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* [TUHS] /usr/mdec
@ 2022-11-21  3:11 Norman Wilson
  2022-11-21  4:25 ` [TUHS] /usr/mdec Dave Horsfall
  2022-11-21  9:56 ` Angelo Papenhoff
  0 siblings, 2 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Norman Wilson @ 2022-11-21  3:11 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: tuhs

I'm curious about the origin of the directory name /usr/mdec.
(I am reminded of it because I've noticed that it lives on in
at least one of the BSDs.)

I had a vague notion that it meant `DEC maintenance' but that
seems a bit clumsy to describe a place holding boot blocks.

A random web board suggests it meant `magnetic DECtape.'
That's certainly not true by the time I came along, when it
contained the master copy of the disk boot block(s).
But I suppose it could have meant that early on and
the name just carried forward.

A quick skim of the V1-V7 manuals doesn't explain the name.

Anyone have any clearer memories than I do?  Doug or Ken or
anyone who was there when it was coined, do you still recall?

Norman Wilson
Toronto ON

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* [TUHS] Re: /usr/mdec
  2022-11-21  3:11 [TUHS] /usr/mdec Norman Wilson
@ 2022-11-21  4:25 ` Dave Horsfall
  2022-11-21  9:56 ` Angelo Papenhoff
  1 sibling, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Dave Horsfall @ 2022-11-21  4:25 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society

On Sun, 20 Nov 2022, Norman Wilson wrote:

> I'm curious about the origin of the directory name /usr/mdec. (I am 
> reminded of it because I've noticed that it lives on in at least one of 
> the BSDs.)
> 
> I had a vague notion that it meant `DEC maintenance' but that seems a 
> bit clumsy to describe a place holding boot blocks.

As far as I know, that's right; MAINDEC was certainly on all of their 
standalone diagnostic media (a beauty was DECEX, which thrashed the PDP-11 
and uncovered a bug in our RK-11 controller; it screwed up on overlapped 
seeks which RSX didn't use but Harvard(?) did, so DEC's view was that it 
was obviously a Unix problem).

-- Dave

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* [TUHS] Re: /usr/mdec
  2022-11-21  3:11 [TUHS] /usr/mdec Norman Wilson
  2022-11-21  4:25 ` [TUHS] /usr/mdec Dave Horsfall
@ 2022-11-21  9:56 ` Angelo Papenhoff
  1 sibling, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Angelo Papenhoff @ 2022-11-21  9:56 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: tuhs

I was also wondering! My theory was that it stands for Magtape & DECtape,
but not sure. Perhaps ken remembers?

aap

On 20/11/22, Norman Wilson wrote:
> I'm curious about the origin of the directory name /usr/mdec.
> (I am reminded of it because I've noticed that it lives on in
> at least one of the BSDs.)
> 
> I had a vague notion that it meant `DEC maintenance' but that
> seems a bit clumsy to describe a place holding boot blocks.
> 
> A random web board suggests it meant `magnetic DECtape.'
> That's certainly not true by the time I came along, when it
> contained the master copy of the disk boot block(s).
> But I suppose it could have meant that early on and
> the name just carried forward.
> 
> A quick skim of the V1-V7 manuals doesn't explain the name.
> 
> Anyone have any clearer memories than I do?  Doug or Ken or
> anyone who was there when it was coined, do you still recall?
> 
> Norman Wilson
> Toronto ON

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* [TUHS] Re: /usr/mdec
@ 2022-11-27  2:22 Rudi Blom
  0 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Rudi Blom @ 2022-11-27  2:22 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: tuhs

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On DEC's TRU64 UNIX it was /mdec

Making a system image with mkisofs I'd follow with
disklabel -rw -f ${UTMP}/${NAME_ISO} /mdec/rzboot.cdfs /mdec/bootrz.cdfs

Cheers,
uncle rubl
-- 
The more I learn the better I understand I know nothing.

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^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* [TUHS] Re: /usr/mdec
  2022-11-21 18:43 Noel Chiappa
@ 2022-11-21 21:11 ` Dave Horsfall
  0 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Dave Horsfall @ 2022-11-21 21:11 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society

On Mon, 21 Nov 2022, Noel Chiappa wrote:

> > MAINDEC was certainly on all of their standalone diagnostic media
> 
> Actually, it was the name for all their diagnostics (usually 
> stand-alone), dating back to the paper tape days - when that was the 
> only form they were distributed in. So it makes sense that it's a short 
> form of 'MAINDEC'.

Yep.  We had heaps of paper tape diags (along with a tape and an RK-05) 
with "MAINDEC" on the label, so it was just as well that we had a PC-11 
(the only one on campus)...

-- Dave

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* [TUHS] Re: /usr/mdec
@ 2022-11-21 18:43 Noel Chiappa
  2022-11-21 21:11 ` Dave Horsfall
  0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: Noel Chiappa @ 2022-11-21 18:43 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: tuhs; +Cc: jnc

    > From: Dave Horsfall

    > MAINDEC was certainly on all of their standalone diagnostic media

Actually, it was the name for all their diagnostics (usually stand-alone),
dating back to the paper tape days - when that was the only form they were
distributed in. So it makes sense that it's a short form of 'MAINDEC'.

     Noel

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

end of thread, other threads:[~2022-11-27  2:24 UTC | newest]

Thread overview: 6+ messages (download: mbox.gz / follow: Atom feed)
-- links below jump to the message on this page --
2022-11-21  3:11 [TUHS] /usr/mdec Norman Wilson
2022-11-21  4:25 ` [TUHS] /usr/mdec Dave Horsfall
2022-11-21  9:56 ` Angelo Papenhoff
2022-11-21 18:43 Noel Chiappa
2022-11-21 21:11 ` Dave Horsfall
2022-11-27  2:22 Rudi Blom

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