On Mon, 24 Nov 2003, Ian Primus wrote:
> OK, that's good, I was worried that the tape drive might be damaged, or
> have dirty heads or something.
Well, as was suggested earlier, this COULD come from the hardware,
but I doubt it. Your hardware (the 11/73) doesnt know this beast,
and you use a manually typed-in boot loader, which only can do one
thing, and that is loading the secondary boot. And that magically
seems to load something, then halts.
Halting usually means "duh, bad karma, can't continue" when at this
level of the system.
Continuing yoields you the bad-volume message, which imho has to be
on the tape. I just checked the image of my RSX11-M-PLUS V4.2
tape, and sure enough, that message is in there, so we *did* load
it off the tape. Our tape unit works :)
> I tried three different tapes, two of which are the same thing. One
> tape is a homemade system tape, on an ten inch reel. The label is
> handwritten in pencil and hard to read. It says "RSX-11-M-Plus V4.0
> Operating system for Eagle (DB2, omitting software directories) VMR'd
> for extra pool space <something I can't read>, needs DTR files
> [1,2],<something else I can't read>" The other tape is an official
> Digital tape on a 12 inch reel. The label says "BB-JO81J-BC
> RSX-11M-LUS V4.4 BRU MT:1/1 ID:RSX11MPBL78 DIST 1600BPI COPYRIGHT
> 1993 DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION MB0804". I don't know what
> controller these were written for, or how my Emulex card is set up.
> I'll have to read through the Emulex manual some more.
Yeah, this might be the real issue. The DEC tape is for 16MT9, aka
1600bpi 9-track, using TM11 format controllers. It *may* not know
what to do with a TS11, if that is what the Emulex currently "talks".
As said earlier, *we* load the secondary in memory, which seems to
work. Next, we pass control to that code, and that code will then
try to load more stuff off the tape. Since it expects a TM11
controller at that address, it will program for that. And then
the load fails, since the TS11 doesnt respond to the commands
sent to it.... "not bootable" we get shown...
> Are these leading blocks written in the same format or a different
> format as the rest of the tape? What about density? I'll have to look
> up in the manual, but I _think_ the default on my drive is 1600bpi, but
> I'm not positive.
That depends, but yeah, always the same density. Most of the system
load files are in 512-byte blocks. Here is a list of my V4.2 tape:
TDF version : 1 (OLD)
Flags :
CRC-32 : 0x32b466df
Media code : 9-track 1600bpi
Part # : BB-J083H-BC
Serial Number : ME109856
Tape Label : RSX-11M-PLUS V4.2 MT:1600
Description : BRUSYS STANDALONE COPY SYSTEM
Copyright : 1989
Owner : DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION
File 0 : blocksize 512 (439 blocks)
File 1 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 2 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
2 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
2 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
2 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
2 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
2 : blocksize 2560 (1 blocks)
2 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
2 : blocksize 4144 (28 blocks)
2 : blocksize 560 (1 blocks)
File 3 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 4 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 5 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
5 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
5 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
5 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
5 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
5 : blocksize 4096 (1 blocks)
5 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
5 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
5 : blocksize 4144 (208 blocks)
5 : blocksize 2608 (1 blocks)
File 6 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 7 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 8 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
8 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
8 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
8 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
8 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
8 : blocksize 4096 (1 blocks)
8 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
8 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
8 : blocksize 4144 (26 blocks)
8 : blocksize 560 (1 blocks)
File 9 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 10 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 11 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
11 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
11 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 512 (3 blocks)
11 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
11 : blocksize 1536 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 4096 (4 blocks)
11 : blocksize 3584 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 4096 (8 blocks)
11 : blocksize 1024 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 4096 (3 blocks)
11 : blocksize 2048 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
11 : blocksize 4144 (542 blocks)
11 : blocksize 3632 (1 blocks)
File 12 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 13 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 14 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
14 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
14 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
14 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
14 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
14 : blocksize 4096 (7 blocks)
14 : blocksize 2048 (1 blocks)
14 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
14 : blocksize 4144 (107 blocks)
14 : blocksize 3120 (1 blocks)
File 15 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 16 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 17 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
17 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
17 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
17 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
17 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
17 : blocksize 4096 (4 blocks)
17 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
17 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
17 : blocksize 4144 (129 blocks)
17 : blocksize 1584 (1 blocks)
File 18 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 19 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 20 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
20 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
20 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
20 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
20 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
20 : blocksize 4096 (3 blocks)
