[TUHS] Installing a large set of files into v6 from a modern host

[TUHS] Installing a large set of files into v6 from a modern host

[Will Senn]

All,

I am trying to figure out how to get parts of 1BSD added into a pristine 
v6 install, but the question I have relates to moving more than a 
handful of files from a host system into v6, which lacks several 
capabilities that are taken for granted from v7 onward (tar, unzip, and 
so on).

For background, in looking at the 1bsd tarball, exploded out, I saw that 
ex was available on the tape in a binary form that is suitable for a 
PDP-11/40 and I thought it would make life easier in v6 to have ex. So, 
I used dd to move the a.outNOID  file onto a file, which can be used as 
a raw RK image and then off the RK image loaded in the PDP-11 into the 
v6 system as the executable file ex, and that worked. I was able to run 
ex (well, sort of, I get the colon prompt anyway... I haven't figured 
out how it actually works yet). Yeeha! Having had success of a sort with 
a single executable from the 1BSD tape, I would like to see if other 
parts of 1BSD will work in the environment and if I can properly install 
those parts.

Individually moving files using dd is tedious in the extreme (there are 
many files in the tarball). I know there has to be a better way. Since 
v6 doesn't have tar, or unzip,  it doesn't seem likely that using dd to 
move the tarball into v6 will be help matters. But, if there was a way 
to dd a subdirectory and its contents onto an RK image and get them off 
again into a useable v6 file system, that would work.

My question for the group is based on the preceding discussion and the 
following assumption:

1. given a tarball such as 1bsd.tar.gz from the TUHS archive located at:
/PDP-11/Distributions/ucb

2. with a running SimH PDP-11/40 instance
with a virtual TU10 magtape
with a virtual TU56 dectape
with a virtual RK05 hard drive

3. running v6 as the operating system

What is an efficient method of moving the files of the 1bsd 
distribution, or any other set of files and directories, into the v6 
operating environment?

Here are some approaches that seem reasonable, but that I haven't been 
able to figure out, if you know better, please do tell:
1. a utility on the host that is capable of copying a directory and its 
contents, recursively, onto a blank magtape/dectape/rk image that is 
then readable in the v6 environment
2. a tar and unzip binary for v6 that is capable of dealing with the 
tarball (but isn't the tarball going to exceed the max file size anyway, 
if so this won't work)
3. an alternative archiver that runs on FreeBSD or Mac OS X, that can 
create a single file archive from a subdirectory's contents on the host 
(the resultant file would need to be extractable on v6, and if file size 
is too limited, won't work either).
4. some kind of directory transfer utility that works over telnet that 
can be executed from a FreeBSD or Mac OS X host and that can be executed 
on the v6 system as well.
5. a utility capable of creating an empty magtape/dectape/rk image and 
another capable of making a filesystem on the image and another of 
populating the image (analogous to fdisk rkimage; mkfs rkimage; rkcopy 
dir rkimage)

If I am asking the wrong questions, or thinking badly, I would 
appreciate a steer in the right direction.

Regards,

Will

[TUHS] Installing a large set of files into v6 from a modern host

[Random832]

On 2015-12-04, Will Senn wrote:
> 2. a tar and unzip binary for v6 that is capable of dealing with the 
> tarball

http://mercury.lcs.mit.edu/~jnc/tech/ImprovingV6.html has tar.

You'll want to use --format=v7 to create the tar on the host computer.

> (but isn't the tarball going to exceed the max file size anyway, 
> if so this won't work)

You'd be using the tape device directly, not a file.

[TUHS] Installing a large set of files into v6 from a modern host

[Random832]

A couple more options occurred to me after I posted.

On 2015-12-04, Will Senn wrote:
> 1. a utility on the host that is capable of copying a directory and its 
> contents, recursively, onto a blank magtape/dectape/rk image that is 
> then readable in the v6 environment

Maybe run tp in apout? Actually, V7 through 4.4BSD has a tp that is
written in C. Maybe see if you can get it to compile on a modern system.

> 4. some kind of directory transfer utility that works over telnet that 
> can be executed from a FreeBSD or Mac OS X host and that can be executed 
> on the v6 system as well.

