KA620

From: ben franchuk <bfranchuk_at_jetnet.ab.ca>
Date: Tue Mar 23 19:59:02 2004

Michael Sokolov wrote:

> By development software I assume you mean the tools for working with Verilog
> (simulation and synthesis), right? I'm using the open source Icarus Verilog and
> it can run on anything, though since it's written in Anshit C I'm forced to use
> gcc rather than native cc. I guess if necessary it can be run through
> unprotoize and thus made truly portable.
>
> Not sure what you mean by bootstrap software, if you mean things like VMB,
> that's written in VAX macrocode and runs on the VAX, so I don't see where the
> problem is.

No I mean a total bootstrap of the system. Can you rebuild the software
  from source paper tape on small system? Can you rebuld the hardware with
chips and a soldering iron? The hard drive in a machine shop?


I can't help it, running FOCAL on a PDP-8 from the TTY left me with the
idea that the user can use or program or fix the computer they have.
Trying to build my own CPU from scratch has left me thinking why is
software so hard to bootstrap? After reading on the net how little
software source is left for CP/M or software for the lesser made PDP's
what would happen the future?


> I'll also have a real console FEP to implement the functions of Chapter 10 of
> the VAX spec (lacking the real STD 032 I use the chapter and section numbering
> from VARM 2nd ed.), for which I will use some 8 or 16-bit microprocessor of the
> appropriate time period. Fortunately there are 8/16-bit microprocessors that
> existed at the time of VAX-11/7xx and are still made (Z80 and 8086 come to
> mind).

Too bad you can't use a PDP-11.

> MS

Ben.
Received on Tue Mar 23 2004 - 19:59:02 GMT