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I'm planning on trying this out with my true (big) blue IBM 5150 when I get a chance to pick it up -- currently at my parents' place in WV. I'll try with the XTIDE, and a MFM controller if that doesn't work. I'll report back on the install process.

I was never able to get the installer started with the XTIDE in my deskpro only with a mfm card and drive.
 
Anyone know what, if any, network card will work with this? Presumably it must have an IP stack.... if the installer can be made to work of course.
 
I really wish someone with a IBM 8088 pc with a min of 256K ram and a 10 mb hard drive would give it a go to see if they have better luck.

Unfortunately, all my machines of that particular class is 286 or higher.
 
nevermind on my emu running it right, i can't install it to a hard disk image in it because it does direct controller access. i only emulate on the BIOS level on int 13h! :(

sorry. damn. runs fine off the floppy images though.
 
Here are the PX/IX hardware requirements taken from an IBM booth handout at the UNIX Systems EXPO/84



PUBLICATIONS
The publications for PC/IX, except for the General Information Manual, are provided in loose-leaf binders; they are:
- General Information Manual (GH20-6247) Part # 6277855 (Version 1.1)
- User's Manual (SH26-6365); Binder # SH20-6364
- Programmer's Guide (SH20-6367); Binder # SH20-6366
- System Manager's Guide (SH20-6369); Binder # SH20-6368
- Text Processing Guide (SH20-6371); Binder # SH20-6370

A copy of each of the above documents and binders will be supplied automatically with the machine-readable material or may be ordered separately at general availability. The General Information Manual for Version 1.1 will be available at product shipment.

SCHEDULE
PC/IX Version 1.0 is available now. Planned availability for PC/IX Version 1.1 is 4Q84.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

SPECIFIED OPERATING ENVIRONMENT
PC/IX Version 1.0 supports the IBM Personal Computer XT, the IBM Personal Computer with Fixed Disk Expansion, and the IBM Personal Computer XT/370. PC/IX Version 1.1 supports the IBM Personal Computer AT in addition to those supported by Version 1.0. All minimum configurations require 256 KB of memory, one Dual Sided Diskette Drive, and one Fixed Disk Drive.

The minimum hardware configuration for the IBM Personal Computer XT consists of:
1 IBM Personal Computer XT System Unit/Keyboard (Model 5160087), which includes the following:

- 1 Dual Sided Diskette Drive;
- 1 10 MB Fixed Disk Drive;
- 1 Asynchronous Communications Support Adapter;
- 128 KB of Memory.

- 2 64 KB Memory Module Kits (Option 1501003), for a total of 256 KB of memory.
- 1 IBM Monochrome Display (Option 5151001) and Adapter (Option 1504900)
OR
- 1 IBM Color Display (Option 5153001) and Adapter (Option 1504910); the Color Display is supported in text mode only.

Note: The Monochrome and Color Displays may both be used within the same PC/IX system. Switching between the displays may be accomplished using the PC/IX STTY command.

The minimum configuration for the IBM Personal Computer with Fixed Disk Expansion consists of:
1 IBM Personal Computer System Unit/Keyboard (Model 5150164), which includes the following:

- 1 Dual Sided Diskette Drive;
- 64 KB of Memory.

- 1 IBM Personal Computer Expansion Unit Model 001 with a 10 MB Fixed Disk Drive and Fixed Disk Adapter (Option 5161001).
- 3 64 KB Memory Module Kits (Option 1501003), for a total of 256 KB of memory.
- 1 IBM Monochrome Display (Option 5151001) and Adapter (Option 1504900)
OR
- 1 IBM Color Display (Option 5153001) and Adapter (Option 1504910); the Color Display is supported in text mode only.

The minimum configuration for the IBM Personal Computer XT/370 Model 5160588) consists of:
1 IBM Personal Computer XT/370 System Unit/Keyboard (Model 5160588), which includes the following:
- 640 KB of memory;
- 1 Dual Sided Diskette Drive with Adapter;
- 1 10 MB Fixed Disk Drive and Adapter; XT/370 Processor Card;
- XT/370 Memory Card;
- XT/370 3277 Emulation Card.

