OS/8

OS/8
Type:	Time-sharing
Creator:	DEC
Multitasking:	limited with multiuser
Architecture:	PDP-8
Date Released:	1970?

OS/8 was the primary operating system for the PDP-8. OS/8 is a single-user OS, used for support of application software.

All peripheral operations are handled without using interrupts. The file system uses contiguous files. Batch operation was supported by an extension.

It is different from modern OS's as you don't change paths/drives you assign the DSK: volume to whatever disk it is you want to work from. Also running exe's have to be on the SYS: volume.

Example of usage

delete basic.*
deassign dsk:
assign rxa1: dsk:
squish sys:

copy rxa0:<rxa1:*.sv

R FRTS
ADVENT
(ESCAPE)

Some commands

COPY

copy copys a file, but the syntax is different from most OS's...

copy Destination:<source:FILES

So that the follwing:

copy rxa0:<rxa1:*.sv

copys all the .sv files from rxa1 to rxa0

DELETE

deletes a file. You can use wildcards.

ODT

ODT is the Octal Debugging Technique: Or the debugger.

SQUISH

Squish is like defrag, in that it'll actually delete files, and move stuff around so you can get the maximum free space..

Interesting notes

OS/8 could run under another OS, RTS/8, as a virtualized guest, allowing each user to have their own virtual PDP-8.

External links

• OS/8 handbook

Running OS/8

• OS/8 Software Kit on DSK format
• Adventure running on OS/8