Installing Ultrix 4.0 on SIMH

Installing Ultrix 4.0 is surprisingly pretty easy!

Requirements

• An Ultrix 4.0 tape image
• A running copy of SIMH

The tape

First you will need an Ultrix 4.0 tape image. Currently the only known place to obtain the peices is here. Download all the parts, then use the mkdisttap.pl script to create your tape image.

SIMH

Simh can be obtained from here, and of course from here. Building SIMH isn't in the scope of this document, just grab some binaries and let's go.

Installing

To start the install we'll need to setup an ini file. This is the settings that I know will work.

ultrix.ini

set cpu 16m
set tto 7b
set tti 7b
set cr dis
set lpt dis
set rl dis
set rq0 ra81
att rq0 ultrix.dsk
set rq1 dis
set rq2 dis
set rq3 dis
set ry dis
set ts dis
set tq tk50
att tq0 ultrix40.tap
;set xq dis
;att xq 1
;att nvr ultrix.nvr
;dep bdr 0
boot cpu

Now we are ready to run the emulator. Simply run "vax ultrix.ini" and you'll get this much:

VAX simulator V3.8-1
RQ: creating new file
TQ: creating new file
Loading boot code from ka655x.bin

←[c
KA655-B V5.3, VMB 2.7
Performing normal system tests.
40..39..38..37..36..35..34..33..32..31..30..29..28..27..26..25..
24..23..22..21..20..19..18..17..16..15..14..13..12..11..10..09..
08..07..06..05..04..03..
Tests completed.
>>>

Type in:

boot mua0:

And the tape will start to load and you'll see this:

  2..
-MUA0
  1..0..


Ultrixload (using VMB version 13)

Sizes:
text = 768800
data = 1248256
bss  = 945472

Rewinding tape ...
Starting at 0x4d4d

ULTRIX V4.0 (Rev. 160) System #3: Thu Apr  5 08:42:35 EDT 1990
real mem  = 16723968
avail mem = 11548672
Buffer configuration adjusted to run with small system page table
using 245 buffers containing 1672192 bytes of memory
♥♦KA655 processor with an FPU
        CPU microcode rev = 6, processor firmware rev = 83
Q22 bus
uda0 at uba0
uq0 at uda0 csr 172150 vec 774, ipl 15
klesiu0 at uba0
uq16 at klesiu0 csr 174500 vec 770, ipl 15
NO LOOPBACK
ra0 at uq0 slave 0 (RA81)
tms1 at uq16 slave 1 (TK50)
tms2 at uq16 slave 2 (TK50)
tms3 at uq16 slave 3 (TK50)
tms0 at uq16 slave 0 (TK50)
WARNING: clock gained 114 days -- CHECK AND RESET THE DATE!

*** STANDALONE ULTRIX ENVIRONMENT ***

If you select the BASIC Installation option from the list that follows,
the installation software creates file systems on default partitions on
your system disk and loads the mandatory ULTRIX software subsets.

If you require additional installation choices, select the ADVANCED
Installation option.

Select one of the following options:

        1) BASIC Installation
        2) ADVANCED Installation
        3) System management

Enter your choice:

There is a LONG pause on the "NO LOOPBACK" line.. be patient! From here it's quite simple, just hit 1 & enter.

Enter your choice: 1

*** SYSTEM DISK SELECTION ***

The installation booklet for your processor explains the following table
of system disk drives.  Select one of the devices below to contain the
root file system:

SYSTEM DISK TABLE

Selection   Device     ULTRIX     Device       Controller   Controller
            Name       Name       Number       Name         Number
----------------------------------------------------------------------
    1       RA81        ra0          0         RQDX3          0
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Enter your choice:

So press 1 then enter...

Enter your choice: 1

You selected RA81, device number 0. Make sure this disk drive
is on line and write-enabled (if applicable to your disk drive), then
confirm your choice.

Use RA81, ra0, for your system disk? (y/n) []:

Go ahead & press y & enter. It will partition & format the disk in the 'right way'. Once the disk is prepared, SIMH will exit:

The installation procedure now allocates the root file system on
partition 'a' of the system disk, ra0 RA81.

Making the root file system on ra0 RA81.

The installation procedure is now restoring the root file system to
partition 'a' of the system disk, ra0 RA81.

