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Mar 12 2021

RPI RETRO history: digital PDP VAX

Posted by kll · In RPI · 607 Reads · Print

i see at hackaday this link to RETRO Computing soft and hardware project what made me think.

am i that old that i start to revisit my first computer steps?
- - after a Fortran course ( punch cards ) at the University server
got a job at a mechanical institute IKV (1980 .. 1985 )
about a kind of computer teaching project,
a mechanical 3D structure was moved by hand, several axis where measured, the data collected.

my job at the computer ( PDP11 / RSX11M operating system ( actually my first OS, CP/M later )
was to use that data and remote control a CNC machine winding like
pipe 'T' 3 way joints with glas/carbon fiber bands 'bathed' in epoxy.
today mostly use that blue PVC water piping.. ?the 'T' are injection molded?
but that fiber stuff sure was strong.

when i think at that time the CLI ( at serial VT100 terminal ) was so
powerful ? sorry no idea about today's windows power shell ?
that all data manipulation ( 3D rotation and resizing )
and the CNC control file creation could be done by a DCL batch.

already know that i will not buy that hardware even i like the show,
but i might load that environment ?to an old unused RPI2? i setup already (16GB uSD )

DEBIAN buster
Linux version 5.10.17-v7+
Raspberry Pi 2 Model B Rev 1.1
inet 192.168.1.102
cpu-temp=39.0'C
date: Fri 2021-03-12 18:53:34

headless but have on PC VNC viewer and Bitvise SSH client installed ( Terminal and SFTP usage )
desktop looks already like this:

now follow: PiDP-11 Manual v0.2.odt
sudo mkdir /opt/pidp11
cd /opt/pidp11
sudo wget https://www3.ispnet.net/pidp11/pidp11.tar.gz
sudo tar -xvf pidp11.tar.gz
....
sudo /opt/pidp11/install/install.sh
sudo reboot
find pdp.sh and profile.foo ? is it slower already?

cd /opt/pidp11
sudo wget https://www3.ispnet.net/pidp11/systems.tar.gz
sudo tar -xvf systems.tar.gz
sudo wget https://www3.ispnet.net/pidp11/nankervis.tar.gz
sudo tar -xvf nankervis.tar.gz

do a reboot anyhow..

now i not have that hardware with the switches..
i try anyway
./pdp.sh
now stop that by
[ctrl][e]
here try
cd /opt/pidp11/systems/rsx11mplus/
do boot.ini
and it starts and asks for date...

( note: i should undo my RPI linux desktop terminal color adjustments )
with
BYE
stop this,
and with
[ctrl][e]
stop sim
and can with
EXIT
go back linux.

long time ago i did already something similar,
DOSBOX NC Win3