Information about Rsts 11
RSTS-11 or MiniRSTS (an acronym for Resource Time Sharing System) was a multi-user time-shared operating system developed by Digital Equipment Corporation ("DEC") (now part of Hewlett Packard) for the PDP-11 series of 16-bit minicomputers, and used primarily during the 1970s (prior to the development of RSTS/E). The RSTS-11 Operating System is usually referred to just as "RSTS" and this article will generally use the shorter form. The acronym was usually pronounced as "RIST-ess" or "RIST-uhs". The kernel of RSTS was programmed in the assembly language MACRO-11, compiled and installed from the DOS-11 operating system. RSTS built upon the unfriendly nature of DOS-11 by booting into an extended version of the BASIC programming language which DEC called "BASIC-PLUS." Essentially all of the system software CUSPS (commonly used system programs) for the operating system, including the programs for resource accounting, login, logout and managing the system, were written using BASIC-PLUS. Unlike RSTS/E, RSTS-11 only ran in 56K of memory (64K including the DMA IO space), and therefore did not have "run-time systems", CCL's, or any other language than BASIC-PLUS.
RSTS operates strictly in text mode as it used non-graphical computer terminals (and modems) connected to it by the equivalent of serial ports, and uses BASIC-PLUS as a command line interpreter (or CLI).
As many as 16 terminals could be connected to a RSTS system, running under a maximum of 17 jobs.
Users connected to the system by typing the LOGIN command (or HELLO) at a logged-out terminal and pressing return. Actually, typing any command at a logged-out terminal simply started the LOGIN program which then interpreted the command. If it was one of the commands which were allowed to be used by a user that is not yet logged in ("Logged Out"), then the associated program for that command was CHAINed to, otherwise the message "Please say HELLO" was printed on the terminal. One could determine the status of a terminal by the prompt printed by the command interpreter, usually the BASIC-PLUS run-time system. A logged-in user was given the prompt "Ready" and a user who is logged out is given the prompt "Bye".
A user would log in by supplying their user number and password. User numbers consisted of a project number (this would be the equivalent of a group number in Unix), a comma, and a programmer number. Both numbers were in the range of 0 to 254, with special exceptions. When specifying an account, the project and programmer number were enclosed in brackets. A typical user number could be [10,5] (project 10, programmer 5), [2,146], [254,31], or [200,220], etc. When a user was running a system program while logged out (because the system manager had enabled it) their user number would appear as [0,0]. Thus that is not a valid account number.
In every project, the programmer number 0 was usually reserved as a group account.
This feature would be useful in educational environments, as programmer number 0 could be issued to the instructor of a class, and the individuals students given accounts with the same project number, and the instructor could store in his account files marked as shared only for that project number (which would be students in that class only, and no other).
Two special classes of project numbers existed. In project number 0, only account [0,1] was defined. Project numbers of 1 are privileged accounts, equivalent to the single account "root" on Unix systems, except that the account numbers [1,0] through [1,254] are all privileged accounts.
There are also certain special accounts on the system. The account [0,1] is used to store the operating system file itself, and certain system files relating to booting the system (author's comments appear on the right in bold):
Ready
RUN $PIP PIP - RSTS V4A-12 RSTS.ORG
TOTAL OF 277 BLOCKS IN 6 FILES
Ready in this case is the system command prompt, similar to the C> prompt in MS-DOS or the % prompt in many Unix-based shells. [0,1] is the account number (and directory name) of the main system storage account. It would be referred to as "project number 0, programmer number 1".
The numbers shown after each file represent its size in disk blocks, a block being 512 bytes or 1/2 kilobyte (K).
The numbers in brackets (like "< 40>") represent the protections for the file, which is always displayed in decimal. Protections indicate if the file may be seen by any other user, by other users with the same programmer number, if the file is read only or if it may be altered by another user, and whether the file may be executed by an ordinary user giving them additional privileges. These protection codes are very similar to the r, w and x protections in Unix and similar operating systems such as BSD and Linux. Code 60 is equivalent to a private file, code 63 is a private non-deletable file, and 40 is a public file.
Certain other system files are kept in account [1,1]. The account [1,2] is the system-wide public library, and any public file in that account could be referenced by prefixing its name with a dollar sign ($). The account [1,1] also had the special privilege of being the only account where a user logged in under that account is permitted to execute the POKE system call to put values into any memory in the system. Thus the account number [1,1] is the closest equivalent to "root" on Unix-based systems.
When logged in, a user may either type language statements in the BASIC-PLUS programming language, or issue the RUN command to run a program.
The cost of micro computers dropped so drastically, and their performance rose so radically, that minicomputers such as the PDP-11 were no longer cost effective. In the late 1990s DEC sold its PDP-11 software business to a company named Mentec [1], and DEC then essentially discontinued releases of RSTS in order to concentrate on their VAX series of mainframe computers.
