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Ti-990

there are multiple tape image container formats that could be hiding behind a ".tap" file extension.

I've written some simple tools to convert between a couple of them. They aren't the same as documentation but they may help you put a more definitive name to the format, in order to find the documentation.

they're mixed in here with some other simple image file manipulation tools => https://github.com/xray-sky/tslcode/tree/master/image-conscious
 
Thanks--the two tapes I looked at were easy to decode. They have obvious record markers 0xbeef 0xcaca, a record number and length. Lots of nulls between records.

The beginning of the tapes contain a monolithic object library (uncompressed tagged object format) with no symbols. I assume this is the operating system. The output of a build, not the object libraries used as input by SYS990 to link together a build. Those are what I'd like to see.
 
I just discovered this discussion and joined the forum today. I worked at TI 1980-1988. The last three years of my tenure there was spent supporting DX10 and DNOS, including writing patches. I would love to find any source code of either operating system.
 
jimwilliams57 said:
I just discovered this discussion and joined the forum today. I worked at TI 1980-1988. The last three years of my tenure there was spent supporting DX10 and DNOS, including writing patches. I would love to find any source code of either operating system.
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Welcome! Do you remember anything about a source code product on micro fiche?


I just rescued a Business System 600 in San Angelo, TX. I found a lot of COBOL source listings and contacted the authors, Systems Techniques and Programming. They were TI resellers since 1977, and installed this BS600 in 1985.

Eager to get it re-assembled and powered on.
 
Being in the OS development team, I did have the entire source listing of both DX10 and DNOS on microfiche on my desk at the time, which I referred to often. But since so much time has passed, I don't remember any details about the source other than DX10 was written in 100% assembly language and DNOS, while originally written completely in Rifle (a TI proprietary version of Pascal), much of it was later rewritten in assembly due to performance issues. Prior to being on the OS team, I wrote both COBOL and assembly programs for the 990.

I would love to get my hands on a working 990. I had one in the late 1980's, but sold it sometime around 1990. Big mistake.

Which OS and version is installed on the BS600 that you rescued? I seem to recall that the last version of DX10 was 3.7.1, but have no memory of DNOS version. (1.3 maybe?) I much preferred working on DX10 due to its simplicity, relative to DNOS. What other hardware came with the BS600?
 
FarmerPotato said:
I gather that source was an option.

"Source Installation" appears in the titles of about 100 manuals in the TI Records, at DeGolyer Library, SMU. They correspond to "Object Installation" manuals. Here's what I found for operating systems:

DX10 Operating System Source Installation, 1 September 1982. (Box 52)
DX5 Operating System Source Installation, 1 September 1981. (Box 52)
DNOS Source Installation Guide, 1 August 1981. (Box 48)
RX990 Operating System Source Kit Installation Guide. 15 December 1978. (Box 20)
TXDS Source Installation, 15 February 1978. (Box 31)
DNOS Online Diagnostics and System Log Analysis Tasks Source Installation, 15 December 1982. (Box 35. DX10 in Box 36)

Most other titles were for one of:

DBMS-990 , QUERY-990, TIFORM, BASIC, FORTRAN, COBOL, PASCAL, TIPE, 3270 Emulator, HDLC, AMPL, RTS, DXP, RPG-II, Sort/Merge, Rifle.
(Multiply by a number of operating systems and revision dates. Compiler Source and Runtime Source sold separately.)

Examples:

Model 990 Computer DX10 COBOL Compiler Source Installation, 1 April 1980. 939435-9701*B
Model 990 Computer DX10 COBOL Runtime Source Installation, 1 April 1980. 939436-9701*B


Citation:
Accession 94-08, Boxes 20, 31, 36, 48, 52. Texas Instruments Records, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University. Dallas, TX.
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Source was an option, but was very expensive so I’m sure very few were ever sold. I seem to remember that a DX10 source license in the 1980’s went for over $100K.
 
Yeowch, that's quite steep for something so platform-specific. Flip side though is they probably didn't have a high volume of source licensees so gotta make those returns somehow.
 
segaloco said:
Yeowch, that's quite steep for something so platform-specific. Flip side though is they probably didn't have a high volume of source licensees so gotta make those returns somehow.
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When I was told about the price, I assumed the point was to make sure the source didn’t get out. I never knew if anyone ever purchased it.
 
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