts, or finding old parts/systems? I've already
>been given, and taken the ebay advice. No luck there yet.
>
>Regards,
>
>Chris
>
>Christopher Smith, Perl Developer
>Amdocs - Champaign, IL
>
>/usr/bin/perl -e '
>print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n");
>'
>
Received on Fri Nov 16 2001 - 19:39:03 GMT