[pups] PDP11/73, RD53, RX50... What are my options?

[pups] PDP11/73, RD53, RX50... What are my options?

[Tobias Russell]

Hi,

I have a micro PDP11/73 equipped with an RD53, RX50 and a Cipher mag tape
drive (untested). The machine currently boots into TSX (although I don't
have usernames/passwords so no shell access).

I'd like to get BSD2.11 onto the machine. What is going to be the best
route? I assume that my chances of breaking through TSX security (so I can
use kermit) are small, so is vtserver going to be the easiest method?

Toby





Tobias Russell
Managing Director
Russell Sharpe Limited
The Tannery, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Surrey. GU5 0AJ England
Tel: +44 (1483) 894158
Fax: +44 (1483) 898932
Email: toby at russellsharpe.com

[pups] PDP11/73, RD53, RX50... What are my options?

[Jochen Kunz]

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On 2002.09.02 09:38 Tobias Russell wrote:

> I'd like to get BSD2.11 onto the machine. What is going to be the best
> route? I assume that my chances of breaking through TSX security (so I
> can use kermit) are small, so is vtserver going to be the easiest
method?
- Break in TSX (don't ask me how) and write a boot tape to the Cipher
(nine track tape?)
- Get a MicroVAX II (KA630) or III (KA650 / KA655) CPU and RAM. Replace
the PDP CPU and RAM with it. Boot NetBSD diskless, write tapes with
maketape, reinstall the PDP11 CPU / RAM, boot from tape. Ahhh - you have
a DELQA? 
- Prepare a RD53 image with a PDP11 emulator on your PeeCee and transfer
it to the real RD53 using a MicroVAX. 
- Use vtserver and a loooot of patience. 
- ???
-- 



tschüß,
         Jochen

Homepage: http://www.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de/~jkunz/

[pups] PDP11/73, RD53, RX50... What are my options?

[Martijn van Buul]

Tobias Russell wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I have a micro PDP11/73 equipped with an RD53, RX50 and a Cipher mag tape
> drive (untested). The machine currently boots into TSX (although I don't
> have usernames/passwords so no shell access).
> 
> I'd like to get BSD2.11 onto the machine. What is going to be the best
> route? I assume that my chances of breaking through TSX security (so I can
> use kermit) are small, so is vtserver going to be the easiest method?

If you have an RD53 and an RX50, I take it you have an RQDX3 disk
controller. These things will also swallow IBM PC 5.25" HD diskdrives
(at least some of them), which will be recognized as RX33's.

If you *also* have a PC equipped with a HD 5.25" diskdrive (which may be
a hard thing..), and access to 5.25" HD diskettes, you could set up 2.11BSD
using this method. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

I should have:

1) an XXDP bootdisk + RQDX3 formatter (if you want to re-format your
   RD53, which may be a wise idea)
2) A 2.11BSD boot diskette, containing kernel, part, mkfs and restor
3) A dump of ROOT, devided over RX33 disks.

Once you have unpacked the root fs, you should be able to sneakernet the
remaining distribution files over - although I think you might need to
snip a bit, it's probably not going to fit on your RD53.

It can be done. I've done it twice. It's a slow process, but that also
applies to vtserver. On the other hand, using vtserver, you can leave
the whole process unattended. Using floppies, you'll need to be physically
present :-/

-- 
    Martijn van Buul -  Pino at dohd.org - http://www.stack.nl/~martijnb/
	 Geek code: G--  - Visit OuterSpace: mud.stack.nl 3333
   Kees J. Bot: The sum of CPU power and user brain power is a constant.

[pups] PDP11/73, RD53, RX50... What are my options?

[Carl Lowenstein]

> From: "Tobias Russell" <toby at russellsharpe.com>
> To: "PDP Unix Preservation Society" <pups at tuhs.org>
> Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2002 08:38:26 +0100
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I have a micro PDP11/73 equipped with an RD53, RX50 and a Cipher mag tape
> drive (untested). The machine currently boots into TSX (although I don't
> have usernames/passwords so no shell access).
> 
> I'd like to get BSD2.11 onto the machine. What is going to be the best
> route? I assume that my chances of breaking through TSX security (so I can
> use kermit) are small, so is vtserver going to be the easiest method?

I haven't done it in many years, but after you get the machine to
boot into RT11 you can disable the TSX security stuff.  Probably a file
named "STARTF.COM" is the initial RT11 startup and it contains the
command to chain to TSX.

I suppose the easiest break-in tool would be a floppy disk with a bootable
RT11 on it.

    carl
-- 
    carl lowenstein         marine physical lab     u.c. san diego
                                                 clowenst at ucsd.edu

[pups] PDP11/73, RD53, RX50... What are my options?

[Norman Wilson]

Carl Lowenstein:

  I suppose the easiest break-in tool would be a floppy disk with a bootable
  RT11 on it.

Or, if your goal is just to drain the machine's brain entirely
and start over, which is likely the case if you want to put 2.11
on it: dig up the standalone disk diagnostic (is XXDP easily
available somewhere these days?) and reformat the disk.

Norman Wilson
Toronto ON