Working with RT-11

This document, titled "Working with RT-11," is a technical user's guide published by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in 1983. Authored by David Beaumont, Anne Summerfield, and Julie Wright, it is the first book in "The RT-11 Technical User's Series."

The book serves as an introduction to the RT-11 operating system, a single-user, real-time operating system designed for the PDP-11 family of processors. It assumes the reader has prior experience with other operating systems and a basic understanding of computer fundamentals.

Key areas covered in the document include:

1. RT-11 Components and System Organization: Detailing hardware requirements, system software (monitor, device handlers, utility programs, language processors), and the different types of RT-11 monitors (Single Job, Foreground/Background, Extended Memory).
2. Getting Started: Practical guidance on using the terminal keyboard, essential control characters, accessing HELP, and setting the system's date and time.
3. File Management: Explaining how data is stored on disks and tapes, file specifications (device names, file types, wildcards, factoring), and essential file maintenance commands such as DIRECTORY, COPY, RENAME, DELETE, PROTECT, and UNPROTECT.
4. Text Editing: Comprehensive instructions on using the KED (Keypad Editor) screen editor for creating, editing, and inspecting text files, including cursor movement, searching, inserting, deleting, and restoring text. It also covers the single-line editor for modifying command lines.
5. Issuing Monitor Commands: Discussing different command languages used with RT-11, including Digital Command Language (DCL), Command String Interpreter (CSI), and Concise Command Language (CCL), and their respective uses.
6. Utility Programs: Overviewing a wide range of utility programs for file maintenance, file editing, file examination (DUMP, DIFFERENCES), and system functions (SET, SHOW).
7. Program Development: Guiding the user through the program development cycle, from creating source files (using languages like MACRO-11 and FORTRAN IV) to compiling, linking (to create load modules), and running programs. It also addresses error detection and program overlays for efficient memory use.
8. Creating Files of Commands: Explaining how to automate tasks by creating and executing indirect command files and more advanced indirect control files, which can include logical tests and parameter passing.
9. Conserving Space with Device Support: Introducing virtual memory (VM) and logical disks, demonstrating how to install and manage device handlers, and create/mount logical disks for optimized storage and performance.

The document emphasizes a hands-on learning approach with practical exercises throughout each chapter, aiming to build user confidence in operating and programming within the RT-11 environment.