The DOS-hosted p-System
Since, on a real machine, the p-System is emulated, it was reasonable to create a version of it to run as an application program under operating systems that always run in native code. Such versions exist for at least UNIX, DOS, and VAX VMS. There are extremely few differences, perceptible to the user, from the autonomous version.
A new file type is created in the host operating system, whose internal structure simulates a p-System blocked volume; it is therefore called a virtual volume file.
Units to support communications and data exchange between the p-System and the host operating system are added to the operating system, and (at least in the case of DOS) a special filer, DOSFILER.CODE, provides manipulation of DOS directories, and also the creation, mounting, and dismounting of DOS virtual volume files.
The DOS-hosted p-System is run by executing PSYSTEM.COM (experienced DOS users will note the age of this executable by the fact that it is a .COM file, rather than an .EXE), with (almost) arbitrarily many virtual volume files as parameters. The first will be used to boot the system from, so it must contain a bootable system configuration (see the manuals). It will be designated the root volume, and at least at initialization, the prefixed volume. Other virtual volume parameters will also have the volumes they contain mounted on-line.
If the p-System’s file SYSTEM.CONFIG has the appropriate drivers installed, the DOS-hosted p-System, when run on a PC whose hard drive contains autonomous p-System partitions, will mount each partition in addition to mounting the virtual volume files.
An obvious usage of virtual volume files is to place a common boot volume file, and a common volume file of tools and library units, onto a central file server from which all PC’s using the p-System can use them to boot.
On modern systems PSYSTEM.COM can only be used in a DOS emulator (Windows, Linux). DOSBOX works fine, see the console session below.
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TDI MS-DOS hosted p-System (full scan!) |
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Personal computing with the UCSD p-System |
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Personal computing with the UCSD p-System Second Edition |
Hosted p-System dated 1984 (IV 2.1)
Archive with a complete MS-DOS hosted p-System dated 1984
DOS hosted psystem use:
Start by executing the file psystem (either from command line or double
clicking on it).
It supports volumes #14..#19, volume psystem.vol get mounted on #14 by default. The volumes can be specified on the command line and are mounted
in order.
To mount or dis-mount volumes from the psystem run the dosfiler.code program:
{code]
X->psystem:dosfiler or X->#14:dosfiler.
[/code]
Hosted p-System dated 1988 (IV 2.2 R1.1
Archive with a complete MS-DOS hosted p-System dated 1988
With MS-Mouse support. Large system volume, alternatives in folders.
This folder contains the sources and some old data for an accounting system. To run it:- 1. Call the batch file (accs.bat) 2. Ignore the 'redirection error' 3. Enter 'x' (short for 'execute') 4. Program prompts 'Execute what file ?' 5. Enter 'ledger l=*acclib' and hit enter. 6. All passwords are empty. Sources for the nominal ledger are in the volume idxacc3: " " " sales & purchase ledgers " " " " idxspl3: " " " utilities " " " " idxutl3: The data files " " " " legdat: Compiled utilities " " " " accutl:
Sample session with the 1988 version
Assuming that all files can be found at D:\UCSD\PSYS22 D:\ucsd\psys22psystem psystem.vol putil.vol Command: E(dit, R(un, F(ile, C(omp, L(ink, X(ecute, A(ssem,? [IV.2.2 R1.1] X Execute what file? DOSFILER DOS Filer: L(ist dir, E(xt dir, C(hange, R(emove, P(refix, T(o DOS,? [1R1.4] M Mount what file? PUTIL.VOL D:\UCSD\PSYS22\PUTIL.VOL mounted. DOS Filer: L(ist dir, E(xt dir, C(hange, R(emove, P(refix, T(o DOS,? [1R1.4] Q Command: E(dit, R(un, F(ile, C(omp, L(ink, X(ecute, A(ssem,? [IV.2.2 R1.1] F Filer: L(dir, R(em, C(hng, T(rans, D(ate, Q(uit, B(ad-blks, E(xt-dir,? [6R4.0d] V Vols on-line: 1 CONSOLE: 2 SYSTERM: 6 PRINTER: 7 REMIN: 8 REMOUT: 12 # PSYS: [ 5000] 13 # PUTIL: [ 1440] 20 # SYD: [ 61] on volume PSYS: starting at block 470 22 # CON2: [ 131] on volume PSYS: starting at block 729 23 # MSMOUSE: [ 34] on volume PSYS: starting at block 860 Root vol is - PSYS: Prefix is - PSYS: Filer: L(dir, R(em, C(hng, T(rans, D(ate, Q(uit, B(ad-blks, E(xt-dir,? [6R4.0d] L Dir listing of what vol ? PSYS: PSYS: SYSTEM.FONT 2 4-Jan-84 SYSTEM.PME.86 32 8-Jul-86 SYSTEM.CONFIG 27 1-Jul-99 SYSTEM.FILER 46 6-Jan-86 SYSTEM.SYNTAX 16 5-Feb-87 SYSTEM.MISCINFO 2 23-Jun-99 SYSTEM.COMPILER 116 21-Aug-87 SYSTEM.PASCAL 163 4-May-88 CONFIGURE.CODE 60 25-Sep-84 SYD.SVOL 61 30-Mar-88 SYSTEM.STARTUP 10 31-Aug-87 CON1.SVOL 177 30-Mar-88 CON2.SVOL 131 1-Oct-87 MSMOUSE.SVOL 34 1-Apr-88 SYSTEM.EDITOR 100 3-Apr-95 LIBRARY.CODE 14 17-Nov-86 DISKFORMAT.EDOC 11 27-Jan-88 RATES.TEXT 4 27-Jan-90 VCNTRL.DATA 2 1-Jul-99 RATELIB.TEXT 4 3-May-90 XLVCNTRL.DATA 2 26-Jul-90 LVCNTRL.DATA 2 18-Oct-90 SYSTEM.LIBRARY 127 30-Aug-90 QUICKSTART.CODE 25 29-Mar-84 SVCNTRL.DATA 2 18-Oct-90 TVCNTRL.DATA 2 18-Oct-90 MVCNTRL.DATA 2 2-Dec-88 EXTCHARS.TEXT 26 24-Mar-90 TESTCHAR.TEXT 6 28-Oct-90 DOSFILER.CODE 21 21-Aug-86 30/30 files<listed/in-dir>, 1233 blocks used, 3767 unused, 3756 in largest Filer: L(dir, R(em, C(hng, T(rans, D(ate, Q(uit, B(ad-blks, E(xt-dir,? [6R4.0d] L Dir listing of what vol ? PSYS: PUTIL: READ.ME.TEXT 6 1-Apr-88 CONFIGURE.CODE 60 25-Sep-84 LIBRARY.CODE 14 17-Nov-86 XREF.CODE 28 19-Nov-87 DECODE.CODE 34 26-Nov-86 PATCH.CODE 32 16-May-84 RECOVER.CODE 9 5-Jul-84 COPYDUPDIR.CODE 4 5-Jul-84 MARKDUPDIR.CODE 4 5-Jul-84 DISKSIZE.CODE 15 1-Mar-84 SPOOLER.CODE 11 24-Oct-83 SPOOLOPS.CODE 8 20-Aug-84 QUICKSTART.CODE 25 29-Mar-84 WILD.CODE 7 21-Oct-83 CHKSUMOPS.CODE 6 25-Oct-83 README.BACK 4 8-Apr-86 VCNTRLOOK.TEXT 26 5-Oct-88 VCNTRLOOK.CODE 14 22-May-90 --------.---- 1 10-Dec-90 SETUP.CODE 84 19-Jul-84 DISKFORMAT.CODE 11 27-Jan-88 POPTYSE.SVOL 250 16-Nov-90 VCNTRLSTP.TEXT 28 10-Dec-90 VCNTRLSTP.CODE 18 10-Dec-90 SYD.SVOL 61 30-Mar-88 CON1.SVOL 177 30-Mar-88 CON2.SVOL 131 1-Oct-87 MSMOUSE.SVOL 34 1-Apr-88 PAT.SVOL 100 30-Mar-88 DRT.SVOL 38 23-Feb-87 ASI.SVOL 170 23-Feb-87 GETFUNCS.TEXT 14 25-Jan-83 README.TEXT 10 2-Feb-99 33/33 files<listed/in-dir>, 1440 blocks used, 0 unused, 0 in largest Filer: L(dir, R(em, C(hng, T(rans, D(ate, Q(uit, B(ad-blks, E(xt-dir,? [6R4.0d] P Prefix titles by what vol ? PUTIL: Prefix is PUTIL: Filer: L(dir, R(em, C(hng, T(rans, D(ate, Q(uit, B(ad-blks, E(xt-dir,? [6R4.0d] Q Command: E(dit, R(un, F(ile, C(omp, L(ink, X(ecute, A(ssem,? [IV.2.2 R1.1] X Execute what file? QUICKSTART Quickstart: P(rogram, S(ystem, C(opy, L(ibrary, M(essages, Q(uit [2R3.2] _ Toggle settings: Copy OFF, Library copy OFF, Messages OFF and so on ... Back to the initial menu level, just type 'H' to halt the system (back to DOS)