Mentec would later publicly grant a no-cost license to anyone for non-commercial hobby purpose use of the operating system software developed for the PDP-11, and as the result of the release (for non-commercial use) of a PDP-11 emulator for the IBM-PC, as well as image copies of disk drives of RSTS which exist on the Internet, it is possible for a hobbyist to run RSTS/E on a personal computer in software emulation as fast or faster than it originally ran on the real hardware.
The last release of RSTS/E was version 10.1A. DEC would later be purchased by Compaq, which itself later merged with Hewlett Packard.
)
Example of RSTS-11 dialog.
As many as 16 terminals could be connected to a RSTS system, running under a maximum of 17 jobs.
Users connected to the system by typing the LOGIN command (or HELLO) at a logged-out terminal and pressing return. Actually, typing any command at a logged-out terminal simply started the LOGIN program which then interpreted the command. If it was one of the commands which were allowed to be used by a user that is not yet logged in ("Logged Out"), then the associated program for that command was CHAINed to, otherwise the message "Please say HELLO" was printed on the terminal. One could determine the status of a terminal by the prompt printed by the command interpreter, usually the BASIC-PLUS run-time system. A logged-in user was given the prompt "Ready" and a user who is logged out is given the prompt "Bye".
A user would log in by supplying their user number and password. User numbers consisted of a project number (this would be the equivalent of a group number in Unix), a comma, and a programmer number. Both numbers were in the range of 0 to 254, with special exceptions. When specifying an account, the project and programmer number were enclosed in brackets. A typical user number could be [10,5] (project 10, programmer 5), [2,146], [254,31], or [200,220], etc. When a user was running a system program while logged out (because the system manager had enabled it) their user number would appear as [0,0]. Thus that is not a valid account number.
In every project, the programmer number 0 was usually reserved as a group account.
This feature would be useful in educational environments, as programmer number 0 could be issued to the instructor of a class, and the individuals students given accounts with the same project number, and the instructor could store in his account files marked as shared only for that project number (which would be students in that class only, and no other).
Two special classes of project numbers existed. In project number 0, only account [0,1] was defined. Project numbers of 1 are privileged accounts, equivalent to the single account "root" on Unix systems, except that the account numbers [1,0] through [1,254] are all privileged accounts.
There are also certain special accounts on the system. The account [0,1] is used to store the operating system file itself, and certain system files relating to booting the system (author's comments appear on the right in bold):
Ready
RUN $PIP PIP - RSTS V4A-12 RSTS.ORG
- [0,1]/DIR
TOTAL OF 277 BLOCKS IN 6 FILES
- ^Z
Ready in this case is the system command prompt, similar to the C> prompt in MS-DOS or the % prompt in many Unix-based shells. [0,1] is the account number (and directory name) of the main system storage account. It would be referred to as "project number 0, programmer number 1".
The numbers shown after each file represent its size in disk blocks, a block being 512 bytes or 1/2 kilobyte (K).
The numbers in brackets (like "< 40>") represent the protections for the file, which is always displayed in decimal. Protections indicate if the file may be seen by any other user, by other users with the same programmer number, if the file is read only or if it may be altered by another user, and whether the file may be executed by an ordinary user giving them additional privileges. These protection codes are very similar to the r, w and x protections in Unix and similar operating systems such as BSD and Linux. Code 60 is equivalent to a private file, code 63 is a private non-deletable file, and 40 is a public file.
Certain other system files are kept in account [1,1]. The account [1,2] is the system-wide public library, and any public file in that account could be referenced by prefixing its name with a dollar sign ($). The account [1,1] also had the special privilege of being the only account where a user logged in under that account is permitted to execute the POKE system call to put values into any memory in the system. Thus the account number [1,1] is the closest equivalent to "root" on Unix-based systems.
When logged in, a user may either type language statements in the BASIC-PLUS programming language, or issue the RUN command to run a program.
The cost of micro computers dropped so drastically, and their performance rose so radically, that minicomputers such as the PDP-11 were no longer cost effective. In the late 1990s DEC sold its PDP-11 software business to a company named Mentec [1], and DEC then essentially discontinued releases of RSTS in order to concentrate on their VAX series of mainframe computers.
Mentec would later publicly grant a no-cost license to anyone for non-commercial hobby purpose use of the operating system software developed for the PDP-11, and as the result of the release (for non-commercial use) of a PDP-11 emulator for the IBM-PC, as well as image copies of disk drives of RSTS which exist on the Internet, it is possible for a hobbyist to run RSTS/E on a personal computer in software emulation as fast or faster than it originally ran on the real hardware.
The last release of RSTS/E was version 10.1A. DEC would later be purchased by Compaq, which itself later merged with Hewlett Packard.
Multi-user is a term that defines an operating system or application software that allows concurrent access by multiple users of a computer. Time-sharing systems are multi-user systems.
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Time share (or timeshare) may refer to:
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- Time Share, a comedy film set for release in 2008
- Time-sharing, a way of sharing computer resources among many users
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An operating system (OS) is the software that manages the sharing of the resources of a computer. An operating system processes system data and user input, and responds by allocating and managing tasks and internal system resources as a service to users and programs of the
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Digital Equipment Corporation was a pioneering American company in the computer industry. It is often referred to within the computing industry as DEC. (This acronym was frequently officially used by Digital itself,[1] but the official name was always DIGITAL.