Well, you could try to make one using rcp as a starting point.

Or send a shar to the terminal to be executed by an interactive shell.
(I make no claims about how well typical shar archivers work with the v6
shell and utilities; you might have to write one.)

> 5. a utility capable of creating an empty magtape/dectape/rk image and 
> another capable of making a filesystem on the image and another of 
> populating the image (analogous to fdisk rkimage; mkfs rkimage; rkcopy 
> dir rkimage)

AncientFS is read-only, but adding write capability might be an
interesting project.

http://osxbook.com/software/ancientfs/
http://osxbook.com/blog/2008/12/22/ancientfs-on-linux-and-freebsd/

[TUHS] Installing a large set of files into v6 from a modern host

[Clem Cole]

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​below​

On Fri, Dec 4, 2015 at 12:02 AM, Will Senn <will.senn at gmail.com> wrote:

> 1. a utility on the host that is capable of copying a directory and its
> contents, recursively, onto a blank magtape/dectape/rk image that is then
> readable in the v6 environment
>
​Right - you want a common archive format between the two systems that talk
to the tape device.
You can either create your own or better take on the old ones that exist.



> 2. a tar and unzip binary for v6 that is capable of dealing with the
> tarball (but isn't the tarball going to exceed the max file size anyway, if
> so this won't work)
>

I think you have a many to chose from off the top of my head I can think of
each with different advantages (more in a minute):

   - tar
   - cpio
   - ​tp/stp
   - ar (new format)

You seem to also want a compression tool, but you might try compressing on
the modern system - but there are solution here also.

   - pack/unpack was the old v5/v6 compression tool - I've forgotten where
   it was sourced check the first USENIX tape in 77
   - porting a modern zip/gzip/bzip




> 3. an alternative archiver that runs on FreeBSD or Mac OS X, that can
> create a single file archive from a subdirectory's contents on the host
> (the resultant file would need to be extractable on v6, and if file size is
> too limited, won't work either).
>
​That is a lot of work and unless this is going to be a very long term
thing, I'm not so sure it's worth it.    Basically you want a virtual FS on
the v6 system and the simulator.    If you are going to do this alot, then
its worth it.   Think the VFS that vmware and like offer.​



> 4. some kind of directory transfer utility that works over telnet that can
> be executed from a FreeBSD or Mac OS X host and that can be executed on the
> v6 system as well.
>
​the original unix kermit will compile using ​the v6 compiler (maybe the
v5) compiler.   You have to dig in the archives, but you want a version
from Columbia circa 1977 and you be fine.   The latest version will use
things in the language first described in the white book - aka Typersetter
C (Dennis was wrote the book starting with v6, but's not published until
v7).   If you a later compiler running on v6 you'll be fine.



> 5. a utility capable of creating an empty magtape/dectape/rk image and
> another capable of making a filesystem on the image and another of
> populating the image (analogous to fdisk rkimage; mkfs rkimage; rkcopy dir
> rkimage)
>
You could move the file system creation tools and set of a virtual v6 FS.
It's a lot of work and unless this is going to be a very long term thing,
I'm not so sure it's worth it.


​As for the archivers which in the short term is likely to be your best bet:


   1. tar - there a couple of versions of tar for v6 including binaries.
   I personally would start there.
   2. cpio was written for PWB 1.0 which is v6 kernel based.  That binary
   should run.  But IIRC correctly the original cpio was only binary headers
   (the -c/ascii headers was added later).   So you'll need to be careful on
   the modern computer and make sure you set the switches so that he created
   the proper endian/byte swapping -- ness in the header
   3. tp/stp - on the original USENIX tape is a "super tp" that replaced
   the original one.   The binary should run as is.  The code for it is
   pre-K&R so compiling it with a modern compiler will be a little bit of
   work.   Also, IIRC the "directory" which is on the front of the tape is
   binary, so you'll need to make sure you write everything in PDP-11 format.
   4. ar - was updated by the community.   Eventually, V7 took the "new ar"
   from original USENIX tape.  Again that binary should just run fine.
   Although I don't think its directory is recursive so it may fail that
   requirement for you


Clem
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