15 Apr
2026
15 Apr
'26
1:15 p.m.
I’m working on finalizing a zipped, RL02 disk image with everything once I finish the
README.1ST doc and I’ll put it at a system that can be reached with FTP or WGET.
It is sad that named directories are not supported. The code base was designed to run
on RT-11 / TSX, RSTS/E and RSX11M/M+ so named directories were not a priority for Saturn
at the time. Later, they migrated it to VAX and the VMS version does support named
directories. Without source code or even object code, it is very difficult to do much. I’m
in communication with the original programmer for Saturn Calc who thinks he might have a
CDROM with the source code in a storage unit in Indiana, but he lives in the Caribbean.
If/when he ever makes it up there to look for it, we might lucky. Just finding all the
user manuals has been a challenge. If we did have the source code, I think it would be
possible to make a number of improvements.
Best,
Mark
On Apr 15, 2026, at 4:23 AM, Johnny Billquist
<bqt(a)softjar.se> wrote:
NFT should default to block mode if you don't say anything, and it's between two
RSX systems. But if possible, use FTP instead, since it will be much faster.
The only sad thing about the Saturn software, so far, seems to be that it don't deal
with named directories. Which is annoying. Not trivial to fix, but maybe someone will feel
enthusiastic enough to maybe work on that one day...
Johnny
On 15/04/2026 05.13, Mark Matlock wrote:
Jacob,
I’m currently working on a README.1ST type of overview document which I can send you
tomorrow as I am just adding a new section on the use of Saturn Graph with Rene Richarz
TEK4010 emulator. If you have a VT240, VT330 or VT340 you can use the Regis graphics on
them. Saturn Calc and WP will work with any VT or VT emulation as long as the PF1-PF4 keys
are mapped.
I have a disk image I’m also working on that willmake the distribution easier, but
it’s not ready yet so the quickest wayto take a look at it is to start transferring the
individual files from RDP1::DU1:[DECNET] I’ve put the ~190 files, ~7500 blocks (lots of
examples) in the default DECnet directory. I’d suggest transferring with the NFT /BK block
mode transfer switch since we are going from RSX to RSX. NFT is much faster that way.
In the files INSAT.CMD is a command file that will copy the needed .SAT and .HLP files,
set the global logical needed and install the various tasks. I just checked and it does
expect the Saturn distribution to be at LB:[10,3] so if that works ok for you good,
otherwise you can make a quick edit to INSAT.CMD
I have the most documentation for Saturn Calc, a bit on Graph, but little on WP so I’m
looking for that. Fortunately, all of theseprograms are quite easy to learn. I’ll also
send what documentation I have tomorrow and I know Johnny has some Saturn manuals on MIM.
I’d love to hear about any discoveries or problems you run into with the software.
Also, its great to hear you have a running real 11/70 !
Best Regards,
Mark
>> On Apr 14, 2026, at 7:26 PM, Jacob Ritorto <jacob.ritorto(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
>
> Mark, This is really wonderful news, I am so appreciative of your and Lee’s work!
> I’ll help with anything you say - I have CHOIPN:: and THNITH::, real RSX 11/70 and
‘83 on HECnet and would be very happy to grab the kit and test at the very least. Just
let me know what to do and whatyou think needs exercise. I’m most interested in WP and
maybe Graph.
>
> Thank you!
> —jake
>
>> On Apr 11, 2026, at 15:54, Mark Matlock <mark(a)matlockfamily.com> wrote:
>>
>> Jacob,
>> I have also been waiting a long time to be able to use Saturn Calc and Graph.
Over the years, I’ve collected various distributions but the licenses that I had for the
RSX version no longer seemed to work. It was distributed as task images, instead of object
libraries which would have been easier to hack. The Saturn Calc task would check for a
couple files and it is had not been modified by the license key program it just exited.
>>
>> A good friend, Lee Gleason developed some fantastic tools (see
https://rsx11.blogspot.com/2026/02/ <https:// rsx11.blogspot.com/2026/02/> ) to be
able to get a t-bit trace of the executing Saturn Calc task that recorded the PC and the
first word of the instruction being executed. However RSX works very hard not to allow a
task to run with the t-bit trap set. Lee had to modify both INS and FIX in multiple places
to NOT clear the t-bit trap in the task header PSW if it is set. When the program exited
since the license had not activated it, we would look at the last instruction, an EMT 377,
to call RSX EXIT$ directive. Then we would work backward to the conditional branch that
could have skipped over the exit and make it unconditional.
>>
>> These tasks are heavily overlaid so one also has to find which overlay has a
EMT 377 in the correct PC value, then find the location of that overlay in the task image.
This involved a lot of octal decoding to PDP-11 instructions with ZAP. Each of the many
Saturn tasks had to be hacked and they had a couple spots that had to be ZAPped. But now
we have working versions of Saturn Calc, Graph and WP and are just finishing checking to
see if anything is broke.
>>
>> So far it looks good, but there are a couple caveats. First, the RSX Saturn
software doesn’t understand named directories so you should be in a UIC based directory
when you use it. Second, there is an obscure bug that I have not been able to solve and
don’t know if it was always there or was somehow introduced by our hacks and zaps. It
involves SUM or AVG calculations across a range when the range of input values are
calculated. If they input cells have standard numbers, it works fine. I came up with a
work around that can be used if one really needs that functionality.
>>
>> Saturn Graph is working very well. I can create a line, bar orpie chart either
in SIG or from a Calc spreadsheet, then display it on a VT240, VT330 or VT340 Regis
terminal, then when I’m ready to make a hard copy send it to a (HPGL) HP7550 plotter or
even a LA50 (sixel) printer. The VT340 mouse even works with the drawing program.
>>
>> I’ve created a command file that will install everything and I would be
interested in a beta tester or two who are somewhat familiar with Saturn to see if there
are any issues remaining. Saturn provided many example files and I’m including them as
well. There are in total about 7500 blocks in 190 files.
>>
>> If you have an RSX system on HECnet, I can put them where you could NFT them
back to your system. If not let me know and I can package things in a disk image for ftp
or wget. Ultimately, Johnny said he might be interested in creating an RPM package.
>>
>> Best,
>> Mark Matlock
>>
>>> On Apr 10, 2026, at 6:58 PM, Jacob Ritorto <jacob.ritorto(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, Apr 10, 2026, 7:55 AM Mark Matlock <mark(a)matlockfamily.com
<mailto:mark@matlockfamily.com>> in one of my Saturn Calc spreadsheets (that I
can now read once again).
>>>
>>>
>>> Mark! I've been wanting Saturn so long! What's the news that enables
you to read your old sheets again? And may I have a copy? :)
>>>
>>> Thx
>>> jake
>>
> _______________________________________________
> HECnet mailing list -- hecnet(a)lists.dfupdate.se
> To unsubscribe send an email to hecnet-leave(a)lists.dfupdate.se