- 1 IBM Monochrome Display (Option 5151001) and Adapter (Option 1504900)
OR
- 1 IBM Color Display (Option 5153001) and Adapter (Option 1504910); the Color Display is supported in text mode only.

The minimum configuration for the IBM Personal Computer XT/370 Model 5160568)
1 IBM Personal Computer XT/370 System Unit/Keyboard (Model 5160588), which includes the following:
- 640 KB of memory;
- 1 Dual Sided Diskette Drive with Adapter;
- XT/370 Processor Card;
- XT/370 Memory Card;
- XT/370 3277 Emulation Card.
- 1 10 MB Fixed Disk Drive (Option 5161001).
- 1 IBM Monochrome Display (Option 5151001) and Adapter (Option 1504900)
OR
- 1 IBM Color Display (Option 5153001) and Adapter (Option 1504910); the Color Display is supported in text mode only.

Note: PC/IX supports the PC-XT/370 utilizing the PC HARDWARE, not the XT/370 HARDWARE.

The minimum configuration for the IBM Personal Computer AT (5170068) consists of:
1 IBM Personal Computer AT System Unit/Keyboard (5170068) which includes the following:
- 1 256 KB of Memory;
- 1 1.2 MB Diskette Drive;
- 1 20 MB Fixed Disk Drive.
- 1 IBM Monochrome Display (Option 5151001) and Adapter (Option 1504900)
OR
- 1 IBM Color Display (Option 5153001) and Adapter (Option 1504910); the Color Display is supported in text mode only.

The minimum configuration for the IBM Personal Computer AT (5170099) consists of:
- 1 IBM Personal Computer AT System Unit/Keyboard (5170099) which includes the following:
- 1 512 KB of Memory;
- 1 1.2 MB Diskette Drive;
- 1 20 MB Fixed Disk Drive.
- 1 IBM Monochrome Display (Option 5151001) and Adapter (Option 1504900)
OR
- 1 IBM Color Display (Option 5153001) and Adapter (Option 1504910); the Color Display is supported in text mode only.

Note: PC/IX Version 1.1 is required to utilize the IBM Personal Computer AT. The following optional hardware is supported:
- Additional memory up to a total of 640 KB; 64/256 KB Memory Expansion (Option 1501013), 64 KB Memory Module Kit (Option 1501003).
- 128 KB Memory Expansion (Feature 0209) and 512 KB Memory Expansion (Feature 0203) for the PC AT.
- 8087 Math Co-Processor (Option 1501002).
- 80287 Math Co-Processor (Feature 0211) for the PC AT.
- Up to 2 Asynchronous Communications Adapters (Option 1502074).
- 1 Additional 10 MB Fixed Disk Drive (Option 1602500) for use with the PC Expansion Unit ~Iodel 001 (Option 5161001).
- 1 Additional 20 MB Fixed Disk Drive (Feature 0205) for use with the PC AT. A maximum of two diskette drives and one fixed disk drive or two fixed disk drives and one diskette drive can be attached to the PC/AT.
- 1 IBM Personal Computer Expansion Unit Model 002 with a 10 MB Fixed Disk Drive (Option 5161002) for attachment to the PC/XT.
- Up to 3 additional single sided or dual sided diskette drives for a total of 4.
- Up to 2 IBM Graphics Printers (Option 5152002) or IBM 80 CPS Matrix Printers or IBM Color Printers (Option 5182001).

Note: Not all of the above options are available on each Personal Computer model.

PLANNING INFORMATION

Customer Responsibility

The customer is responsible for installation of the Personal Computer Interactive Executive. Installation instructions are contained in the PC/IX System Manager's Guide, SH20-6369.

PC/IX consists of nineteen (19) diskettes, grouped into subsets for ease of installation:
- Maintenance Subset; one (1) diskette.
- Core Subset; eight (8) diskettes.
- Programming Subset; four (4) diskettes.
- Communications Subset; one (1) diskette.
- Source Code Control System Subset; one (1) diskette.
- Text Processing Subset; one (1) diskette.
- Special Purpose Subset; one (1) diskette.
- System Accounting Subset; one (1) diskette.
- Games Subset; one (1) diskette.

After the Maintenance and Core Subsets have been installed, the remaining subsets may be installed at the customer's option, depending on processing requirements and available fixed disk space.

