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Create absolute tape image of individual diagnostics?

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shirsch

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Is there a straightforward way to create an absolute tape image (*.ptap) file of individual files in an RL02 image of the XXDP 2.5 diagnostics? I'm working with Joerg Hoppe's PDP11GUI and would like to deposit a couple of different diagnostics and execute them. I found some explanation for creating a TU58 tape, but what I'm after is much more basic - just the program image.
 
Well, the obvious question is - is the XXDP binary images identical to ABSLDR images?
If so, then it would be just a question of punching all the bytes out.
 
I took a leap and tried using the *.BIC files from Joerg's web site (http://retrocmp.com/tools/pdp-11-diagnostic-database/202-pdp-11-diagnostics-database) and they seemed to work fine. Using PDP11GUI memory loader, choose 'paper tape' format and deposit starting at zero. Then, '200G' from micro-ODT starts the test. I cannot say for sure that these are in a canonical paper tape format, but they are doing the job.
 
XXDP .BIN files are exactly PDP-11 absolute loader format files. So can be streamed thru the absolute loader from paper tape, byte by byte.

A .BIC file is exactly the same binary format as a .BIN file, but it tells XXDP monitor that it is 'chainable', ie, it has program hooks to preserve the high core XXDP monitor when loading, and will exit to that monitor after running a predefined number of passes. So you can basically run the file from the monitor, and get back to the monitor after it completes, like a 'normal' OS.

A .BIN file after being loaded basically takes over the whole machine, blowing XXDP away. Only way to get back is to reboot the XXDP device over again.
 
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Well then. The next thing to point out is that the XXDP disk format is close enough to RT-11 format that I can even get to files using FLX under RSX. So copying files out from an RL02 XXDP pack is a piece of cake. And do that in binary, and then just punch the result to a tape seems very straight forward.
 
Perhaps what you're looking for already exists. A few months ago, I processed a 9-track tape for the Connections Museum in Seattle that appeared to be composed of PDP 11 diagnostics. Of course, I can't release the content, it belonging to the CM, but you might inquire there.
 
XXDP got its file structure from DOS11, and remains largely compatible with DOS11. There's a
fairly complete description of the XXDP file structure in the document, "XXDP+ File Structure"
at https://github.com/rust11/xxdp. The document also includes some information about "XXRT"
which is a new version of XXDP that migrates XXDP to an RT-11 environment and file structure.
I'm currently tidying up the loose ends of its first release. XXRT is based on a reverse-assembly
of XXDP+.
 
bqt said:
Well then. The next thing to point out is that the XXDP disk format is close enough to RT-11 format that I can even get to files using FLX under RSX. So copying files out from an RL02 XXDP pack is a piece of cake. And do that in binary, and then just punch the result to a tape seems very straight forward.
Click to expand...

The XXDP filesystem is based on the DOS11 filesystem (not RT11). That being said, you might find this interesting: https://github.com/AK6DN/xxdpdir

I wrote/use xxdpdir.pl to build TU58 and RX01/2 XXDP disk images from individual files (mostly .BIN PDP-11 macro-11 assembled programs).

So for example I used xxdpdir.pl to extract all the files of the distributed XXDPv25 RL02 disk image into a directory, and then use xxdpdir.pl
again to put subsets of the files together to build TU58 and RX02 sized bootable XXDP disk image files.

xxdpdir.pl is used to build the TU58 and RX02 XXDP disk images at: https://www.ak6dn.com/PDP-11/

xxdpdir.pl supports other disk media formats as well, like RL01/2, and a generic MSCP disk image.

They can be used under SIMH, or copied byte by byte to physical media.

Or the TU58 images can be used with my TU58 software emulator: https://github.com/AK6DN/tu58em

And the RX01/2 images can be used with my RX01/2 hardware/software emulator: https://github.com/AK6DN/rx02_emulator

Don
 
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shirsch said:
Is there a straightforward way to create an absolute tape image (*.ptap) file of individual files in an RL02 image of the XXDP 2.5 diagnostics? I'm working with Joerg Hoppe's PDP11GUI and would like to deposit a couple of different diagnostics and execute them. I found some explanation for creating a TU58 tape, but what I'm after is much more basic - just the program image.
Click to expand...

Using my xxdpdir.pl perl script/program, do this:

Code: 
XXDP[510] xxdpdir.pl --device=RL02 --image=XXDP_v25_rl02.dsk --extract --path=foo --verbose
Extract: 1: XXDPXM.SYS 1-MAR-89 39 blocks start 203 end 241
Extract: 2: XXDPSM.SYS 1-MAR-89 29 blocks start 242 end 270
Extract: 3: DRSXM .SYS 1-MAR-89 48 blocks start 271 end 318
Extract: 4: DRSSM .SYS 1-MAR-89 24 blocks start 319 end 342
Extract: 5: DIR   .SYS 1-MAR-89 7 blocks start 343 end 349
.....
Extract: 723: ZVTNA0.BIC 1-MAR-89 13 blocks start 17398 end 17410
Extract: 724: ZVTVA0.BIN 1-MAR-89 9 blocks start 17411 end 17419
Extract: 725: DECX11.BIC 1-JAN-84 99 blocks start 17420 end 17518
Extract: 726: DECX11.MAP 1-JAN-84 10 blocks start 17519 end 17528
Extract: 727: DECX11.CNF 1-JAN-84 2 blocks start 17529 end 17530
Extracted 727 files
XXDP[511]

to put all the files on the XXDP device image XXDP_v25_rl02.dsk into the directory foo

Available at: https://github.com/AK6DN/xxdpdir

Don
 
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