[HECnet] RSX or RSTS

[Lee Gleason]

On 3/20/2020 10:04 PM, Robert Armstrong wrote:
>
>   So, the question is, what OS should I put on it?  RSX or RSTS?  It 
> has to be something that can make good use of the hardware.
>
>   No Unix, please – I’ve already got a nice 11/83 with 2.11bsd on it.
>
>
Lee K. Gleason wrote
>
>   I've worked on RSTS and RSX both.
>
>   WIth RSTS, DEC held you at arm's length - no real access to 
> internals. If you like what you get, you're OK. If you want to extend 
> the systems, learn about internals, add support for strange devices - 
> you're out of luck. It's a pretty "vanilla" sort of environment.
>
>   WIth RSX, the internals are documented, there's a dozen ways to 
> access them, and you are pracatically invited to roll up your sleeves 
> and get to work on the innards. Strange devices (hardware and 
> "software" devices both) are welcome. Sources to the Executive come 
> with every system. Many examples are in MACRO.
>
>   At my RSTS site, it was a good choice (it was used for Accounting 
> there, so stability and ease of use was important). My two RSX sites, 
> one had a lot of weird devices and needed plenty of extensions written 
> to provide needed support, and the other was an engineering site, lots 
> of exotic requirements, so RSX was the winner at both of those places.
>
>    And, a purely subjective opinion - RSX is more fun.
>
--

Lee K. Gleason N5ZMR

Control-G Consultants

lee.gleason at comcast.net

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