<REFERENCE>PRIME>DRB>INSTALLINGPRIMOS

NOTE: Since the full emulator is now available, this document is obsolete.

Last update 03-03-16 /drb

Thanks to Nigel Williams for updates resulting from installing Rev. 23 and using a newer version of the emulator.

This file should currently be roughly correct for a PRIMOS Rev. 22 or Rev. 23 installation. I intend to update it to have notes on other releases, and on installing chargeable (layered) products over time.

p50emu -+
        |
        +- tapes
        |
        +- standalones
        |
        +- <versionorname>

Setting up the disk

First we need to make the filesystem on the virtual disk. To do this, we will boot the MAKE program off the tape. (We'll actually use a shim of sorts; newer PRIMOS tapes don't boot well on at least some versions of the emulator. The shim is CPBOOT.PMA, and a real hardware machine would use it as well. We'll tell it to chain to the boot on the tape image.) In one of your terminal windows, start the emulator by typing this command:

../em -boot ../standalones/CPBOOT.PMA -ss 10005

You'll see version/copyright banners from CPBOOT, then the tape boot record. Then you'll be asked:

BOOT RUN FILE TREENAME=

Enter:

make.save

If you make a typing mistake, type a question mark (the kill character) and start typing make.save over again. The system will tell you it's loading MAKE, then you'll get the version/copyright banner from MAKE, and it will ask you to:

Enter command line options:

Enter the following carefully, all on one line. Some versions of the emulator seem to double echo here. Again, if you make a mistake, enter a ? and start typing from the beginning:

-disk -part -dt -new -ac -badlev -baud -nin -dbs -nfl -sec

MAKE will then ask you a series of questions. The questions and their answers are:

Physical device? 2060

Partition name? cmddev

Disk type? (press <return> for a list) 160mb

Which sectoring scheme would you like?
Enter "F" for Forward Sectoring, "R" for Reverse Sectoring: r

Level of badspot checking? (default = 4) 0

Baud rate? 9600

OK to enable -FORMAT? [Y,N,Q] n

MAKE will create the filesystem and the emulator will exit. You should see the phrase "disk created" or "Partition cmddev created" somewhere in the output.

Next, we need to create the paging space. Boot MAKE again:

../em -boot ../standalones/CPBOOT.PMA -ss 10005
make.save

This time use the MAKE options (all on one line):

-disk -split -part -dt -new -ac -badlev -nin -nfl -sec

and MAKE will ask and you will answer:

Physical device? 40460

Partition name? pagdev

Disk type? (press <return> for a list) 160mb

Which sectoring scheme would you like?
Enter "F" for Forward Sectoring, "R" for Reverse Sectoring: r

Level of badspot checking? (default = 4) 0

Please specify how you want to -SPLIT this partition.
Maximum number of paging/CDD records available is 14770.
Number of paging/CDD records? max

You should again see "disk created" or "Partition pagdev created" and the emulator will again halt.

Loading the base software

Now we'll boot PRIMOS from tape to begin restoring the software distribution. Start the emulator again:

../em -boot ../standalones/CPBOOT.PMA -ss 10005

and at:

BOOT RUN FILE TREENAME=

enter:

prirun>primos.save

Remember, the kill character is a question mark. Now PRIMOS will ask you a few questions to get itself configured:

Enter COMmand DEVice:
Enter PAGing DEVice:
Enter Number Terminal USeRs:

to which the answers are 2060, 40460 and 1, respectively. After you answer those questions, you should see the version/copyright banner and some other startup messages. (You'll also see some emulator messages about device initialization.) Eventually, you'll get to a command prompt ("OK, "). Terminal i/o in PRIMOS is not synchronous, so it may appear, then be followed by a few other lines.

Now type the following commands to set your working directory, claim the tape drive device, and run the tape restore program from the tape:

a mfd 0
as mt0
mtresume mt0 magrst.save

(NOTE: Somewhere about Rev. 23 Prime switched from shipping magrst.save to magrst.run. If the above fails for you when installing from a Rev. 23 or later tape set, retry just the mtresume command, using the name magrst.run.)

Now MAGRST, the tape restore program, will banner, and ask you three questions:

Tape Unit (9 Trk):
Enter logical tape number:
Ready to Restore:

to which the answers are 0, 1 and yes, respectively. When you've answered these questions, MAGRST will restore the files from the boot tape onto the disk. Now, start MAGRST again, from disk this time:

r magrst

and answer the three questions with 0, 2 and yes. This will restore most of the base operating system files. In the middle of this run, MAGRST will reach the end of the first tape reel. When it prompts you to enter the next reel, go to your second window and:

1. Remove the existing symlink named dev14u0 (or mt0)
2. Create a new symlink with the name dev14u0 (or mt0) that points to the image file of the second tape
3. Enter 0 in the first window to tell MAGRST to go on

Start MAGRST a third time:

magrst

and answer the questions with 0, 2 and yes.

For the final restore, we'll read a set of basic configuration files from the cfg.tap file to get you started. In your second window, remove the dev14u0 (mt0) symlink again, and make a new one pointing to cfg.tap. In the first window:

a cmdnc0
magrst
0
1
yes

(NOTE: don't miss the 'a cmdnc0' part or you'll restore the files in the wrong place.)

You've now read in all of the basic operating system parts.

Configuring the base software

Type the following commands to set up search rules:

a system
r entry$.install.cpl
ssr search_rules*>entry$.sr
r attach$.install.cpl
r binary$.install.cpl
r command$.install.cpl
r include$.install.cpl

Now shut down the operating system:

shut all
yes

and boot again, from disk this time:

../em -boot 14114

Create the user authorization database. The dialog looks something like this:

OK, edit_profile
SAD does not exist.  Create it? y
*** Creating User Validation File.  Projected number of users: 32
System administrator name: system
Create project "DEFAULT"? y
Set system-wide attributes for user "SYSTEM":
        Password: <password for system>
        Groups: <enter>
Set limits for project "DEFAULT":
        Groups: <enter>
        Maximum number of command levels: 10
        Maximum number of live program invocations per command level: 10
        Maximum number of private, dynamic segments: 64
        Maximum number of private, static segments: 64
Set profile attributes for project "DEFAULT":
        Groups: <enter>
        Initial attach point: <cmddev>cmdnc0
Attribute limits for the project:
        Number of command levels: 10
        Number of live program invocations per command level: 10
        Number of private, dynamic segments: 64
        Number of private, static segments: 64
Set attributes for user "SYSTEM" in project "DEFAULT":
        Groups: <enter>
        Initial attach point: <cmddev>cmdnc0
Create/change user attributes? no
Check entry? no
> sd -on
> quit

NOTE: These answers changed a little bit from rev to rev. This is approximately correct for rev 21 and rev23.

Set up some compiler libraries:

a translators
r translators.install.cpl

Now shut down the operating system again:

shut all
yes

and boot from disk again:

../em -boot 14114

and you should have a working operating system.

FDR3108/DOC3108 Primos Commands Guide
FDR3104 User's Guide to Editor and Runoff
DOC9304 Operator's Guide To System Commands
DOC10131 System Administrator's Guide Vol1/2/3