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Hewlett-Packard Co.
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Founded Palo Alto, California (1939)
Headquarters Palo Alto, California, USA
Key people Bill Hewlett, Co-founder
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Public (NYSE: HPQ )
Founded Palo Alto, California (1939)
Headquarters Palo Alto, California, USA
Key people Bill Hewlett, Co-founder
David Packard, Co-founder
Mark V.
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The PDP-11 was a series of 16-bit minicomputers sold by Digital Equipment Corp. in the 1970s and 1980s. The PDP-11 was a successor to DEC's PDP-8 computer in the PDP series of computers. It had several uniquely innovative features, and was easier to program than its predecessors.
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Minicomputer (colloquially, mini) is a largely obsolete term for a class of multi-user computers that lies in the middle range of the computing spectrum, in between the largest multi-user systems (mainframe computers) and the smallest single-user systems (microcomputers or
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Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century
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- The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called
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1940s 1950s 1960s - 1970s - 1980s 1990s 2000s
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1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
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- The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called
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RSTS/E (an acronym for Resource Sharing Timesharing System Extended) was a multi-user time-shared operating system developed by Digital Equipment Corporation ("DEC") (now part of Hewlett Packard) for the PDP-11 series of 16-bit minicomputers, and used primarily during the
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MACRO-11 is an assembly language with macro facilities for PDP-11 minicomputers from Digital Equipment Corporation. It is the successor to PAL-11 (Program Assembler Loader), an earlier version of the PDP-11 assembly language without macro facilities.
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An operating system (OS) is the software that manages the sharing of the resources of a computer. An operating system processes system data and user input, and responds by allocating and managing tasks and internal system resources as a service to users and programs of the
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Basic may be:
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- Basic belief, a concept in foundationalist epistemology
- Basic (chemistry), the opposite to acidic, reacting with acids to form salts
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BASIC-PLUS was an extended dialect of the BASIC programming language developed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) for use on its RSTS/E time-sharing operating system for the PDP-11 series of 16-bit minicomputers in the early 1970s through the 1980s.
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RSTS/E (an acronym for Resource Sharing Timesharing System Extended) was a multi-user time-shared operating system developed by Digital Equipment Corporation ("DEC") (now part of Hewlett Packard) for the PDP-11 series of 16-bit minicomputers, and used primarily during the
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BASIC-PLUS was an extended dialect of the BASIC programming language developed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) for use on its RSTS/E time-sharing operating system for the PDP-11 series of 16-bit minicomputers in the early 1970s through the 1980s.
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A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device that is used for entering data into, and displaying data from, a computer or a computing system. A computer terminal is an instance of a human-machine interface(HMI).
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BASIC-PLUS was an extended dialect of the BASIC programming language developed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) for use on its RSTS/E time-sharing operating system for the PDP-11 series of 16-bit minicomputers in the early 1970s through the 1980s.
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command line interpreter (also command line shell, command language interpreter) is a computer program that reads lines of text entered by a user and interprets them in the context of a given operating system or programming language.
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logging (or signing) in and out is the process by which individual access to a computer system is controlled by identification of the user in order to obtain credentials to permit access. It is an integral part of computer security.
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byte (pronounced /baɪt/) is a unit of measurement of information storage, most often consisting of eight bits. In many computer architectures it is a unit of memory addressing.
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Unix (officially trademarked as UNIX®) is a computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie and Douglas McIlroy.
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Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD, sometimes called Berkeley Unix) is the UNIX derivative distributed by the University of California, Berkeley, starting in the 1970s.
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Linux (pronunciation: IPA: /ˈlɪnʊks/, lin-uks) is a Unix-like computer operating system. Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free software and open source development; its underlying source code can be
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For the band, see .
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VAX is a 32-bit computing architecture that supports an orthogonal instruction set (machine language) and virtual addressing (i.e. demand paged virtual memory). It was developed in the mid-1970s by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC).
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RSTS/E (an acronym for Resource Sharing Timesharing System Extended) was a multi-user time-shared operating system developed by Digital Equipment Corporation ("DEC") (now part of Hewlett Packard) for the PDP-11 series of 16-bit minicomputers, and used primarily during the
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Compaq Computer Corporation was an American personal computer company founded in 1982, and is now a brand name of Hewlett-Packard.
The company was formed by Rod Canion, Jim Harris and Bill Murto — former Texas Instruments senior managers.
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The company was formed by Rod Canion, Jim Harris and Bill Murto — former Texas Instruments senior managers.
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Hewlett-Packard Co.
Public (NYSE: HPQ )
Founded Palo Alto, California (1939)
Headquarters Palo Alto, California, USA
Key people Bill Hewlett, Co-founder
David Packard, Co-founder
Mark V.
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Public (NYSE: HPQ )
Founded Palo Alto, California (1939)
Headquarters Palo Alto, California, USA
Key people Bill Hewlett, Co-founder
David Packard, Co-founder
Mark V.
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