DECUS 12-BIT ARTICLES (NUMBER 47)

This document, the DECUS 12-BIT NEWS, September 1984 issue, covers various topics related to DEC's 12-bit systems, primarily focusing on the OS/78 and OS/278 operating systems for DECmate I and II, and new software available in the DECUS Library.

Key points include:

• OS/78 and OS/278 for DECmate I/II: Users are inquiring about OS/78 and OS/278 software for DECmate I due to high costs and compatibility issues. The author confirms OS/278 was designed for DECmate I/II but notes challenges in creating 8-inch floppy versions for the DECUS Library, partly due to OS/78 still being a product. Plans are underway to submit an RX50 version for DECmate II.
• DECUS 12 Bit Committee: Lists key contacts for various areas like 12 Bit Coordination, COS/DIBOL liaison, Education, and Software Project.
• PASCAL-OS/8: Announces the availability of PASCAL-OS/8 (DECUS 8-934) for OS/8 V3 systems, detailing its features, limitations (e.g., 24KW memory for compile, 8-character identifiers), and extensions (e.g., flexible OS/8 file access, segmentation). An initial review of PASCAL-OS/8 notes its strengths but points out the lack of separate compilation and non-standard system routines as potential issues for large projects.

• DECUS Library Programs for DECmate II: Introduces abstracts for several popular OS/8 family programs repackaged for OS/278 on RX50 floppy disks:

  • RUNOFF (DM-102): A text formatting program for manuscripts, manuals, etc.
  • WVU Sort-Merge Utilities (DM-103): A package for sorting, merging, and extracting data from OS/8 ASCII files.
  • DIRECT - OS/8 Directory Listing Program (DM-104): An improved utility for multi-column, alphabetized, and date-sorted directory listings.
  • PDP-8 Cookbook (DM-105): A collection of assembly-level subroutines.

• DECmate II and OS/278 Technical Notes: Provides recommendations for OS/278 documentation, primarily OS/78 Version 4 manuals.

• Communications Programs for DECmate II: Discussion of challenges in writing terminal emulators for DECmate II under OS/278, specifically regarding "printer port" limitations and the advantages of using the buffered "communications port."

• Rudi Stange's Update: A letter from a contributor covering:

  • Successful use of OS/278, COS-310, CP/M, and WPS on a DECmate II with a Winchester disk, allowing seamless switching between OS.
  • A query about LQPO2 printer escape sequences.
  • Compatibility issues with COS-310 V9.2 on RXO1 drives.
  • Clarification on "Digital Software News" (actually "Digital Software Dispatch").
  • Observations on DECspell (requires specific hardware/software, has a foreign character printing bug).
  • Regret over erasing KERMIT and use of Poly TRM/Poly XFR for file transfers.
  • A bug in COS310 V9.3 RXO1 handler affecting ASCII files.

• Accessing OS/8 Floppy Disks and OS/8 Emulation on the VAX: Describes Harald Nyman's work:

  • OS8FLOP: A VAX-11 program to read/write OS/8 format floppy disks, allowing file transfer between OS/8 floppies and VAX directories.
  • PDP8: A VAX program that simulates PDP-8 hardware, including an RK05 disk, allowing OS/8 to run in an emulated environment (though "rather slow").
  • VAX8: A program building upon OS8FLOP and PDP8 to manage and transfer files to/from an emulated OS/8 disk on the VAX.