Tops-10 FAQ

First ensure that there is a default user template. See the FAQ for that. Next run the user account management utility REACT and insert a new user PPN following the example below. You will need to be on the OPR account to do this.

.r react

A total of one user inserted
REACT>exit

Now login to the new user account using login and the password generated above.

.login test
Job 3 PDP10 TTY0
Password:
%LGNPCR A password change is required by the system administrator
New password:
Verification:
[LGNPHC Password has been changed]
16:37 28-Mar-118 Wednesday

.

Your user account is now ready for use.

Start the REACT utility and follow the recipe below. I have been choosy about access-types, you could just use ALL if you aren’t worried about how your system’s users can access the system and its resources:

.r react

A total of one user listed
REACT>exit

You should now have a default user who can login, is forced to change/set a password on first login, has access to the disk storage and can submit batch jobs. There are infinite quotas on the disk and the maximum core use is 512 Pages. This is very generous, but unless you are intending on running a real timesharing service this will probably be the best options as it will put the lowest number of barriers in place for a user to do things.

As the OPR you can manage user accounts with the REACT utility. This utility allows you to create, delete, and modify user accounts and their attributes. You would normally use this for creating a standard user account. Before creating any standard user accounts it is a good idea to create a system wide user account template first so that any new accounts inherit some standard attributes such as the ability to login on a terminal. To execute REACT just type:

.r react

REACT>


The REACT> prompt is where you can enter into a dialog about user accounts. HELP works in this dialog.

First mount the tape, see the FAQ on how to do this.

Second use the BACKUP utility to restore the files from tape. BACKUP uses “/” as a prompt.

.r backup

/tape tape:
/rewind
/protection 155
/files
/restore dsk:=*.*

You will then get a list of files and directories being restored to your disk, at the end of which your will see the following to which you type ctrl-Z to exit from BACKUP:

"Done

[MTA0:BCPL Read(C/H/S) = 2173280/0/0]
[MTA0 dismounted]


You will now find the files in the directory you were using when you ran backup.

If you need to mount a tape from a operational TOPS-10 system as a user, use a command similar to the following:

.mount tape:/reelid:label/nowait

The reeled: parameter specifies the tape label.

This will queue the tape mount request and the OPR console will then need to action the request.

When using simh you will need to attach the tape file on the console and respond to the OPR console.

14:44:01 -- Magtape mount request #4 --
User: OPR [1,2] Job #2
Volume-set name: TAPE

Mount Queue:
Volume Status Type Write Req# Job# User
------- -------- -------- ------- ------ ---- -------------------
BCPL Waiting Magtape Locked 4 2 OPR [1,2]
Volume-set: TAPE
Label-Type: No, Tracks: 9, Density: 1600 BPI
There is 1 request in the queue
OPR>ide mta0: re 4
OPR>
14:45:04 Device MTA0 -- Volume BCPL reassigned --
User: OPR [1,2] Job #2

Your tape should now be mounted on the system and accessible through tools such as BACKUP.

You can either include the subdirectory in the command PPN argument or change your working directory to where you want to be.

To include the subdirectory in the command, simply append it after a comma in the PPN argument. Eg:

.dir [,,mud]

To temporarily change your working directory for a series of actions, use SETSRC as follows:

.r setsrc

EXIT

To return to your PPN just reference it with a PPN of [,] in any command.

To create a new SFD (subdirectory) in your own PPN you use CREDIR:

.r credir

HELLO BAS 1 7-Feb-18 DSKB: [27,100]
BCPL SFD 1 28-Mar-18
Total of 2 blocks in 2 files on DSKB: [27,100]


BCPL needs to have a BCL: ersatz device to function effectively. You can use the PATH command to set one up on a use by use basis, but the recommended solution in the BCPL documentation is to configure a permanent ersatz device in MONGEN. This is how you do it based on the TOPS-10 configuration I am running. The key piece is the ersatz device line towards the end of the MONGEN program dialog:

.r mongen

.

This has now created a new system monitor in [10,7,mon] called SYS2.EXE which should now include the BCL: ersatz device. You will need to boot from this new system monitor and also create a PPN of [5,24] to be the directory for the BCL: ersatz device.

Assuming you are using simh to run your TOPS-10 install on, you need to make sure the following lines are in your simh script or entered on the simh console before booting Tops-10.


att lp20 printer.out
set lp20 enable


All printer output will now go to a file called printer.out in the directory to start simh in.

Next you need to make sure that Tops-10 has started the printer and the spooler. To do this ensure that SYSTEM.CMD has the following:

SET PRINTER 0 PAGE-LIMIT 2000
START PRINTER 0

You may not need to do the next step as the Galaxy system should just start the spooler when it is need, but for completeness I did do this. In the SYSJOB.INI ensure the following lines are included:

LPTSPL
LOG

Finally you need to ensure there is a forms descriptor for the printer in LPFORM.INI

.type sys:lpform.ini

NORMAL/BANNER:1/HEADER:1/TRAILER:1/WIDTH:136/LINES:66/RAM:LP96

This should allow output to be queued for printing and then appear in the printer.out file on the host.

I found that there may be an issue if you do not have a non-zero ANF-10 node number and networking enabled. In this case the system does not appear to correctly assign the device to printer 0. In this case, you need to manually assign the device as follows in OPR or amend the SYSTEM.CMD to include the /device switch on the start printer command.

OPR>shutdown printer 0
OPR>
13:30:18 Printer 0 -- Shutdown --
OPR>start printer 0/device:lpt0
OPR>
13:30:41 Printer 0 -- Startup Scheduled --
OPR>

If you then send something to the printer it should just work. The more comprehensive fix to this is to setup ANF-10 and give yourself a nod number greater than 0. The printer device identifier will then become LPTn00 where n is the ANF-10 node number, and this is supposed to fix the automatic start but I have not tested that. The simplest solution is just to put START PRINTER 0/DEVICE:LPT0 in the SYSTEM.CMD