HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: MPA15AB!COMPSYSU@TRENGA.tredydev.unisys.com
Subject: 2Re: Info about A Serie
Organization: C-S-U Gateway
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 02:17:00 GMT
Comments: Actually-From: Randall "vive.hodie" Gellens <RANDY @ MPA15AB>

> Odd tags indicate that the contents of the memory may not be accessed
> as normal data.  They do not distinguish whether a word is read-only;
> a separate bit in the descriptor indicates read-only status.  And
> even a read-only word can be written to with the overwrite instruction.
> Odd tags are used for a variety of purposes - e.g., the start and
> end of arrays in memory, data descriptors, instruction words, IRWs, PCWs.
> Attempting to access an odd tagged word as data for either reading or
> writing causes a hardware interrupt.

An IRW is an Indirect Reference Word, or a pointer in the general sense.
These tend to be used quite often.  For example, when passing a parameter
by reference.  The target of a store operation can be a data word (tag zero)
or an IRW, or a chain of IRWs, which eventually point to a data word.  The
same goes for the target of a read (get value) operation.

A PCW is a Program Control Word.  This is a special descriptor which
describes a code segment, such as a procedure.  Since this is a stack
machine, *everything* is either a single or double stack item, or a
type of descriptor.

  =====================================================================
  = sua cuique voluptas              (everyone has his own pleasures) =
  = Randy Gellens            randy%mpa15ab@trenga.tredydev.unisys.com =
  = >>>>>>> If mail bounces, forward to rgellens@mcimail.com <<<<<<<< =
  = Opinions are personal; facts are suspect; I speak only for myself =

                          Randomly selected tag:

You could get a new lease on life -- if only you didn't need the
first and last month in advance.

Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
From: MPA15AB!COMPSYSU@TRENGA.tredydev.unisys.com
Subject: 2Re: Info about A Serie
Organization: C-S-U Gateway
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 02:26:00 GMT
Comments: Actually-From: Randall "vive.hodie" Gellens <RANDY @ MPA15AB>

> You can do *almost* anything you want in NEWP, but even NEWP has its
> limitations.  For example, you cannot insert a NOP after a STOD if
> you need one.  This is the reason why I wrote an assembler for the
> large systems.

> ...                               if you are not programming in
> NEWP or assembler these registers are not directly available to you....

Although I know of several A Series customers who have written assemblers
for A Series machines, there is no need for an assembler.  It is really a
hobbyists item.  There is no official Unisys assembler, as we have no need
of one.

> Perhaps we have a different definition of "user program".  A NEWP
> program can easily modify a machine instruction word.  This is not
> to say that I recommend that you do this, but it is possible.

NEWP (and before it, ESPOL) is a language which has the ability to do
unusual things, as needed for the operating system (MCP).  In order to
do something normally forbidden, you must declare that the block you are
in is permitted to do something unsafe, and sepcify the class of unsafeness
you are going to use.  Any use of unsafe constructs not only must be made
explicit in the block heading, but also marks the codefile as not executable.
The highest levels of system access and privelege are needed to be able to
execute such a program.  Thus, it is far outside the normal realm of A Series
programming.

  =====================================================================
  = sua cuique voluptas              (everyone has his own pleasures) =
  = Randy Gellens            randy%mpa15ab@trenga.tredydev.unisys.com =
  = >>>>>>> If mail bounces, forward to rgellens@mcimail.com <<<<<<<< =
  = Opinions are personal; facts are suspect; I speak only for myself =

                          Randomly selected tag:

Niklaus Wirth has lamented that, whereas Europeans pronounce his name
correctly (Ni-klows Virt), Americans invariably mangle it into
(Nick-les Worth).  Which is to say that Europeans call him by name, but
Americans call him by value.

Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
From: RIOAHW!ANTONIO@TRENGA.tredydev.unisys.com
Subject: Re: U5000/50 help needed
Organization: C-S-U Gateway
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 21:20:00 GMT

as far as i can remember you have to set your console or the terminal on port tt
yb as 7 bits even parity or the answers are always ignored.