20 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
20 : blocksize 4144 (49 blocks)
20 : blocksize 2608 (1 blocks)
File 21 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 22 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 23 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
23 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
23 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
23 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
23 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
23 : blocksize 4096 (1 blocks)
23 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
23 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
23 : blocksize 4144 (26 blocks)
23 : blocksize 3120 (1 blocks)
File 24 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 25 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 26 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
26 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
26 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
26 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
26 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
26 : blocksize 4096 (1 blocks)
26 : blocksize 1536 (1 blocks)
26 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
26 : blocksize 4144 (24 blocks)
26 : blocksize 3120 (1 blocks)
File 27 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 28 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 29 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
29 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
29 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
29 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
29 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
29 : blocksize 4096 (1 blocks)
29 : blocksize 1024 (1 blocks)
29 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
29 : blocksize 4144 (18 blocks)
29 : blocksize 3120 (1 blocks)
File 30 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 31 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 32 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
32 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
32 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
32 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
32 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
32 : blocksize 4096 (1 blocks)
32 : blocksize 2048 (1 blocks)
32 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
32 : blocksize 4144 (80 blocks)
File 33 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 34 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 35 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
35 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
35 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
35 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
35 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
35 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
35 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
35 : blocksize 1024 (1 blocks)
35 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
35 : blocksize 2560 (1 blocks)
35 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
35 : blocksize 4144 (67 blocks)
35 : blocksize 3120 (1 blocks)
File 36 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 37 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 38 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
38 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
38 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
38 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
38 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
38 : blocksize 4096 (1 blocks)
38 : blocksize 2560 (1 blocks)
38 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
38 : blocksize 4144 (8 blocks)
38 : blocksize 2096 (1 blocks)
File 39 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 40 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 41 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
41 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
41 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
41 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
41 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
41 : blocksize 3584 (1 blocks)
41 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
41 : blocksize 4144 (126 blocks)
41 : blocksize 2608 (1 blocks)
File 42 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 43 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 44 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
44 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
44 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
44 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
44 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
44 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
44 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
44 : blocksize 1024 (1 blocks)
44 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
44 : blocksize 1024 (1 blocks)
44 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
44 : blocksize 4144 (31 blocks)
44 : blocksize 560 (1 blocks)
File 45 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 46 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
File 47 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
47 : blocksize 512 (2 blocks)
47 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
47 : blocksize 512 (1 blocks)
47 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
47 : blocksize 1536 (1 blocks)
47 : blocksize 80 (1 blocks)
47 : blocksize 4144 (4 blocks)
47 : blocksize 560 (1 blocks)
File 48 : blocksize 80 (2 blocks)
It just occurred to me: you need the BRUSYS tape to boot, not
the distribution kit...
> What's the difference between the two controllers? Is their tape format
> different, or just the headers?
Neither, the controller is programmed differently. Also, I believe
the TM11 could only do low density tapes originally, and the TS11
could do more. For programming, they're not identical, though,
which is why you should be wary of the "mode" of the Emulex.
> Good point... Right now I'm using a Lear Siegler ADM3A :)
*slap* use the Hinote!
> Yeah, that would be great. Is there anything special I have to do when
> I write the tape to make sure the PDP-11 can read it? Since the tape
> drives are different (the PDP-11 one is Pertec, the Prime one is SCSI),
> will the tapes be compatible? It sounds like tapes written with two
> slightly different Pertec controllers on the PDP-11 aren't compatible.
Nah, 1600 of 800 bpi, and all look alike at the tape level.
I'll send you the file in private email.
--f
--
Fred N. van Kempen, DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) Collector/Archivist
Visit the VAXlab Project at http://www.pdp11.nl/VAXlab/
Visit the Archives at http://www.pdp11.nl/
Email: waltje_at_pdp11.nl BUSSUM, THE NETHERLANDS / Sunnyvale, CA, USA
Received on Mon Nov 24 2003 - 10:44:36 GMT