Forth for PDP-11

From: Zane H. Healy <healyzh_at_aracnet.com>
Date: Tue Jun 25 20:05:59 2002

>
> > SOL-11 - A Small Language and OS for the PDP-11
> >
> > SOL is a small, non-standard, stand-alone FORTH kernel containing
> > everything that is required to edit, store, recall, compile, and run
> > programs on PDP-11 microcomputers. It is intended for a minimum
> > operating system and programming environment. The FORTH language offers
> > full access to the complete hardware. Device drivers for the console and
> > some block devices are included.

This is so cool!

> > Supported Hardware
> >
> > * PDP-11 CPU with EIS (required)
> > * 8K to 28K words of memory

Dang, the EIS requirement sucks! This would be perfect for PDP-11/03's and
SBC-11/21's. Unfortunatly the /03 needs the KEV11 option, and the SBC-11/21
is just plain out of luck.

> Presumably it ignores the MMU (but doesn't object if one is present, as
> few machines have EIS but no MMU).
>
> > * console terminal (preferrably VT100)
> > * RX01/RX02 floppy disk drives
> > * RL02 disk drive
> > * TU58 tape drive
>
> I assume it needs the CPU, RAM, console and at least one of the mass
> storage devices. It can't need _all_ the drives, surely?

It only needs one of the drives.

I just built it and booted the RL02 image on SIMH. It looks pretty cool, of
course I don't know FORTH, so can't actually do anything....

I suspect the TU58 option means that it's possible to run this on a PDP-11
that doesn't have any drives, but has two SLU's, just run a TU58 emulator on
a PC.

> > The Sources
> >
> > SOL is written in PDP-11 assembly language and FORTH. The BTN11
> > assembler (version 0.9 or later) is required to compile the assembly
> > part of SOL.
> > 40187 2001-07-17 sol-11.tar.gz version 0.4
>
> Sounds like just what I need (given that I have all of the supported
> hardware!). I will take a look. Thanks....

You'll want a UNIX box to build everything. If you don't have a way to
build the images I can through them up on my FTP site (if anyone needs this
it would be best to send me a private email so I'm sure to see the request).

Now to go googling for some FORTH documentation...

                        Zane
Received on Tue Jun 25 2002 - 20:05:59 BST