Manuel Abellan/Gustavo Viberti

Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
From: john@sekrit.WPI.EDU (John Stoffel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys,us.forsale.computers,misc.forsale.computers
Subject: FORSALE: 2 Unisys 6000/50 SYS V 3.0 computers and more...
Date: 12 Oct 92 23:24:21 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: sekrit.wpi.edu


FORSALE:

	Hardware
Qty:	Descriptions
-----   ---------------------------------------------------------------------
(2)	Unisys 6000/50 Model A 386 Based Minicomputer with 4MB memory, 
	2 eight port async controller cards (rs232), 170 Mb, SCSI HD, 
	built in serial and parallel ports, 10 expansion slots 
	(4 high performance, 3 8-bit PC slots, 5 16-bit AT slots, with 2
	PC ports mechanically coupled to 2 high perf ports.), 5.25 floppy,
	QIC (150 Mb capacity).  
	
(1)	270 lpm line printer (model B9246-7T)  Does 132 Columns on the 
	wide computer paper.  14 (?) inch wide carriage or so.

(25+)	UVT-1224 Terminals.  Some still in the box and unopened.

	Software
Qty:	Descriptions
-----   ---------------------------------------------------------------------
(2)	16 User UNIX License.  SYS V 3.0
(2)	MS DOS 3.2
(2)	Merge 386 - provide MSDOS environment under UNIX
		  - transparent execution of DOS and UNIX programs under
			either environment.
		  - Integrated file system accessible to both DOS and UNIX


One of the 6000s has been used extensively for 2-3 years.  The other
served as a backup and has seen very little use.  Please make me an
offer for all or part of the above system.  As usual, shipping is YOUR
responsibility, unless you live in the Rockland County NY area, or
Talapoosa GA area, then you can just pick it up.  At least parts of
it.  :-)

For more info, you can either send email to me, or call Rene Gonsales
at 706-574-2382 or 914-353-3800 for more info on this system.

					John
--
Youth of today!  Join me in a mass rally for traditional mental attitudes!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
john@wpi.wpi.edu | Work Station Specialist | Worcester Polytechnic Institute
John Stoffel     | 508-831-5512 (work)     | Worcester, MA  01609
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
From: brent@terminus.gatech.edu (Brent Laminack)
Subject: Need Convergent (unisys) 221 boot tapes
Organization: Georgia Tech College of Computing
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 01:04:45 GMT

Greetings!

I have a Convergent 221 (68020-based box). It's up and running, but
has a few OS bugs. Does anyone know how I can get the latest (last?)
version of the UNIX tapes for the thing? I know Unisys has a tape
library of all releases ever made, but who do I contact to get these
things? Alternately, if anyone has a set they can loan me, I'd appreciate
it.

Thanks,

					
					-Brent Laminack (brent@cc.gatech.edu)
From: csieh@boise (Constance Sieh)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
Subject: Re: 2Re: Info about A Serie
Date: 15 Oct 92 19:08:46 GMT
Article-I.D.: fnnews.1bkfjuINN10t
Organization: FERMILAB, Batavia, IL
NNTP-Posting-Host: boise.fnal.gov

In article <1992Oct15.065208.6824@timesink.chi.il.us> harry@timesink.chi.il.us (Harold Platypus) writes:
>In article <AMPU25444AC7D6@MPA15AB> MPA15AB!COMPSYSU@TRENGA.tredydev.unisys.com writes:
>>> It's a very interesting and powerful architecture.  Too bad that it
>>> didn't capture a larger market share.
>>
>>I'm not sure I like the use of the past tense "didn't" here!  ;-)  I like to
>>think that more and more people will discover the advantages of the A Series.
>>
>>  = Randy Gellens            randy%mpa15ab@trenga.tredydev.unisys.com =

I also believe that the A-Series architecture was a technology leader.  There were many technologies that Unisys/Burroughs did on it's mainframes that others think they invented.

>
>Burroughs Large Systems? Let's get real...
>Having spent eight years working on Burroughs Large Systems (B6700, B6800,
>B6900, A-series) doing applications then systems support work, I bailed
>out of the shrinking Burroughs job market and into Open Systems. This was
>five years ago and man I'm not sorry... There have been at least a dozen
>major Burroughs/Sperry customer defections in the Chicago area alone in
>the last 5 years with more expected. Prognosis: terminally ill cash cow.

I am very real.  I have worked with Unisys systems for 14 years.
It may be true that some Unisys customer's have switched to OPEN SYSTEMS, but ALL major computer vendor's have seen this.  If you sell a A-series customer an   OPEN System that increases cash flow.   

>
>Open Systems? Don't bet on it... I don't believe Unisys/Convergent can
>make a decent UNIX box to save their souls. Unisys also has a terrible
>reputation for bad customer support on the boxes they OEM'ed from dead
>and dying manufacturers like Arete/Arix and Sequent.

