Talk:Installing VMS V2.0 on SIMH

Tapes?

Is installation media available? I don't see any on Bitsavers. Larsbrinkhoff (talk) 17:45, 17 July 2022 (CEST)

Yes, there is an installation image available, but:

• it is a "reconstruction"
• it still has some bugs/problems, e.g.:

Some system files are in a false record format (too new and/or wrong type) for VMS V2.0:

%COPY-E-OPENIN, error opening _DBA0:[SYSEXE]SYS.STB;4 as input
-RMS-F-RFM, invalid record format
%COPY-E-OPENIN, error opening _DBA0:[SYSLIB]ODT.OBJ;1 as input
-RMS-F-RFM, invalid record format
%COPY-E-OPENIN, error opening _DBA0:[SYSEXE]SYSDEF.STB;1 as input
-RMS-F-RFM, invalid record format
%COPY-E-OPENIN, error opening _DBA0:[SYSEXE]RMSDEF.STB;1 as input
-RMS-F-RFM, invalid record format
%COPY-E-OPENIN, error opening _DBA0:[SYSEXE]IMGDEF.STB;1 as input
-RMS-F-RFM, invalid record format
%COPY-E-OPENIN, error opening _DBA0:[SYSEXE]DCLDEF.STB;1 as input
-RMS-F-RFM, invalid record format

This seems to be the reason that VMS V2 installations on RK07 and RL02 throw a lot of errors.

So better use one of the three installed disks contained in VMS020.zip:

• VMS020.rm3
• VMS020.rm5
• VMS020.RP6

I once knew a guy who had a "genuine" VMS V2.0 installation tape in store, but he was very busy and unfortunately died before he could dig it out. If I remember his name (I probably will sometime ...) I'll tell you. I don't know what his heirs did with his DEC collection, though.

Another possible source could be Alan Frisbie (hopefully still alive), who said at [1] "According to my notes, I have a copy of BB-D782C-BE VMS V2.0 BIN tape."

Maybe you want to try to contact him. If you succeed, please let me know.

If you want my VMS V2.0 tape image nevertheless, let me know where to load it up to.

By the way - I've got images of all VMS V3.x version installation media except for genuine Standalone Backup Kits (which can be generated easily). Vaxorcist (talk) 18:30, 17 July 2022 (CEST)

Thanks for the information! I do feel a little worried when I see a link to something like Google drive. Maybe get a copy to Bitsavers bits/DEC/vax/VMS 2.x?

I checked with Alan. He says he's pretty sure he still has the tape, but it's stashed away in a box that he can't get to for a while. Larsbrinkhoff (talk) 06:50, 18 July 2022 (CEST)

Great news! Jnc (talk) 07:04, 18 July 2022 (CEST)