resurrecting a PDP-11/10

From: Ethan Dicks <erd_6502_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Thu Feb 27 12:24:00 2003

--- Fred Flintstone <iamvirtual_at_hotmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks for the assistance to date!
>
> Actually, I have a second M7800 card installed on the PDP-11/10 machine.

That's handy (and it ends the speculation if you have two SLUs or not ;-)

> As far as memory, there are two 16kw core systems installed on this
> machine.

Nice. That should serve nicely. Wish my 11/05 was that well equipped
(but it's in the short box).
 
> I am needing to know what I am looking for to get RT-11 running. What
> did DEC call their install tapes? eg. Is the
> "RT-11 V03B BIN MT9 1/2" tape the boot/install tape?

It certainly seems like the distribution tape, but it's not clear to
me that you have a bootable tape there. If your TS03 is working
and you enter in the TS bootstrap and you get text, then it is
bootable. Dunno where you'd find install instructions for v3, though.
It's *possible* that there is a second tape that you boot first, one
with either an MS or MT boot block on it. It's also possible that there
is a boot papertape. Again, that's before my time (I got started with
RT-11 v4 on floppy).

> Is RT-11 the easiest O/S to get installed?

Yes!

> I want to get to a point where I
> can verify the hardware is all running.

RT-11 or XXDP (DEC's low-level diagnostic monitor) are the way to go
for that. With 28KW of core (not all of the upper card can be used
due to the I/O page, you don't have a lot of OS options. 2BSD is
out, as are recent versions of RSTS and RSX-11. Don't remember what
the requirements for older OSes are off the top of my head.

> As far as media devices, I have 3 x RK05, 1 x TS03, 2 x RX01, 1 x TU58.

Nice assortment. Have you checked any of your diskettes or disk packs
for labels that suggest they might be bootable?

> I am trying to decide what will be moved to the PDP-11/10 from the 11/20.
> The goal is to have the PDP-11/20 up and running. Getting the PDP-11/10
> is just a step along the way.

Are you trying to get something historically accurate or just something
runnning well enough to be interesting? How much core do you have in
your 11/20? That might help drive the answer. If you want to run RT-11,
you'll need a storage device on the 11/20. It could be the RX01. If
you want to toggle in a long bootstrap, it could be the TU-58 (but floppies
are easier to find than TU-58 cartridges, and can be reformatted for the
RX01 with an 8" drive and modern to semi-modern computers).

-ethan
Received on Thu Feb 27 2003 - 12:24:00 GMT