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Question for Linux simh guys, where is the program installed?

Scrub

Experienced Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2023
Messages
81
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I have a raspberry pi 4 that i figured would be okay to use. So i type in,
sudo apt-get -y install simh
something happens but where is it? I can't find it anywhere. I dunno if this is more a linux question but maybe you guys can help but i could swear that installed it somewhere on my pi4
 
The short answer is in /usr/bin/* (for example /usr/bin/vax780).

The medium answer is:
Bash:
sudo apt install apt-file
sudo apt-file update
apt-file list simh

The apt package may be missing some files required to run (ie ROMs), and is missing some machines so the best answer is to download the source from OpenSimh or Simh and build from scratch, but this does require some technical knowhow. Build instructions

CW

PS there is some drama revolving around changes to the Simh licensing which resulted in the OpenSimh fork being created. This is not the place to discuss them.
 
The short answer is in /usr/bin/* (for example /usr/bin/vax780).

The medium answer is:
Bash:
sudo apt install apt-file
sudo apt-file update
apt-file list simh

The apt package may be missing some files required to run (ie ROMs), and is missing some machines so the best answer is to download the source from OpenSimh or Simh and build from scratch, but this does require some technical knowhow. Build instructions

CW

PS there is some drama revolving around changes to the Simh licensing which resulted in the OpenSimh fork being created. This is not the place to discuss them.

And remember there is no executable called 'simh'. There are executables for each cpu type, like pdp11, pdp8, etc ...
 
And remember there is no executable called 'simh'. There are executables for each cpu type, like pdp11, pdp8, etc ...
Thanks again, I am going to see if i make some more images.. similar to the ones that you gave me but maybe rsts/e or something. Plus it would be nice to play with some of the other machines that I don't have
 
So you'll want to create (or copy from someone else) initialization files that configure the system.

On my linux box, I open a command prompt, type $cd DEC then $pdp11 RT11FB.ini
 
You can install the simh executable(s) anywhere you want, they don't have to be placed into /usr/bin.
 
PDP-11 simulator V3.9-0
sim> set cpu 11/23+ 512K CIS
Disabling CR
Disabling RK
Disabling HK
Disabling TM
sim> set rl0 rl02
sim> attach rl0 rt11v53.rl02
sim> boot rl0

RT-11FB V05.03

seems to be working now, for rl02 drives. I can't set anything to DU for a scsi drive. I am missing something?
 
You can install the simh executable(s) anywhere you want, they don't have to be placed into /usr/bin.
Also, even among freenix distributions, some choose to handle things differently. (Standards! So many to choose from!) The simplest way to locate the executables is the which command, which - presuming that the package is installed - will run through the current $PATH list and locate the file that matches its argument - e.g., which pdp11 which on my system fires back with: /usr/bin/pdp11
 
Whereis also works to tell you where something is located. Not just the binary but the manual and source for the searched parameter.
 
seems to be working now, for rl02 drives. I can't set anything to DU for a scsi drive. I am missing something?

There doesn't appear to be a DU device available for the PDP11. HK, RK, RL, RP, RQ, and TQ are the only ones listed in the source directory. I'm not familiar with RT-11, so I don't know what device drivers are actually built in.

A quickish grep of the code turns up:
Code:
   cr        CR11/CD11/CD20 punched and mark sense card reader for SIMH
   dz           DZ11 terminal multiplexor
   hk           RK611/RK06/RK07 disk
   kg           KG11-A Communications Arithmetic Option (M7251)
   rc           RC11/RS64 fixed head disk
   rf           RF11 fixed head disk
   rk           RK11/RKV11/RK05 cartridge disk
   rl           RL11(RLV12)/RL01/RL02 cartridge disk
   rp           RH/RP/RM moving head disks
   rq           MSCP disk controller
   rs           RS03/RS04 fixed head disks
   rx           RX11/RX01 floppy disk
   ry           RX211/RXV21/RX02 floppy disk
   ta           TA11/TU60 cassette tape
   tc           TC11/TU56 DECtape
   td           TU58 DECtape
   tm           TM11/TU10 magtape
   tq           TQK50 tape controller
   ts           TS11/TSV05 magtape
   tu           TM02/TM03 magtape
   vh           DHQ11 asynch multiplexor for SIMH

CW
 
yea thanks, that would explain it RQ address is 17772150, works perfect now. So i assume i can just put a drive on there load up whatever tape I want and sysgen or copy. Then throw it on the zuluscsi and connect to my pdp11. Wish me luck :)
 
That should work. That's how I sysgen'd RSTS and then transferred it to my SCSI2SD.
 
That should work. That's how I sysgen'd RSTS and then transferred it to my SCSI2SD.
Do you recall how you told the sysgen to install it on a scsi device. I just followed a long tutorial on some excellent russian website and was able to make a rl01 that can boot with simh just fine. But i dont see any option for DU or RQ, not sure what the sysgen needs for scsi or does it even care.
 
I used DD to transfer the image to the SCSI2SD. Which I had hooked up to my Linux box via an Adaptec 2940UW. In Simh you set up an empty MSCP device of something like an RA80 or RA90 (pick which fits the size you want). Use that as your sysgen device and just follow thru the sysgen process. On completion this devic3 will now have the image you need to put on the real hardware or SCSI2D (or similar).
 
I used DD to transfer the image to the SCSI2SD. Which I had hooked up to my Linux box via an Adaptec 2940UW. In Simh you set up an empty MSCP device of something like an RA80 or RA90 (pick which fits the size you want). Use that as your sysgen device and just follow thru the sysgen process. On completion this devic3 will now have the image you need to put on the real hardware or SCSI2D (or similar).
Got it working, in case anyone reads this thread years from now this is what i did.
sim> set rq0 rd54
sim> attach rq0 rsts.dsk
RQ: creating new file
then when your done you just copy it onto the SD card stick it in the zulu.
Although i must have answered one of the questions wrong because when it starts it says:
Device XK0: Does not interrupt - Device Disabled
im not going to worry about it for now because it seems to be working.
 
I think it looks for specific devices and if not found then it disables them. I seem to remember this from when I did it long ago. Nothing to worry about. And good work
to get it running. What are you running it on?
 
I think it looks for specific devices and if not found then it disables them. I seem to remember this from when I did it long ago. Nothing to worry about. And good work
to get it running. What are you running it on?
11/23+, I told it that i had a dectape and i was refering to the tu58fs which isn't currently connected. Be interesting to see if that warning goes away if i connect it. This happens prior to the big list that checks and disables everything. I will have to look it up in the manual what an XK0: device is, but im all burnt out spending half the day trying to sysgen this
 
I don't know what device XK0 is. I ran Simh pdp11 and did a "show dev" and no XK0 showed.
 
DEVICE xx: DOES NOT INTERRUPT - DEVICE DISABLED
Explanation: The device may be broken or configured incorrectly.
User Action: Call your DIGITAL Field Service engineer. If the disk is
an RC25 or a TU81, a cable may be disconnected.

XK - KMC-11 microprocessor .. i dont have this seems to be some unibus thing, so i probably did answer a wrong question

From the installation manual
 
Don't forget that the SIMH device names are not necessarily the same names as the operating system calls them...

Dave
 
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