final brainteaser for the day

From: Jerome H. Fine <jhfinepw4z_at_compsys.to>
Date: Mon Jun 24 13:13:53 2002

>Alex White wrote:

> Can you describe all the PDP OSen and variants out there?
> *grins*
> Alex

Jerome Fine replies:

YES!!
*grins* (You just asked "Can you" - not to actually describe them!)

Now, to actually describe them "all", I don't think it is worth while
to spend all that amount ot time (a few centuries) or the space. But,
The major 3 are (there are many more):

RSTS/E

RSX-11

RT-11 which is the only one I currently use. It would take about
10 years to describe completely - the DOCs for V5.07 are about
18" high double-sided 8" * 11" sheets without the binders. The
program listings for each distinct version of the operating system
are about the same size and there are at least 2 major flavours,
unmapped (RT11SB and RT11FB) and mapped (RT11XM and
RT11ZM) with significant differences (15% to 25%) between
the unmapped and mapped flavours. The listings for the utilities
are probably another 48". The DOCs can be purchased. The
source code licenses can also be purchased. DEC probably had
internal documentation as well, but no information seems to be
publicly available, including the DEC (and the Mentec) RT-11
Bug List. Megan Gentry can probably confirm the information
about the DOCs and the source listings. There is probably an
NDF (Non-Disclosure Agreement) that prevents anyone who
knows about the "secret" stuff from even admitting that they know
anything about the "secret" stuff. Otherwise, those who know and
may even have copies could at least say how many pages of internal
documentation existed and how many bugs are in the "secret" DEC
(and the Mentec) RT-11 Bug List.

*grin* Perhaps you can understand why I suggested it would take
about ten years to completely describe RT-11.

Sincerely yours,

Jerome Fine
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Received on Mon Jun 24 2002 - 13:13:53 BST

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