The installation procedure now checks the root file system on partition 'a'
of the system disk, ra0  RA81.
** /dev/rra0a
** Last Mounted on /mnt
** Phase 1 - Check Blocks and Sizes
** Phase 2 - Check Pathnames
** Phase 3 - Check Connectivity
** Phase 4 - Check Reference Counts
** Phase 5 - Check Cyl groups
223 files, 6198 used, 9353 free (17 frags, 1167 blocks, 0.1% fragmentation)

 *** BOOTSTRAP COMMAND SEQUENCE ***

Enter the following boot sequence at the console mode prompt
after the installation software halts the processor:

        >>> b dua0


syncing disks... done

HALT instruction, PC: 8005F28D (BRB 8005F28C)
sim>

At this point I'd recommend you exit SIMH, and restart it, the same as the first time.

vax ultrix.ini


VAX simulator V3.8-1
Loading boot code from ka655x.bin

←[c
KA655-B V5.3, VMB 2.7
Performing normal system tests.
40..39..38..37..36..35..34..33..32..31..30..29..28..27..26..25..
24..23..22..21..20..19..18..17..16..15..14..13..12..11..10..09..
08..07..06..05..04..03..
Tests completed.
>>>

And now we boot from the hard disk. Type in 'boot dua0'.

>>>boot dua0
(BOOT/R5:0 DUA0



  2..
-DUA0
  1..0..


Ultrixboot - V4.0  Sat Mar 31 04:11:56 EST 1990

Loading (a)vmunix ...

Sizes:
text = 990392
data = 232960
bss  = 1248872
Starting at 0x4d4d

ULTRIX V4.0 (Rev. 160) System #5: Thu Apr  5 08:44:16 EDT 1990
real mem  = 16723968
avail mem = 11992064
Buffer configuration adjusted to run with small system page table
using 239 buffers containing 1672192 bytes of memory
♥♦KA655 processor with an FPU
        CPU microcode rev = 6, processor firmware rev = 83
Q22 bus
uda0 at uba0
uq0 at uda0 csr 172150 vec 774, ipl 15
klesiu0 at uba0
uq16 at klesiu0 csr 174500 vec 770, ipl 15
qe0 at uba0 csr 174440 vec 764, ipl 15
qe0: DEC DELQA Ethernet Interface DEQNA-lock Mode, hardware address 08:00:2b:aa:
bb:cc
ra0 at uq0 slave 0 (RA81)
tms1 at uq16 slave 1 (TK50)
tms2 at uq16 slave 2 (TK50)
tms3 at uq16 slave 3 (TK50)
tms0 at uq16 slave 0 (TK50)

 *** SYSTEM NAME SPECIFICATION ***

Select the name of your system using alphanumeric characters.
The first character must be a letter.   For example, tinker.

Enter your system name:

Now we can choose a system name.. I'm going to go with 'ultrix' you can pick whatever you like..

Enter your system name:  ultrix

You selected ultrix as the name of your system.  Is this
correct? (y/n) [y]: y

Next ultrix will prompt for some date/time settings. Right now I'm just choosing the selected date. I'm not sure about the Y2K status of Ultrix 4.0 ....

*** DATE AND TIME SPECIFICATION ***

The current date and time should be specified using the following
format:

        yymmddhhmm

Use two digits for year (yy), month (mm), day (dd), hour (hh), and
minute (mm).  Enter the time in 24-hour format.  For example, 11:30
p.m. on May 3, 1990 would be entered as:

        9005032330

Enter the date and time: 9005032330

Now for the timezone, DST settings..

*** TIME ZONE SELECTION ***

Select the time zone for your area, using the options listed in the
table below.  You can also enter the number of hours (-12 to 12) in
time east of Greenwich.

  Selection     Time Zone
---------------------------------
      e         Eastern
      c         Central
      m         Mountain
      p         Pacific
      g         Greenwich
---------------------------------

Enter your choice: e

Does your area alternate between Daylight Savings and Standard
time? (y/n) [y]: y


Select your geographic area for Daylight Savings Time, using the
options in the table below.

  Selection     Geographic Area
--------------------------------
      u         USA
      a         Australia
      e         Eastern Europe
      c         Central Europe
      w         Western Europe
--------------------------------

Enter your choice [u]: u

The current date and time is Thu May  3 23:32:07 EDT 1990

With that out of the way we can now choose a password:

*** SPECIFY THE SUPERUSER PASSWORD ***
The installation booklet for your processor instructs
you on how to enter the superuser password.
Changing password for root
Enter new password:
Verify:

Making the new file system for /usr on /dev/rra0g RA81

Now it will prompt between 'desktop' and 'server'. You can choose either one, then it will 'position' the tape and unpack..

This distribution media includes subsets for ULTRIX Worksystem
Software (UWS).  A UWS license (on a workstation) or a UWS Server
License (on a timesharing machine or server) is required to install
these subsets.

Do you want to install ULTRIX Worksystem Software? y/n []: n

Installing mandatory software subsets.

Please make sure your installation tape is mounted and on-line.
Are you ready (y/n)? y
Positioning Tape