Sequent is not close to being dead.  They make the finest fully symetrical multi-cpu UNIX system around.  Unisys customer support was not bad on OEM boxes.

>
>PCs you say? Unisys is at least six months behind and two to three times
>more expensive on comparable machines from just about anyone; even from
>Mitsubushi which makes Unisys PCs. What happened to CTOS/BTOS? Can anyone
>give me one reason to become or to stay a Unisys customer! I wish them
>luck, but I honestly don't see Unisys lasting to the end of the decade.

Unisys makes it's own PC's.  They were made in New Jersey, now they are made in California.

>
>But hey, I been hearing great things about C compilers for the A-series...


>- Harry

	- Connie -
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
From: eherrera@isluga.puc.cl (Eduardo Herrera)
Subject: Info about A Serie
Organization: Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 15:44:51 GMT

Hello. I need some information about Serie A computers. In detail
I need something about internal architecture of the CPU and
something about the Assembler language of this serie.
	I know it is a lot of information. Thanks if you can help
me, and excuse me for my bad english. Thanks again.
Eduardo Herrera and Juan Cristobal Beytia
e-mail: eherrera@isluga.puc.cl
        eherrera@lascar.puc.cl

Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
From: walagerw@cs.vu.nl (Lagerweij WA)
Subject: Ctos to dos?
Organization: Fac. Wiskunde & Informatica, VU, Amsterdam
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 09:40:04 GMT

Hello,

A question from someone who really doesn't know a lot about the subject:
I have an uncle who has a database in a ctos machine, and he want's to
transfer it to a PC. the pc can't read the ctos`s disks and he doesn't
know how to transfer the info to DOS-format.
Can anyone offer any suggestions?

Thanks,

Wouter Lagerweij.

-- 
Wouter Lagerweij | 'Do you think you're better every day?'
walagerw@cs.vu.nl| 'NO, I just think I'm two steps nearer to my grave!'
						- Queen
From: "jeff zeitlin" <jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
Subject: qic archive ctos->*ix
Date: 8 Oct 92 04:39:59 EST
Reply-To: "jeff zeitlin" <jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com>
Distribution: comp
Organization: Executive Networks Information

    Subject: QIC archive from CTOS to UNIX

RD::>Hi,

RD::>        I am looking for a way to convert a 150 QIC archive, made on a
  ::>CTOS SG5000 machine, to a UNIX readeble format.
  ::>It's possible to read the tape with te 'dd' command.
  ::>But the archive has a certain internal structure, it appears that
  ::>it's build on blocks of 64 K with some control delimiters and within that
  ::>blocks you see a sort of 'tar' format.
  ::>Question: has someone out there a program that can read such a archive
  ::>          or is there a C-structure which gives me the layout of the
  ::>          archive so that I can make a program on myself.

  There's another possible route...

  Once upon a time there was a product called the Developer's Toolkit.
  This package contained a batch of CTOS programs that were
  CTOSizations of UNIX utilities.  One pair of utilities, included
  specifically to enable transfer of data, were called "CPIO IN" and
  "CPIO OUT", and they generated tapes in cpio format.  You might want
  to try looking into regenerating the tape using these utilities...

  Are you using the SG or the UNIX box?  If the former, what do you
  think of it?

  J/
  jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
  ==================================================================
  Anything I say in this or any communication to this or any medium
  is strictly my own non-authoritative opinion, unless otherwise
  explicitly noted.  Except for myself, or where explicitly noted
  otherwise, I do not speak for any individual or organization.
  ==================================================================

 * OLX 2.2 * What ever you do *DON'T* press "T" !!
--
Executive Network Information System  (914) 667-4567
International ILink Host
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
From: riesen@chaco.cs.unm.edu (Rolf Riesen)
Subject: Re: Gateway to Unisys Internal Mail System?
Organization: Computer Science Department, University of New Mexico
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 20:52:04 GMT


I have used the Internet/OFIS link gateway successfully several
times now. It even works going to Switzerland; specifically
to EMZR.xxxx

However, the opposite direction doesn't seem to work. Are they
doing something wrong, or is there an inherent limitation?

