More documentation for MINITS.

build/timestamps.txt

@@ -2070,6 +2070,7 @@ mini/ifmac.mac 197309171215.22
 mini/space.inf 197612031148.30
 mini/space.mac 197603291231.31
 minits/-how-t.21 198606231622.38
+minits/minits.4 198606230648.36
 minsky/tvdis.3 197602261842.17
 mits_s/3com.3 198302160708.38
 mits_s/boot11.1 198207021703.01

doc/minits/minits.4

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+
+    Concentrators are PDP-11's running MINITS. 
+    
+    They serve both as terminal hubs and as intersubnet network bridges.
+
+    Concentrator issues are how they boot, what they boot, and from
+where they boot.  These issues revolve around the concentrator's network
+address which implicitly includes the information about what physical
+subnet(cable) that the concentrator is connected to.
+
+    This file assumes you have knowledge of the concentrator addresses
+and subnets that you are using and what hosts you wish to boot from.
+For further information on initial concentrator setup and address
+determination see Chris Hanson's file:
+            OZ:<DCP.MINITS>-HOW-TO-BUILD-A-TC.TXT
+
+
+
+****   MINITS DOWNLOADS  (Minits specific)   ****
+
+    A MINITS binary that is downloaded into a concentrator is a produced
+by assembling a complete MINITS especially for that concentrator using
+PALX (PDP-11 assembler) on OZ.  The file <DCP.MINITS.S> CONFIG.PALX is
+edited to reflect changes in any given concentrator and then the whole
+of MINITS is assembled for a particular concentrator using a CTL file in
+<DCP.MINITS.E>.  For a concentrator named FOO this is typically done by
+
+                Connect to <DCP.MINITS.E>
+		SUBMIT FOO.CTL
+
+This would create a new version of the file <DCP.MINITS.E>FOO.PBIN
+MINITS binary for downloading into concentrator FOO.
+
+    Since concentrators are setup to boot from multiple hosts, the new 
+PBIN file must be distributed to these hosts.  Command files for doing
+this are also in <DCP.MINITS.E> .   To distribute FOO's pbin do:
+
+		While connected to <DCP.MINITS.E>
+		TAKE FOO.INSTALL
+
+This should echo as it copies the PBIN's to FOO's other boot hosts.
+
+    If you are creating a new concentrator you should make new .CTL
+and .INSTALL files using one of the existing ones as a template.
+
+
+
+****   BOOT-PROMS   ****  
+
+    (Not MINITS specific - documented in <DCP.MINITS>ETHER-PROM.DOC )
+
+    A concentrator downloads the program that it runs from a host when
+it boots.   There is a separate binary program for each concentrator.
+In order to be able to download(boot) the program, a concentrator must
+have inside of it a small boot program.  This is stored in a pair of
+2716 EPROMS inside the concentrator.  Each concentrator has its very own
+boot program in its proms.  The boot program contains information about
+the network address, the particulars of the network interface board (CSR
+address), and the set of hosts from which the concentrator can boot.
+The boot-prom boot program is completely independant of the downloaded
+program.  The downloaded program is typically a MINITS assembled
+specifically for that concentrator but it can be any program and it can
+change independantly of the boot prom.
+
+    In order to make a new set of (two) boot-prom's you use the BOOTIL
+program on OZ and the PROM program on a Lisp Machine.  This is
+documented in the file ETHER-PROM.DOC . 
+
+    If you are CHANGING THE ADDRESS of a concentrator you need to make
+new boot-proms and you ALSO need to change the boot hosts' information
+associating concentrator addresses with files to download.  This is
+described immediatly below.
+
+
+
+****   HOSTS   ****
+
+    Any host from which concentrators boot must be able to associate a
+given concentrator network address with a particular binary file to
+download into that concentrator.  This information is kept in an 11LOAD
+file on the host.  For the AI Lab these files are:
+
+       OZ:PS:<SYSTEM>11LOAD.FILES
+       REAGAN:>PDP-11>11LOAD.FILES
+       ZERMATT:>PDP-11>11LOAD.FILES
+
+They need to be kept consistent with network addresses of their bootees.
+
+
+
+****   NAMESPACES   ****
+
+    If you change network addresses you should also update the namespace
+database using TV:EDIT-NAMESPACE-OBJECT on the effected concentrator host
+objects.  
+
+    You might also want to think about keeping safe-site information
+current.