[Info-vax] VMS 5.0

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2011-11-08 15.26, Hans Vlems wrote:
> On Nov 8, 12:41 pm, abrsvc<dansabrservi... at yahoo.com>  wrote:
>> On Nov 8, 5:36 am, Johnny Billquist<b... at softjar.se>  wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> On 2011-11-08 08.28, Hans Vlems wrote:
>>
>>>> On Nov 7, 5:44 pm, billg... at cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) wrote:
>>>>> I know I said I wouldn't be back, but somethings are important enough
>>>>> that one needs to break even their own rules.
>>
>>>>> I have a 5 DECTape II cartridges containing VMS 5.0.  I have never stuck
>>>>> these in a drive so I can only assume they are still readable.  In order
>>>>> to preserve them, I am willing to give them to anyone who wants them.
>>>>> The price?  5 scratch DECTape II cartridges.  Yes, I do have a drive
>>>>> and wish to keep tapes I can play with but would prefer not scratching
>>>>> something as historically valuable as these.
>>
>>>>> bill
>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Bill Gunshannon          |  de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n.  Three wolves
>>>>> billg... at cs.scranton.edu |  and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
>>>>> University of Scranton   |
>>>>> Scranton, Pennsylvania   |         #include<std.disclaimer.h>
>>
>>>> What is on the labels on the DECtape II media? Something like SAB VAX/
>>>> VMS V5.0, could that be right?
>>>> One thing for sure: there's no part of the VMS kit on any of those
>>>> tapes....
>>
>>> I think the usual label was "STABACKIT n/n", probably also some VMS
>>> V-something label, and so on.
>>
>>> But that is an old memory, which might have bit errors...
>>
>>>          Johnny- Hide quoted text -
>>
>>> - Show quoted text -
>>
>> The more likely contents are the standanlone backup kit.  IIRC, the
>> actual VMS software was distributed on magtape,TK50 and removeable
>> disk only.
>>
>> Dan- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> Given those bit errors Johnny already mentioned, ISTR that in the
> early years when the 11/750 required DECtape II
> to get started there was no TK50. An H-kit came as a magtape, a couple
> of lucky fellows got it on disk.
> Before the RA60 arrived in 1985/1986 the choice was limited to RK07,
> possibly a pack that fitted an RM03/05 or
> an RP drive?
> Hans

More or less the state from day one until VAX stopped being supported. :-)

The various VAX-11 machines were not officially ever able to boot from 
tape. VMS distribution was on tape, with a standalone backup kit which 
was bootable on the VAX-11, and from which point you could restore a 
full running system on to your disk.

The disks available when the VAX-11 started would have been RP0[4567], 
RM0[235], RK0[67] and RL0[12]. Of these, only the RM and RP disks would 
realistically been able to hold the full distribution on one disk, 
although I guess it was possible that a distribution could have come on 
a set of disks.

However, you were still normally expected to run the standalone backup 
from the console media on all VAX-11 machines, at the initial install.

Just read the manual for the VAX-11/780, by the way. standalone backup 
for that machine is 5 8" floppies. Reading through it, it appears to 
take about 10 minutes to boot the standalone backup...

And the floppies are labelled "S/A BKUP RX01 n/5"

	Johnny