Creating Multiple Working Systems for the VM Device

Different working systems have different uses. A working system containing the utilities KEX, VTCOM, and SPOOL is appropriate for text editing, maintaining communications with a host computer, and so forth. That working system, however, would not be appropriate for writing and debugging programs.

To take advantage of the increased performance you attain by running RT–11 from the VM device and to perform more than one type of work with your computer, create multiple working systems for the VM device, as follows:

1. Determine the functionality you require; that is, the utilities and application programs you want to run.

2. Determine how many blocks those files need on the VM device. Remember to include the mandatory set of system (.SYS) files and utilities that RT–11 requires to run, which are listed in Section 11.5.3. If you have a diskette drive as part of your hardware configuration, a useful exercise is to copy all the files to an initialized diskette, then boot that diskette and examine its size.

3. Determine the base address for the VM device for that working system. Setting the base indicated below produces a VM device with the indicated number of blocks on computers containing 512K bytes of memory.

Base Number of Blocks 7000 558

6000 622 5000 686 4000 750 3000 814

Remember that you have a finite amount of extended memory. Therefore, do not create a VM device that is larger than you need. (The larger the VM device, the smaller the amount of remaining extended memory.) You do not need to specify the exact values given above; the value 4200 is valid, for example.

4. Create a start-up command file.

5. Create an indirect command file to set the VM device base, initialize VM, and copy your files to VM.

The following three sections describe creating and running different types of working systems for the VM device.

11.7.1 A MACRO Programmer’s Working System

The following indirect command files can be appropriate for creating a working system for writing, assembling, linking, and debugging MACRO programs. The working system assumes a computer containing 512K bytes of memory. The base address of VM is changed to 4000, creating a 750-block VM device, to provide enough free blocks for the MACRO and LINK work files. To create a MACRO programmer’s working system:

1. Use the KEX editor to create a start-up command file and name it STARTP.COM.

Include in that file all commands you want executed when you boot this working system. The following file may be appropriate:

! STARTP.COM, created dd-mmm-yy, edited dd-mmm-yy

! Start-up command file for Intro Programmer’s working VM system device

!

ASS LS LP ASS VM0 CF ASS VM0 WF

ASS ddn DK ! ddn represents your actual disk handler and unit number LOAD dd ! dd represents your actual disk handler

RUN SETUP

VT100,JUMP,LIGHT,CLEAR RUN RESORC

/X

^C

2. Use the KEX editor to create the following indirect command file and name it VMPRG.COM. In the following commands, ddn represents the disk device handler and unit number from which you are copying the files, and ddX represents your disk device handler. Include the following commands in that file:

! VMPRG.COM, created dd-mmm-yy, edited dd-mmm-yy

! Configures VM for Intro Programmer’s example

!

UNLOAD VM REMOVE VM SET VM SIZE=0 SET VM BASE=4000 INSTALL VM

LOAD VM INIT/NOQ VM:

COPY/SYS ddn:(SWAP,RT11xM,VMX,ddX).SYS VM:

COPY/SYS ddn:(LSX,SDSX).SYS VM:

COPY ddn:(DUP,PIP,DIR,MACRO,LINK).SAV VM:

COPY ddn:(KEX,CREF,DBGSYM).SAV VM:

COPY ddn:(VDT.OBJ,SYSLIB.OBJ,SYSMAC.SML) VM:

COPY ddn:STARTP.COM VM:STRTxM.COM COPY/BOOT VM:RT11xM.SYS VM:

Then, to use the VM device for writing, assembling, linking, and debugging MACRO programs:

1. Close any files you have open.

2. If you are now running on your physical disk, issue the following commands.

.$@VMPRG RET

.BOOT VM: ^RET

If you are now running on your VM device, issue the following commands. In the first command, ddn represents your disk system device handler and unit number.

.BOOT ddn: RET

.$@VMPRG ^RET .BOOT VM: RET

11.7.2 A Working System for Performing a SYSGEN

You can decrease the time required to perform a SYSGEN by running RT–11 from the VM device. Use the following procedure:

1. Use the KEX editor to create a start-up command file named STARTG.COM.

Include the following command lines in that file:

! STARTG.COM, created dd-mmm-yy, edited dd-mmm-yy

! Start-up command file for VM SYSGEN working system

!

ASS LS LP

SET LS ENDPAG=1,NOFORM0

ASS ddn DK ! ddn represents your default data disk handler and unit number LOAD dd ! dd represents your default data disk handler

ASS VM0 CF

2. Use the KEX editor to create an indirect command file named VMGEN.COM. The base of VM is set to 4000, giving a VM device size of 750 blocks. In the following commands,ddnrepresents the disk device handler and unit number from which you are copying the files, andddX represents your disk device handler. Include in that file the following command lines:

! VMGEN.COM, created dd-mmm-yy, edited dd-mmm-yy

! Configures VM for Intro SYSGEN working system

!

To perform the SYSGEN procedure while running RT–11 from your VM device:

1. Close any files you have open.

2. If you are now running on your physical disk, issue the following commands:

.$@VMGEN RET

.BOOT VM: ^RET

If you are now running on your VM device, issue the following commands. In the first command, ddn represents your system disk device handler and unit number.

.BOOT ddn: RET

.$@VMGEN ^RET .BOOT VM: RET

3. Once you have booted the VM device, start the SYSGEN procedure:

.RUN SY:IND.SAV ddn:SYSGEN.COM ^RET

Perform the procedure as documented in theRT–11 System Generation Guide. At the end of the SYSGEN dialog, be sure to specify your physical disk (ddn) as the device that contains the source input files and as the device to which you want to send all output files.

11.7.3 A Minimal Working System

The following working system contains only those files necessary to boot the VM device. The base address of VM is set to 5000, giving a device size of 686 blocks.

The procedure uses the minimum functionality STRTxM.COM start-up command file you created in Section 11.5.1.

You then copy programs to the VM device and thereby increase the performance attainable by those programs. To create a general-purpose working system:

1. You have already created the minimum functionality start-up command file, STRTxM.COM.

2. Use the KEX editor to create the indirect command file, VMMIN.COM. In the following commands, ddn represents the disk device handler and unit number from which you are copying the files, and ddX represents your disk device handler. Include the following commands in that file:

! VMMIN.COM, created dd-mmm-yy, edited dd-mmm-yy

! Configures VM for Intro minimal working system

!

UNLOAD VM REMOVE VM SET VM SIZE=0 SET VM BASE=5000 INSTALL VM

LOAD VM INIT/NOQ VM:

COPY/SYS ddn:(SWAP,RT11xM,VMX,ddX).SYS VM:

COPY ddn:(DUP,PIP,DIR).SAV VM:

COPY ddn:STRTxM.COM VM:

COPY/BOOT VM:RT11xM.SYS VM:

Then, to use the VM device as a high-speed general-purpose working system:

1. Close any files you have open.

2. If you are now running on your physical disk, issue the following commands:

.$@VMMIN ^RET .BOOT VM: RET

If you are now running on your VM device, issue the following commands. In the first command, ddn represents your disk system device handler and unit number.

.BOOT ddn: ^RET .$@VMMIN ^RET .BOOT VM: RET

3. Once you have booted the VM device, copy any programs you want to run to it.

Then, run those programs from the VM device.

Chapter 12