From 5c4a6cb34260287a5c3b0a48a08619896e3f9d9a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Lars Brinkhoff Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2023 07:30:33 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] More documentation for MINITS. --- build/timestamps.txt | 1 + doc/minits/minits.4 | 98 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 99 insertions(+) create mode 100755 doc/minits/minits.4 diff --git a/build/timestamps.txt b/build/timestamps.txt index 03fb6bf8..87d9402c 100644 --- a/build/timestamps.txt +++ b/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 diff --git a/doc/minits/minits.4 b/doc/minits/minits.4 new file mode 100755 index 00000000..2db7f31b --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/minits/minits.4 @@ -0,0 +1,98 @@ + + 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:-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 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 +. For a concentrator named FOO this is typically done by + + Connect to + SUBMIT FOO.CTL + +This would create a new version of the file 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 . To distribute FOO's pbin do: + + While connected to + 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 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: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.