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IBM System/36 5364

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Jimmy

Jimmy

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I finally got my 5364 fully functional.

I have been surprised by the lack of documentation for the S/36 programming languages.

I am running Version 4, I have RPGII and BASIC installed, but am lacking manuals for both.

Anyone help with programming manuals, would be greatly appreciated.


EFCA6665-D8DF-47D0-AC8D-22112BD94940.jpg
 
Jimmy said:
Anyone help with programming manuals, would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Is there any sort of archive for IBM midrange media? I have a 5363 and could likely get a disk emulator running with a conversion cable. But there doesn't seem to be a software archive that has SSP + many of the programming languages.
 
eeguru said:
Is there any sort of archive for IBM midrange media? I have a 5363 and could likely get a disk emulator running with a conversion cable. But there doesn't seem to be a software archive that has SSP + many of the programming languages.
Click to expand...

I think I have a copy of SSP + utilities for the S/36 PC somewhere in my collection of binders, but I am not sure if it complete. If it is, would disk images be of any use?
 
ThisPostContainsComputers said:
I think I have a copy of SSP + utilities for the S/36 PC somewhere in my collection of binders, but I am not sure if it complete. If it is, would disk images be of any use?
Click to expand...

Yes. The S/36 has been on the back-burner for a while. But it's getting more urgent as it's taking up valuable garage bench space. But I want to work towards open source twin-ax emulation and get it reloaded before calling an army over to help move it!
 
eeguru said:
Is there any sort of archive for IBM midrange media?
Click to expand...

System 3x hasn't been of interest to hobbyists until pretty recently. Much has already been thrown out.
Programming documentation and languages like fortran and basic have been difficult to find.
I also suspect there is concern over IBM's reaction to someone posting their software on the web.
 
IBM had the Advanced/36 docs posted until a few years ago. I had occasionally referenced them. What I need for the RPG II and BASIC they would have worked fine.

I have an unlabeled 8-inch diskette that has the files ASMRI and FORTMRI. I don’t know this is a PTF diskette for the assembler and the compiler or if the assembler and compiler on the disk.

I have BASIC and COBOL as well as RPG II for my 5364.

I have an As/400 running Advanced System/36 emulation that has both the Assembler and Fortran Compiler, not that I know how to use either one.
 
When I built out my collection, I found an early, small, black AS/400 with terminal. I was able to bring it alive, but after l spelunking through the menu system, I lost interest and then sold it for about what I had in it to a freelance AS/400 developer who wanted a home test machine.

It was a pity, since I really liked having a representative from the venerable IBM midrange line (S/32, S/34, S/36, S/38).
 
Sorry:

I completely missed the question in this post about media. I was still on lack of documentation for the old programming languages.


I could not figure out how we got from documents to pirated software.

I have quite a stack of 8” media, reel tapes also from systems we took in as trade.

Not just IBM, but Burroughs and NCR also, but I never saved the manuals.

We converted quite a few in-house 36s to a service bureau. Most of them we ended up with.
 
Jimmy,

I have the BASIC programming manual, or at least part of it. The sections specifically relating to programming, but not some parts more concerned with system things.

But it's fairly substantial, and I'm not prepared to part with it, and I'm not in a position to copy it, and I'm in the UK. I've also got a collection of program printouts for a system I was writing for the /36, back in the late 80s.

The work I did on this was my first serious programming, and it's quite a treasure (fond memory) and therefore valuable. But if there are any specific bits/sections you're interested it, please let me know.

I never got chance to play with the RPG II, although I looked into things about it at the time. Seemed fascinating. I found myself a book about the language, complete with all the blank coding forms. Wierd. I kept thinking of trying to write a (sort of) emulator for it.

I'd need to find someone over here with automated (or semi-automated) scanning facilities?

I'll keep it safe until? Just in case it's the last one in existence?

I don't see the ID ## you refer to, and like I said, I don't have the complete manual. Just looking at it now. I note I have Chapter 14 thu 20, i.e. all the bits a programmer would need.

Geoff
 
Geoff:

Thank you, someone pointed me to More.Books in the EU
I ordered IBM System/36 BASIC (978-613-1-84969-5).
Which is I understand it is a third party how to book for S/36 Basic.

Wiki had a short article that I load a small basic program and at least was able to exit the interrupter.


I should have it the first of next week. Let me review it and
See where it leads me.

Thanks

Jimmy
 
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