Tss/8 System Manager's Guide for the Pdp-8/I Time-Sharing System

Summary This document serves as the comprehensive manager’s guide for the TSS/8 time-sharing system on the PDP-8/I computer, originally published by Digital Equipment Corporation in 1970.

The manual is divided into two primary parts:

• Part One (Operating TSS/8): Focuses on the practical aspects of managing the system. It covers installation requirements, the procedures for building and initializing the system (including loaders and library management), daily operational tasks like system backup and user/password administration, and guidelines for modifying the system library or monitor.
• Part Two (TSS/8 Monitor): Provides a deep technical dive into the inner workings of the TSS/8 monitor. It explains the monitor's role in time-sharing, interrupt handling, I/O management, disk storage operations, and the structure of the system’s internal databases (such as the I/O data base, user program status, and scheduling data).

The manual also includes several appendices that detail character sets, specific hardware configurations, and instructions for building the system from alternative media like paper tape or DECtape.