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PDP-8 OS/8 Handler and Disk Server

jhalbrecht

Experienced Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2015
Messages
93
Location
Mesa, Az
Anyone have experience with the PDP-8 OS/8 Handler and Disk Server? I would like my PDP-8/M to run this. I'll have to find a couple M8650 or M8655serial cards - or I've heard of serial card clones???

What is the minimum amount of Memory in the PDP-8 necessary to run this server?
 
What is the minimum amount of Memory in the PDP-8 necessary to run this server?
Minimum of 8k to run OS/8 with Kyle's diskserver.

Philipp Hachtmann has suggested that he will do a rerun of the omni-usb and went as far as getting a list of those interested, but it's been quiet for a while. But actually if you get a M8650 and run it at the maximum you can tweak it to, the diskserver does run pretty quickly.
 
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I have cajoled my PDP8E to run OS8 using Kyle's disk server. At first I got it to run at 110 baud, It took forever (-1) to load and run, but it did. After figuring out that was not usable, I upped it to 9600 baud. I used that for a few months and later upped it to 38400 baud, which is plenty fast for me (apparently it will work into the 100K bauds). You will find Doug Jones website helpful for determining how to set the baud rate on the M8650. It's not difficult. I had the most difficulty in setting up the device handlers for OS8. Kyle's explanation is excellent, but my execution via my teletype (which was still a little flaky at the time) was interesting. You will find that the 1974 OS8 handbook to be helpful, along with a few other DEC doc's. Good luck, let us know of your progress. Mike
 
We need to collectively make an RK05 image that will boot on the 8/a/e/f/m and already have the serial disk handlers installed. Then you can just toggle in the serial disk bootstrap and go.
I modified the OS/8 boot command so that it will boot from serial disk.
 
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