4.3-VAX distributions

[SHOPPA at trailing-edge.com]

>> In any event, I am now very happy to now have a bootable copy of
>> 4.3-Reno. (Installing as I type, AAMAF.)
>    Do you mean the one in /usr/home/msokolov/43reno.vax? How did you get it
>to boot on a MicroVAX? Did you pull /usr/mdec/tmscpboot out of the tarball
>and make a MicroVAX boot tape?

Exactly.  The details are all in tmscpboot.c.  Prepend this to the
"tape directory", write it to TK50, B MUA0, and you're at the "="
prompt, from which you can execute the standalone images.  "format"
seems to crash badly, but one probably doesn't need that on a Q-bus
machine :-).

There are other ways to start it up.  For example, using an already-
running OS (some other Unix or VMS) and copying the miniroot from tape
to the swap area of an unused disk.

The compiled-in partition tables used during an install are a real
pain compared to, say, a 2.11BSD installation, where disklabel is
a standalone utility!  (That's a real win, Steven!)
   
>First, I'm using Ultrix as my cross-compilation base, not 4.3BSD-Reno. (I
>would say there is less of a gap between 4.3BSD-Tahoe and Ultrix than
>between Tahoe and Reno. The latter is really huge, it's a gap between True
>UNIX(R) and a bloated and POSIXized fallen one.)

Gees, looking at the install docs there are some very real improvements
in Reno, especially in the filesystem and the speed of recompiled
code.  I'm willing to live with a bit more disk space usage, especially
for the promised speed benefits.  It's not like KA630's or KA650's are speed
demons, and big cheap disks are readily available these days.

-- 
 Tim Shoppa                        Email: shoppa at trailing-edge.com
 Trailing Edge Technology          WWW:   http://www.trailing-edge.com/
 7328 Bradley Blvd		   Voice: 301-767-5917
 Bethesda, MD, USA 20817           Fax:   301-767-5927

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