Installing VMS V1.0 on SIMH

UNDER CONSTRUCTION - NOT YET FINISHED!

The aim of this tutorial is to show how to install VMS V1.0 on the SIMH VAX-11/780 simulator.

Preparations

simh vax780 simulator

You have to use the SIMH vax780 simulator because the VAX-11/780 was the only VAX existing when VMS was introduced.

All other VAX computers need later versions of VMS to run.

VMS V1.0

Get a VMS V1.0 RK07 disk image from ...

vax780.ini for a typical small 8-user VAX-11/780 system

Use the following vax780.ini file for a typical small 8-user VAX-11/780 system:

; ================================================
; vax780.ini
; ================================================
;
; Small Size 8 User System
; 256K bytes of memory (set with SYSBOOT> SET PHYSICALPAGES 512 & WRITE CURRENT)
; 8 DZ11 lines
; 2 RK07 disk drives
; line printer
; TE16 magnetic tape unit

SET QUIET

SET CPU 1M
SET THROTTLE 1M
;SET CPU IDLE=VMS

SET CONSOLE LOG=VMS010-01.LOG

ATT CS CONSOLE.RX1       ; DXA1:

SET DZ LINES=8
ATT DZ 6666

SET LPT ENA
ATT LPT printer.txt

SET RP DIS

SET RL DIS

SET HK0 RK07             ; DMA0:
ATT HK0 AY-H020A-BE-VAX-VMS_V1.0.RK7

SET HK1 RK07             ; DMA1:
ATT HK1 DATA.RK7

SET HK2 DIS
SET HK3 DIS
SET HK4 DIS
SET HK5 DIS
SET HK6 DIS
SET HK7 DIS

SET RQ DIS
SET RY DIS

SET TU ENA
SET TU0 TE16             ; MTA0:

SET TU1 DIS
SET TU2 DIS
SET TU3 DIS
SET TU4 DIS
SET TU5 DIS
SET TU6 DIS
SET TU7 DIS

BOOT HK0/R5:1
;BOOT HK0

You cannot set a memory size smaller than 1MB in the simh vax780 simulator directly, but there is a workaround in VMS: You set the maximum available memory in SYSBOOT> on the first boot.

Installation

First boot

Start the simh vax780 simulator:

Windows:

xxx

Linux:

./vax780

simh tells you it will write a log:

Logging to file "VMS010-01.LOG"

VMS boots to the SYSBOOT> prompt. Enter the following three commands and confirm each with <Enter>:

SYSBOOT>  USE 8USER.PAR

SYSBOOT>  SET PHYSICALPAGES 512

SYSBOOT>  CONTINUE

This way you do:

- Choose the parameter file for a small 8-user system

- Reduce available memory to 512 pages = 256K

- Continue booting

VMS continues booting and asks you for the current date and time:

  VAX/VMS Version 1.00 21-AUG-1978 15:54



PLEASE ENTER DATE AND TIME (DD-MMM-YYYY  HH:MM)  21-MAY-1989 8:51

Enter date and time as shown above and confirm with <Enter>.

The boot process continues up to the boot statistics screen now:

   OPCOM, 21-MAY-1989 08:51:11.84, LOGFILE INITIALIZED, OPERATOR=_OPA0:

$ !
$ ! VAX/VMS system startup - Release 1
$ !
$ SHOW TIME
  21-MAY-1989 08:51:12
$ SET NOVERIFY
%MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, CONSOLE      mounted on _DXA1:
  Login quotas - Interactive limit=64, Current interactive value=0
  SYSTEM       job terminated at 21-MAY-1989 08:51:15.16

  Accounting information:
  Buffered I/O count:          142      Peak working set size:   100
  Direct I/O count:             37      Peak virtual size:       111
  Page faults:                 271      Mounted volumes:           1
  Elapsed CPU time:     0 00:00:01.90   Elapsed time:     0 00:00:04.31

Press <Enter> to get to the login prompt.

Log in with username SYSTEM and password MANAGER.

The password is NOT echoed.

Username: SYSTEM
Password: 
        Welcome to VAX/VMS Version 1.00    
$ 

You're in!

Try DIR as a first VMS command to show the files in your login directory:

$ DIR

DIRECTORY DM0:[SYSMGR]
21-MAY-89 08:51

ACCOUNTNG.DAT;1     1.         21-MAY-89 08:51
FORMSTYPE.DAT;1     2.         21-AUG-78 15:54
OPERATOR.LOG;1      1.         21-MAY-89 08:51
SYSHUTDWN.COM;1     0.         21-AUG-78 15:54
SYSTARTUP.COM;1     0.         21-AUG-78 15:54

TOTAL OF 4./112. BLOCKS IN 5. FILES

$

A first look around

Let's have a first look at our installed VMS V1.0!

To those completely new to VMS:

Try the following commands.

You can abreviate all commands to the extend that they do not get ambiguous, e.g. SH instead of SHOW

- SHOW SYS

- SHOW DEV

- HELP

Be careful not to destroy the newly installed system; you are logged in as SYSTEM who can e.g. easily delete crucial system files.

The use of SHOW commands cannot do any harm.

To those who know "newer" VMS versions (V4.x and later):

You will probably miss some of the commands you know from "newer" VMS versions ...

Some utilities have different names, others are not yet existing.

- BACKUP is DSC in VMS V1.0

- MONITOR is DISPLAY in VMS V1.0 (needs to be called MCR DISPLAY)

- SHOW MEMORY is not implemented in VMS V1.0

- ...