Rolf
From: ping@ping.actrix.gen.nz (Peter Ingham)
Subject: Re: Ctos to dos?
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: 13 Oct 92 07:56:00 GMT
Organization: Private UUCP Site

Lagerweij WA (walagerw@cs.vu.nl) wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> A question from someone who really doesn't know a lot about the subject:
> I have an uncle who has a database in a ctos machine, and he want's to
> transfer it to a PC. the pc can't read the ctos`s disks and he doesn't
> know how to transfer the info to DOS-format.
> Can anyone offer any suggestions?
> 

The MSDOS Read and MSDOS Write commands under Executive allow CTOS files to be 
transferred onto MSDOS disks.

These commands are part of the MSDOS package, if you have Standard utilities 12.0 
or greater, they are supplied with that.

Alternatively you can write to MSDOS disks from within the PC Emulator or VPC.

The only data conversion done by these utilities is translation of MSDOS 
end-of-line (CR/LF) to CTOS enf-of-line (CR).  Any other format translation is up 
to you, so I'd suggest dumping the data to ASCII text files before trasferring 
them.


> Thanks,
> 
> Wouter Lagerweij.
> 
> -- 
> Wouter Lagerweij | 'Do you think you're better every day?'
> walagerw@cs.vu.nl| 'NO, I just think I'm two steps nearer to my grave!'
> 						- Queen

--

Cheers

    Peter S. Ingham              ping@ping.actrix.gen.nz
    Lower Hutt,  New Zealand     3:771/220.5
From: williams@husc15.harvard.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
Subject: Need Unisys 386-16 advice
Date: 8 Oct 92 18:18:41 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc15.1992Oct8.141841.16176
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

I own a MP-3200, a decent old 386-16, trying run DOS 5.0.

I am looking for a Unisys bbs or Internet connection to help 
me with may quest for a current DIAGX- Startup/setup disk set.

I have called Atlanta who refers me to the local (Unisys) repair
shop who has to call Atlanta.....

Any help is appreciated, 
If this is the wrong group, any pointers are also appreciated.


Thanks very much

David Williams

williams@husc3.harvard.edu
williams@husc3.bitnet
From: markw@gvlf7-p.gvl.unisys.com (Mark H. Weber)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
Subject: Re: CUBE details please
Date: 7 Oct 92 16:44:39 GMT
Organization: Unisys Defense Systems, Great Valley Labs, Paoli, Pa

In article <01010064.f3gci0@titipu.resun.com> ed@titipu.resun.com (Edward Reid) writes:
>
>Two terminal emulators have crashed on me while trying to set up my public
>access account on SureNet.  If someone else can download the CUBE info from
>SureNet and post it, it might be useful to someone.  The number is
>1-800-828-8796, and access to CUBE information is available to anyone who can
>call that number.  The service can handle a variety of full-screen terminals,
>but not TTY.
>


I tried to download this info by logging the output of my terminal 
session, but the resulting file was full of embedded control characters 
that make it almost impossible to read. I explored the SureNet system, 
but I was unable to find an option which would allow me to download the
files directly. Maybe someone with more experience with SureNet can 
explain how this can be done, or someone with direct access to the machine
that SureNet is running on can post the information.

-- 
  Mark H. Weber                   | Internet: markw@GVL.Unisys.COM  
  Paramax Systems (A Unisys Co.)  |     UUCP: ...!gvls1!markw
  Great Valley Laboratories       |      FAX: +1 215 648 2891
  Box 517, Paoli, PA  19301  USA  |    VOICE: +1 215 648 2112
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
From: harry@timesink.chi.il.us (Harold Platypus)
Subject: Re: 2Re: Info about A Serie
Organization: Big Bulging Buffalo Bladders -R- Us
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 06:52:08 GMT

In article <AMPU25444AC7D6@MPA15AB> MPA15AB!COMPSYSU@TRENGA.tredydev.unisys.com writes:
>> It's a very interesting and powerful architecture.  Too bad that it
>> didn't capture a larger market share.
>
>I'm not sure I like the use of the past tense "didn't" here!  ;-)  I like to
>think that more and more people will discover the advantages of the A Series.
>
>  = Randy Gellens            randy%mpa15ab@trenga.tredydev.unisys.com =

Burroughs Large Systems? Let's get real...
Having spent eight years working on Burroughs Large Systems (B6700, B6800,
B6900, A-series) doing applications then systems support work, I bailed
out of the shrinking Burroughs job market and into Open Systems. This was
five years ago and man I'm not sorry... There have been at least a dozen
major Burroughs/Sperry customer defections in the Chicago area alone in
the last 5 years with more expected. Prognosis: terminally ill cash cow.

