[Info-vax] Backup TK50 tapes

[David Froble]

supervinx wrote:
> Il Sat, 23 Feb 2013 20:50:29 -0800, Steven Schweda ha scritto:
> 
>> I haven't looked at a real STABACKIT.COM for a long time, but I do have
>> a DCL script to produce a MicroVAX Diagnostic Monitor (VAX diagnostics)
>> tape.  It mounts the destination tape (typically a TK50) with /BLOCKSIZE
>> = 512, and then uses COPY /CONTIGUOUS to copy the boot-related files,
>> SYSBOOT.EXE and MDM.SYS to the tape.  Then it does a DISMOUNT /NOUNLOAD,
>> followed by a MOUNT /BLOCKSIZE = 8192, and then it copies all the other
>> files (mostly N%%%%.EXE) to the tape.  So, the structure of this
>> particular bootable tape is not perfectly simple, but it's not
>> especially complicated, either.
>>
>>> The files on the tape are definitely save sets.  You don't want to
>>> "manage" them, you just want to copy them.
>>    Which "the files" on which "the tape"?
>>
>>    According to my dim recollection (subject to change
>> without notice) ...
>>
>>    An official DEC two-tape TK50 VMS V5.x installation kit
>> has Standalone BACKUP at the beginning of the second tape, followed by
>> the DECwindows kit files (BACKUP save sets).  The first tape has the
>> primary VMS kit files (BACKUP save sets), but no Standalone BACKUP.  So,
>> one boots Standalone BACKUP from the second tape, and then uses it to
>> install VMS from the first tape (and then the second tape, when so
>> directed, if installing DECwindows).
>>
> Ah, that's why I found the EXE binaries on the second tape... It confused 
> me a bit...

Yeah, the longer this thread goes on, the more I remember.  The EXE 
files, which are not in a save set, contrary to what I wrote before, are 
what's needed to get minimal VMS running in memory, and the stand alone 
backup running.