MicroVAX 3900 RQ device: Non-existent parameter - RRD42

[CoherentLogic]

• Context

  When trying to set an RQ device (specifically RQ2) to RRD40 (though the same happens when using CDROM or RRD42), the following error occurs:

 /home/danae/danae.ini-10> ATTACH RQ2 /home/danae/storage/vax-vms.iso
%SIM-INFO: RQ2: Unit is read only
%SIM-ERROR: RQ device: Non-existent parameter - RRD42
%SIM-ERROR: RQ2: Cannot set to drive type RRD42

• the output of "sim> SHOW VERSION" while running the simulator which is having the issue

sim> show version
MicroVAX 3900 simulator Open SIMH V4.1-0 Current
    Simulator Framework Capabilities:
        64b data
        64b addresses
        Threaded Ethernet Packet transports:PCAP:TAP:VDE:NAT:UDP
        Idle/Throttling support is available
        Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) support
        RAW disk and CD/DVD ROM support
        Asynchronous I/O support (Lock free asynchronous event queue)
        Asynchronous Clock support
        FrontPanel API Version 12
    Host Platform:
        Compiler: GCC 8.3.0
        Simulator Compiled as C arch: x64 (Release Build) on Feb  3 2023 at 06:58:48
        Build Tool: simh-makefile
        Memory Access: Little Endian
        Memory Pointer Size: 64 bits
        Large File (>2GB) support
        SDL Video support: SDL Version 2.0.9, PNG Version 1.6.36, zlib: 1.2.11
        PCRE RegEx (Version 8.39 2016-06-14) support for EXPECT commands
        OS clock resolution: 1ms
        Time taken by msleep(1): 1ms
        Ethernet packet info: libpcap version 1.8.1
        OS: Linux danae-host 4.19.0-23-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 4.19.269-1 (2022-12-20) x86_64 GNU/Linux
        Processor Name: Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4210 CPU @ 2.20GHz
        tar tool: tar (GNU tar) 1.30
        git commit id: 949359fd
        git commit time: 2023-02-02T15:34:02-0500

• how you built the simulator or that you're using prebuilt binaries

  
  root@danae-host:/usr/local/src# git clone https://github.com/open-simh/simh.git
  Cloning into 'simh'...
  remote: Enumerating objects: 35142, done.
  remote: Counting objects: 100% (93/93), done.
  remote: Compressing objects: 100% (79/79), done.
  remote: Total 35142 (delta 43), reused 25 (delta 14), pack-reused 35049
  Receiving objects: 100% (35142/35142), 78.59 MiB | 29.23 MiB/s, done.
  Resolving deltas: 100% (27215/27215), done.
  root@danae-host:/usr/local/src# cd simh/
  root@danae-host:/usr/local/src/simh# make vax |& tee -a ~/build-output.txt
  ib paths are: /lib/ /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libfakeroot/ /usr/lib/
  include paths are:  /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/8/include /usr/local/include /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/8/include-fixed /usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu /usr/include
  using libm: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm.so
  using librt: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/librt.so
  using libpthread: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so /usr/include/pthread.h
  using libpcre: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpcre.so /usr/include/pcre.h
  using semaphore: /usr/include/semaphore.h
  using libdl: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdl.so /usr/include/dlfcn.h
  using libedit: /usr/include/editline/readline.h
  using libpng: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpng.so /usr/include/png.h
  using zlib: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libz.so /usr/include/zlib.h
  using mman: /usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu/sys/mman.h
  using libSDL2: /usr/include/SDL2/SDL.h
  *** No SDL ttf support available.  BESM-6 video panel disabled.
  ***
  *** Info *** Install the development components of libSDL2-ttf
  *** Info *** packaged for your Linux operating system distribution:
  *** Info ***        $ sudo apt-get install libsdl2-ttf-dev
  using libpcap: /usr/include/pcap.h
  using libvdeplug: /lib/libvdeplug.so /usr/include/libvdeplug.h
  ***
  *** vax Simulator being built with:
  *** - compiler optimizations and no debugging support. GCC Version: 8.3.0.
  *** - dynamic networking support using Linux provided libpcap components.
  *** - Local LAN packet transports: PCAP VDE TAP NAT(SLiRP)
  *** - video capabilities provided by libSDL2 (Simple Directmedia Layer).
  *** - Per simulator tests will be run.
  ***
  *** git commit id is 2374c3b6b3e26f8920a50297ad7422d35aa769c7.
  *** git commit time is 2023-02-02T14:56:33-0500.
  ***
  gcc -std=gnu99 -U__STRICT_ANSI__  -O2 -finline-functions -fgcse-after-reload -fpredictive-commoning -fipa-cp-clone -fno-unsafe-loop-optimizations -fno-strict-overflow -DSIM_GIT_COMMIT_ID=2374c3b6b3e26f8920a50297ad7422d35aa769c7 -DSIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME=2023-02-02T14:56:33-0500  -DSIM_COMPILER="GCC Version: 8.3.0" -DSIM_BUILD_TOOL=simh-makefile -I . -Werror -D_GNU_SOURCE -DUSE_READER_THREAD -DSIM_ASYNCH_IO  -DHAVE_PCRE_H -DHAVE_SEMAPHORE -DHAVE_SYS_IOCTL -DHAVE_LINUX_CDROM -DSIM_HAVE_DLOPEN=so -DHAVE_EDITLINE -DHAVE_UTIME -DHAVE_LIBPNG -DHAVE_ZLIB -DHAVE_GLOB -DHAVE_SHM_OPEN  ./VAX/vax_cpu.c ./VAX/vax_cpu1.c ./VAX/vax_fpa.c ./VAX/vax_io.c ./VAX/vax_cis.c ./VAX/vax_octa.c  ./VAX/vax_cmode.c ./VAX/vax_mmu.c ./VAX/vax_stddev.c ./VAX/vax_sysdev.c ./VAX/vax_sys.c  ./VAX/vax_syscm.c ./VAX/vax_syslist.c ./VAX/vax_vc.c ./VAX/vax_lk.c ./VAX/vax_vs.c ./VAX/vax_2681.c ./PDP11/pdp11_rl.c ./PDP11/pdp11_rq.c ./PDP11/pdp11_ts.c ./PDP11/pdp11_dz.c ./PDP11/pdp11_lp.c ./PDP11/pdp11_tq.c ./PDP11/pdp11_xq.c ./PDP11/pdp11_vh.c ./PDP11/pdp11_cr.c ./PDP11/pdp11_td.c ./PDP11/pdp11_io_lib.c ./PDP11/pdp11_dup.c ./scp.c ./sim_console.c ./sim_fio.c ./sim_timer.c ./sim_sock.c ./sim_tmxr.c ./sim_ether.c ./sim_tape.c ./sim_disk.c ./sim_serial.c ./sim_video.c ./sim_imd.c ./sim_card.c -DVM_VAX -DUSE_INT64 -DUSE_ADDR64 -DUSE_SIM_VIDEO -I ./VAX -I ./PDP11 -DHAVE_PCAP_NETWORK -I/usr/include/ -DBPF_CONST_STRING -DUSE_SHARED -DHAVE_VDE_NETWORK -DHAVE_TAP_NETWORK -Islirp -Islirp_glue -Islirp_glue/qemu -DHAVE_SLIRP_NETWORK -DUSE_SIMH_SLIRP_DEBUG slirp/*.c slirp_glue/*.c -DHAVE_LIBSDL -DUSE_SIM_VIDEO `sdl2-config --cflags` `sdl2-config --libs` -o BIN/vax -lm -lrt -lpthread -lpcre -ldl -ledit -ltermcap -lpng -lz -lvdeplug -Wl,-R,/lib/ -L/lib/
  cp BIN/vax BIN/microvax3900
  BIN/vax RegisterSanityCheck /usr/local/src/simh/VAX/tests/vax-diag_test.ini </dev/null
  Running internal register sanity checks on MicroVAX 3900 simulator.
  *** Good Registers in MicroVAX 3900 simulator.

