Ersatz-11 V7.0 is done. This is the 20th anniversary release (development
began on 31-Oct-1993), and it's got a bunch of new goodies. The free demo
versions (for DOS, Linux, OS/2, Stand-alone, and Windows) can be downloaded
from www.dbit.com.
There's a *lot* of new code. If that means there's going to have to
be a quick update it's going to be hard to resist calling it "V7.0-07".
There's no one huge new feature, but lots of little ones:
- CR11/CD11 punched card readers
- DMR11/DMC11 network ports (speaks real DDCMP to DECnet/RSX's software DDCMP)
- DN11 autodialer
- KG11A CRC boards
- DU11/DUV11 sync SLUs proof-of-concept (but Z85230 driver needs finishing)
- SCC: driver for Sealevel sync boards (see above -- at least async works)
- Ridiculously improved VT100 emulation. Smooth-scroll and blink on OS/2
and Windows. Also SET-UP mode. Try pressing SET-UP (default = Shift/Esc)
and then 0 on OS/2 or Windows for a good laugh, if you remember the real
thing. VT100 w/o AVO, VT101, and VT102 emulations are now included (the
autowrap behavior differs on all three -- thank you Will Kranz for the
VT102 for testing). This was motivated by finding that the VT100 emulation
was failing the VTTEST suite, but further investigation showed that a real
DEC VT100 "fails" too, in a fairly similar way (virtually identical now).
- ASSIGN ... /TTSYNC switch adds driver-level XON/XOFF flow control for
output to most serial device types (and is enabled temporarily during all
commands -- you really need it if smooth-scroll is turned on).
- Scrollback buffer in VT100 sessions -- finally
- HAYES: filter driver for data-leads-only modems with Hayes AT command set
(turns commands/responses into modem control/status leads, and connects to
the DN11 emulation) -- yes this would have been more useful in 1993
- OSPRINT: driver (emulates dumb line printer using OS-supplied printer
drivers in OS/2 and Windows). Optionally adds green-bar-paper underlay,
which seems silly until you see how nice it looks in CutePDF. OK it's silly.
- Unit number ranges in ASSIGN/DEASSIGN, MOUNT/DISMOUNT, and SHOW --
Tries to be clever about incrementing unit numbers for the PC device:
ASSIGN YZ0-3: COM1: (or /dev/ttyS0) gives you 4 DZ lines using 4 COM ports
MOUNT DU0-1: rsx0.dsk gives you two disks using rsx0.dsk and rsx1.dsk
*But* if there's nothing to increment then you get identical devices:
ASSIGN YV0-15: TELNET: gives you 16 DHU lines on the same Telnet server
MOUNT DC0-3: RAM: gives you a fully fleshed out RC11 (four RAM disks)
- Generic host-OS-independent names for several kinds of ports that can
be autodetected. SHOW ASYNCPORTS, SHOW PRINTERPORTS, SHOW SYNCPORTS,
SHOW DIGPORTS, SHOW GPIBPORTS gives you a list of what ASYNCn: etc.
will get you right now. This is supposed to make E11.INI files a little
more portable (so you don't have to change COM1: to /dev/ttyS0 etc.).
- Host-OS-independent NULL: devices for most device types.
- IEU11/IEQ11 dual GPIB port bare framework (proof of concept: works only
with NULL: device, does no actual I/O, but accepts many commands and LOGs
their behavior)
- RAMdisks now take their default size from the drive type (which may
itself be defaulted)
- "Short" disk images have the missing part emulated as a null area
(so it's OK if the bad-block track wasn't included in the image --
you don't get errors if you touch it anyway)
- DB:/DR: (Massbus moving-head disks) now enabled in Demo version;
also OA:/XA: (DR11C/DR11W), used as Ethernet IPL, internal mP IPL,
or simple LPT port interface
- Raw floppies (PC formats, for now) on Linux, OS/2, and Windows
- /CYL/HEAD/SECTORS switches work on all C/H/S disks
- Disk logs now calculate the starting block number on C/H/S disks;
LOG /PC includes PC in log files
- SET ddcu: READONLY / READWRITE can write-lock or write-enable most
disks and tapes w/o re-mounting them
- SET IDLE DELAY=n adds a n-millisecond delay during WAITs
- More use of helper threads (keeps long searches in .TAP files from
interfering with PDP-11 execution -- and incidentally means that more
of the PC devices are mP-safe even on the DOS and Stand-alone versions,
since in that case "helper threads" means migrating DOS calls to CPA where
it's safe -- not that mP is officially supported of course)
- LoadModule, GetSymbol, and UnloadModule DLL calls (OS/2 and Windows)
- Many, many, many bug fixes -- hopefully more than were introduced by
the new code
- The update disks will be CDs this time -- yes finally entering the 1990s
John Wilson
D Bit
Mark,
Sorry, no DECwrite, I won't even deal with docx :)
ASCII txt and RTF with basic formatting only, and if you want pictures / diagrams, mark the spot where you'd like it wrt to the text with [* ... *], for example:
--- SNIP ---
This is my newest MLP, Candlestick, still in it's box: [** candle.jpg **] I prefer to keep my MLPs boxed since I don't feel I am ready for the type of relationship touching would entail.