Open Systems? Don't bet on it... I don't believe Unisys/Convergent can
make a decent UNIX box to save their souls. Unisys also has a terrible
reputation for bad customer support on the boxes they OEM'ed from dead
and dying manufacturers like Arete/Arix and Sequent.

PCs you say? Unisys is at least six months behind and two to three times
more expensive on comparable machines from just about anyone; even from
Mitsubushi which makes Unisys PCs. What happened to CTOS/BTOS? Can anyone
give me one reason to become or to stay a Unisys customer! I wish them
luck, but I honestly don't see Unisys lasting to the end of the decade.

But hey, I been hearing great things about C compilers for the A-series...
- Harry
From: nick@brimbank.apana.org.au (Nick Langmaid)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
Subject: Gateway to Unisys Internal Mail System?
Date: 12 Oct 92 11:38:47 GMT
Organization: APANA

I suspect that this question may have been asked before, but ...

Does anybody know whether there is a gateway between Usenet and the
Unisys internal mail system?  I'm thinking of the Mapper-based system.
Does it work in both directions?

Cheers,
Nick.
----
Nick Langmaid

Voice:     +61 3 336 3228
Internet:  nick@brimbank.apana.org.au
From: cld1@ra.msstate.edu (Charles L. Dunn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
Subject: Re: FTP File xfers
Date: 8 Oct 92 13:05:34 GMT
Organization: Mississippi State University

cc971@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephen  C. Fitch) writes:


>Hi,

>I am interested in gathering together peoples experience on
>the subject of file transfer. We have a 2200/433 + DCP 40s.
>This hardware runs DDN1100, CMS1100 7r2, along with the
>rest of CD5. What I would like to do is improve the efficiency
>of our FTP (TCP/IP) file transfers and therefore reduce the
>time to transfer our multi-megabyte files. The file transfers
>take place each night, down to UNIX hosts.

>Has anyone spent time optimizing CMS1100, TCP/IP, LAN Platform,
>and DDN1100 for large file transfers. I would be interested in
>and configuration definitions that have proven to be useful.
>My own line of attack at the moment is to adjust the 2200 to
>DCP channel frame size, from its current setting of 2400 bytes.

>You comments will be appreciated, if you want me to be more
>specific on certain points don't hesitate to ask.

>Steve Fitch

We have not attempted specific optimization. We are much happier when we do a
"get" from a remote machine than a "transfer" from our 2200/422. What we have
seen is that one ftp from the 2200 to the Sun can cause our DCP40 to hit
100% cpu utilization. Also an XT class PC can run ftp fast enough to cause
cpu utilization to go to 60%. While the proper approach is probably to
increase the block sizes in TELCON, I doubt that a DCP40 will give you 
much more than you are getting. By the way, what is your transfer rate?
From: jdm1@vogon1.pasen.gov (Jonathan D McCown)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys
Subject: Re: Ctos to dos?
Date: 15 Oct 92 13:44:06 GMT
Article-I.D.: vogon1.1992Oct15.134406.17864
Organization: Vogon Poets Society

ping@ping.actrix.gen.nz (Peter Ingham) writes:

>Lagerweij WA (walagerw@cs.vu.nl) wrote:
>> Hello,
>> 
>> A question from someone who really doesn't know a lot about the subject:
>> I have an uncle who has a database in a ctos machine, and he want's to
>> transfer it to a PC. the pc can't read the ctos`s disks and he doesn't
>> know how to transfer the info to DOS-format.
>> Can anyone offer any suggestions?
>> 

>The MSDOS Read and MSDOS Write commands under Executive allow CTOS files to be 
>transferred onto MSDOS disks.

If your uncle is using a CTOS dbms, he may have more problems than just disk
format.  In particular if it is PDS/Adept or CT-DBMS or some other ISAM/DAM
based product.  I have written some utils to hack this sort of thing which
I would be glad to contribute.  (make this a source group? ha!)

On the PC side, we have a util which allows an AT class machine with 1.2MB
drives to read CTOS disks.  I can't remember if it is PD/Shareware or what,
but we found it on a BBS.

It could be somewhat of a mess, but I do have a consulting type friend who might
do the conversion very cheaply.  If you need it email me.

Best wishes to you and your uncle. (good move on his part)

- Jon

-- 
            J.D. McCown - Computer Services - Senate of Pennsylvania  
psuvax1!vogon1!jdm1                    "You don't want to get locked into   
jdm1@vogon1.pasen.gov                   'open systems'." -anonymous IBM Rep.    
Newsgroups: comp.sys.unisys