Recently some source-kits became available on the bitsavers web site for RSTS/E V10.1 and I started investigations into fixing some Y2K issues that I had found while tinkering.

FIT

The first of these concerned transferring files from an RT-11 disk image onto RSTS/E where the file dates should have been preserved by the FIT program. They were instead wrapping to an earlier date.

Part of the RT-11 Y2K updates to RT-11 V5.7 included using additional bits in the cqtime-of-day word to store dates beyond 2003. I've included the SPD here for reference (see Appendix E).

I've patched the source-code for FIT to fix this.

You'll find a context diff for the source-code changes in the cusp-updates/fit subdirectory, along with the command file I used to build this updated task image for RSTS/E V10.1. Just rename the original one in the AUXLIB$ (or SY:[0,14]) directory and copy the update (with <232> mode protection and RSX run-time system) in place.

Paul Koning's DECnet/E Updates

Paul Koning has some additional updates for DECnet/E for the Event Logger (EVTLOG.TSK) and for Async DDCMP support over a serial line. You'll find these on his GitHub at

https://github.com/pkoning2/decstuff

In addition, I have included one of his patches to improve Ethernet throughput with RSTS/E V10.1 under SIMH PDP11 emulation.

You'll find this in the decnete subdirectory and a patch script nsp1.pat that you can apply with ONLPAT to the monitor SIL. The nsp1.txt file has the details.

On the look-out for other Y2K updates for RSTS/E

I remember seeing a TK50 tape image of further Y2K updates that was released by Mentec in around the 1999 timeframe. Sadly, I don't have a copy of this - but I have managed to track down the following Cover Letter for this tape. If anyone has a tape-image copy of this please let me know. It has EDT updates as well as date changes to the RT11.RTS and system utilities PIP.SAV, LINK.SAV, LIBR.SAV and SYSMAC.SML

Background

I've been a User/Systems Programmer/System Manager/Computer Networking Engineer since my University days.

My first contact was with RSTS/E V04A-12 in 1975 on a PDP-11/20 with a Teletype model 33 console. In 1977 a PDP-11/45 was purchased along with RSX-11D for the Electrical Engineering department for research purposes. I managed to get access to this machine and was able to book one or two hour exclusive sessions in the evenings. With things being how they were in those days, an RK05 copy "came into my hands" containing the installation kit for RSTS/E V06B.

Not being overly enthusiastic about RSX-11D, I used my allotted time to run RSTS/E and develop various cross-assemblers for 8085/Z80/6502 microcomputers. It had VT05 console (20 lines of 72 columns) so I could do this without wasting paper!

Also at this time, a campus-wide time-sharing system using a PDP-11/45 was being deployed - at first with 16 terminals (LA30S) running RSTS/E V06B. This was later updated to an PDP-11/70 with more memory and a fleet of additional video terminals (mainly ADM3A but with a few VT52s).

I'll add more here later...

Tony