--- SNIP ---
(No offence to bronies out there intended, just had to make something up the spot.)
Then just send me a ZIP of text and all the images.
If you have an editor that can create RTFD, you can dispense with the [* ... *] notation as the doc will have the pics in the right place (remember that RTFDs are bundles and need to be zipped).
The magazine is laid out in columns like a "proper" magazine (easier to read) but it's hard to promise EXACTLY where a picture will go in your submission. We'll run the submission by you before going live of course, and correct it as much as possible
sampsa <sampsa at mac.com>
mobile +358 40 7208932
On 30 Oct 2013, at 22:28, Mark Wickens <mark at wickensonline.co.uk> wrote:
On 30/10/2013 20:26, Sampsa Laine wrote:
This version specifically, at the start of the DEChead/HECnet etc section of the magazine:
http://www.sampsa.com/DECMonkey.jpg
sampsa <sampsa at mac.com>
mobile +358 40 7208932
On 30 Oct 2013, at 22:12, Sampsa Laine <sampsa at mac.com> wrote:
This is going in the exit retrotron magazine.
sampsa <sampsa at mac.com>
mobile +358 40 7208932
On 30 Oct 2013, at 17:53, Mark Wickens <mark at wickensonline.co.uk> wrote:
https://db.tt/G5b8sbRX
Sent from Samsung Mobile
Cool. I may get round to writing you something at some point.
Do you accept DECwrite files? ;)
Mark.
--
http://www.wickensonline.co.ukhttp://hecnet.euhttp://declegacy.org.ukhttp://retrochallenge.nethttps://twitter.com/#!/%40urbancamo
This version specifically, at the start of the DEChead/HECnet etc section of the magazine:
http://www.sampsa.com/DECMonkey.jpg
sampsa <sampsa at mac.com>
mobile +358 40 7208932
On 30 Oct 2013, at 22:12, Sampsa Laine <sampsa at mac.com> wrote:
This is going in the exit retrotron magazine.
sampsa <sampsa at mac.com>
mobile +358 40 7208932
On 30 Oct 2013, at 17:53, Mark Wickens <mark at wickensonline.co.uk> wrote:
https://db.tt/G5b8sbRX
Sent from Samsung Mobile
This is going in the exit retrotron magazine.
sampsa <sampsa at mac.com>
mobile +358 40 7208932
On 30 Oct 2013, at 17:53, Mark Wickens <mark at wickensonline.co.uk> wrote:
https://db.tt/G5b8sbRX
Sent from Samsung Mobile
On 28/10/2013 19:27, Brian Schenkenberger, VAXman- wrote:
Mark Wickens <mark at wickensonline.co.uk> writes:
Hello,
Does anyone have an image of VMS ConDist documentation for bookreader
circa 1992 please? I have the March 1992 ConDist but no corresponding
documentation CD. I'm running VMS 5.5.2-H4 on a 4000/90 which looks
great using VWS:
http://wickensonline.co.uk/images/irc.gif
I'd be interested if anyone has earlier ConDist's as well please - to be
archived on SLAVE::
Thanks, Mark.
I do. I might even have some duplicates.
Cite a month and year and I'll dee what I can find for you.
Hi Brian,
The Condist I have here is March 1992.
Thanks a lot, Mark.
--
http://www.wickensonline.co.ukhttp://hecnet.euhttp://declegacy.org.ukhttp://retrochallenge.nethttps://twitter.com/#!/%40urbancamo
Mark Wickens <mark at wickensonline.co.uk> writes:
Hello,
Does anyone have an image of VMS ConDist documentation for bookreader
circa 1992 please? I have the March 1992 ConDist but no corresponding
documentation CD. I'm running VMS 5.5.2-H4 on a 4000/90 which looks
great using VWS:
http://wickensonline.co.uk/images/irc.gif
I'd be interested if anyone has earlier ConDist's as well please - to be
archived on SLAVE::
Thanks, Mark.
I do. I might even have some duplicates.
Cite a month and year and I'll dee what I can find for you.
--
VAXman- A Bored Certified VMS Kernel Mode Hacker VAXman(at)TMESIS(dot)ORG
Well I speak to machines with the voice of humanity.