Any shipments to a country outside of the United States require a U.S. Government license.

 
Here are the PX/IX hardware requirements taken from an IBM booth handout at the UNIX Systems EXPO/84

Thanks for posting that info , at least now I know what hardware it will work on.

Still unsure if it looks for the IBM basic roms or not or maybe the original discs have errors.

Any body have any more docs on this? Or maybe a list of the commands for SYS 3 ?

I have not played around any with this in months but I'd like to see it work.
 
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Does anybody have any docs on this OS ? I cannot find any manuals at all.

I think you would be interested on post # 19 of this very thread, where forum member cas194 says:

I was involved with PC/IX since its inception and I have a complete set of PC/IX manuals, 'Second Edition', in pristine condition:

o System Manager's Guide
o Programmer's Guide
o Text Processing Guide
o User's Manual (aka 'The Fat Book')

Interested?

Chris.

p.s. As this forum thread appears inactive, I'll leave an email address so that I don't have to keep checking: cas194@gmail.com
 
I have SCO Xenix for 8086 XT including development kit etc.

The Development Kit for Xenix (for the IBM PC) is a very sought after item, even if it is just for the XT/8086 version and not for the 386 version.

May I have an "evaluation copy", please? :D
 
As the IBM PC/IX development manager, I congratulate you! It brings back a lot of fond memories to hear that PC/IX is alive and well after some 28+ years. Just wish I could see it running. Now if only someone could get VM/IX or better yet TSS/370 running again.

Paul Swigert
 
Paul,

As TSS/370 was a PRPQ so licenced we are not going to see it live any time soon. I guess that TSS/360 may yet be resurrected but I think it needs 360/67 emulation and thats not available any where.

Wasn't VM/IX also licenced code? If we could get a copy of that that would be fun.....

Dave
p.s. MTS has just been made available for download...
 
I guess that TSS/360 may yet be resurrected but I think it needs 360/67 emulation and thats not available any where.
So Hercules isn't going to cut it?
(I'm not very familiar with mainframes, so be kind if this is a question with a very obvious answer)
 
No thats fine. The Hercules FAQ

http://www.hercules-390.org/hercfaq.html#1.02

says:-

(Note: Not all 370 and 390 features have been implemented in Hercules. See the list of particulars later in this document. Also, certain non-standard models, 360/20s, and the 360/67 virtual memory mode are not emulated.)

but if we had a stable TSS then tweaking Hercules probably would take a few days effort..
 
VERY interesting!!! And good work!!

I have tried to install PC/IX on a Compaq Deskpro 8086 and a clone 8088 and have went through the installer to install it to the hard drive but it errors out when I try to boot off the hard drive.

What is hardware is needed to boot PC/IX from the hard drive?

I do not have an IBM pc to play with only clones and both have failed to boot after the install. Does it have to have the IBM PC rom chips?

EDIT: I just started the emulator and removed the ibm basic rom from the rom folder and it still booted into PC/IX so it does not need the rom chips to boot.

Looks like i'm gonna make some more floppys and try one more time!!LOL


PCE (http://www.hampa.ch/pce) can now run PC/IX. There's a preconfigured environment in the download section, including the disk images from this thread. I have successfully used the emulated PC/IX to recompile MINIX 1.1.
 
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Did not work but it did not error out at the "can't find UNIX" error but just froze after it said "booting UNIX "......I guess thats an improvement. LOL

I might try an older MFM controller and low level format the drive to it and try again. Now I'm thinking it might have issues with the newer, made in 1989, controller card.


VERY interesting!!! And good work!!

I have tried to install PC/IX on a Compaq Deskpro 8086 and a clone 8088 and have went through the installer to install it to the hard drive but it errors out when I try to boot off the hard drive.

What is hardware is needed to boot PC/IX from the hard drive?

I do not have an IBM pc to play with only clones and both have failed to boot after the install. Does it have to have the IBM PC rom chips?

EDIT: I just started the emulator and removed the ibm basic rom from the rom folder and it still booted into PC/IX so it does not need the rom chips to boot.

Looks like i'm gonna make some more floppys and try one more time!!LOL
 
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