[HECnet] RSTS/E 10.1 BASIC-2-PLUS problem

[Paul Koning]

Command processing in RSTS depends on which runtime system (more precisely, "keyboard monitor") you're currently in. 

If you're in DCL, standard DCL commands (like "copy") are understood.  "help" is another standard DCL command.

In most other runtime systems, like BASIC, there are a few built-in commands that relate more to the purpose of that runtime system (like "SAVE" or "OLD").  

In addition, keyboard monitors normally understand any of the defined "system commands" -- also called "CCL commands".   Those are commands defined via the create command/system DCL operation, and you can see them with show command/system.  For example:

$ show com/sys
BCK-       =  SY:[  0,10 ]RMSBCK.TSK /LINE=0
BYE-       =  SY:[  1,2  ]LOGOUT.TSK /LINE=0    /PRIVILEGE
CNV-       =  SY:[  0,10 ]RMSCNV.TSK /LINE=0
DI-RECTORY =  SY:[  1,2  ]DIRECT.TSK /LINE=CCL  /PRIVILEGE
...

In my system, "help" is not shown there, so while DCL knows it, other RTS would not.  If your system does respond to it, what is the command definition?

As for [0,2]help.tsk, that's a strange protection code.  Mine has <104> and I can see no reason why that program should be privileged.

	paul

> On Sep 17, 2018, at 10:30 AM, Keith Halewood <Keith.Halewood at pitbulluk.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Paul,
>  
> Thanks for the info. Other than help.hlp, there is only help.tsk in [0,2] and it has protection <232> (privileged, execute, world readonly, group+owner read/write)
> After a backup, I’ll do some further experimentation.
>  
> Regards
>  
> Keith
>  
> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf Of Paul Koning
> Sent: 17 September 2018 14:01
> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
> Subject: Re: [HECnet] RSTS/E 10.1 BASIC-2-PLUS problem
>  
>  
> 
> 
> On Sep 14, 2018, at 5:26 PM, Keith Halewood <Keith.Halewood at pitbulluk.org> wrote:
>  
> Hi,
>  
> I’ve been playing with RSTS/E for a short while, particularly BASIC PLUS. I’ve noted that, logged into account [1,2] I can issue HELP from within BASIC and it’s all fine. From a non-privileged account I created, HELP within BASIC gives me a ‘?Protection violation’ but it seems that all the .HLP files relevant to BASIC have the correct <40> file protection. Am I missing something? Any help would be appreciated.
>  
> Regards,
>  
> Keith
>  
> "help" is most likely a CCL command -- a command defined, typically at startup, that is handled by executing a program.
>  
> You're right that the actual content in in the *.hlp files, and they need to be protected <40> for that to work.  But in addition, the program that handles the command has to be executable by non-privileged users.  So look in [0,*] or [1,2] for a help.* file (help.tsk, help.bac, help.sav perhaps).  It has to be executable (64 bit set in the protection code).  So a typical protection code would be 104.
>  
>             paul