MicroVAX 3900 simulator Open SIMH V4.1-0 Current git commit id: 2374c3b6 Running Hardware Core Test (EHKAA)

*** PASSED - MicroVAX 3900 Hardware Core Instruction test EHKAA

- #### the simulator configuration file (or commands) which were used when the problem occurred.
<!--- The simulator configuration file, and any other relatively small files can be attached to this issue now or after it is created -->

LOAD -r /home/danae/rom/ka655x.bin ATTACH nvr /home/danae/nvram.bin

SET RQ0 RA92 SET RQ1 RA92 SET RQ2 RRD40 SET RQ3 RA92 ATTACH RQ0 /home/danae/storage/DANAE-RQ0.dsk ATTACH RQ1 /home/danae/storage/DANAE-RQ1.dsk ATTACH RQ2 /home/danae/storage/vax-vms.iso ATTACH RQ3 /home/danae/storage/DANAE-RQ3.dsk SET RL DISABLE SET TS DISABLE SET CPU 64M SET CPU IDLE ATTACH XQ ens224

SET CPU CONHALT DEP BDR 0 BOOT CPU EXIT

- #### the expected behavior and the actual behavior
<!--- Please provide the output the simulator produced when you experienced the problem -->
The expected behavior is to set device `RQ2` to type `RRD40`.

Actual behavior is:

danae@danae-host:~$ sudo /usr/local/bin/vax danae.ini

MicroVAX 3900 simulator Open SIMH V4.1-0 Current git commit id: 2374c3b6 /home/danae/danae.ini-2> ATTACH nvr /home/danae/nvram.bin %SIM-INFO: NVR: buffering file in memory /home/danae/danae.ini-8> ATTACH RQ0 /home/danae/storage/DANAE-RQ0.dsk %SIM-INFO: RQ0: '/home/danae/storage/DANAE-RQ0.dsk' Contains ODS2 File system %SIM-INFO: RQ0: Volume Name: DANAESYS Format: DECFILE11B Sectors In Volume: 2940951 /home/danae/danae.ini-10> ATTACH RQ2 /home/danae/storage/vax-vms.iso %SIM-INFO: RQ2: Unit is read only %SIM-ERROR: RQ device: Non-existent parameter - RRD42 %SIM-ERROR: RQ2: Cannot set to drive type RRD42 /home/danae/danae.ini-16> ATTACH XQ ens224 %SIM-INFO: Eth: opened OS device ens224

KA655-B V5.3, VMB 2.7 Performing normal system tests. 40..39..38..37..36..35..34.. Simulation stopped, PC: 20051B6B (SOBGTR R3,20051B60)

[pkoning2]

I just tried this using a V5.4 condist ISO file (from Bitsavers) and it works just fine.
The ISO file size reported by the attach command is unexpected, that translates to 1.4 GB which of course is bigger than a CDROM. I wonder if that's the reason. But I have no idea where that message comes from; it doesn't appear in the source code for the RQ device.

[CoherentLogic]

The ISO filesize isn't listed in the above output. DANAE-RQ0.dsk is the system volume on which VMS is installed. vax-vms.iso is 523M:

danae@danae-host:~$ ls -l storage/vax-vms.iso
-rwxr-xr-x 1 danae danae 547375616 Feb  2 17:01 storage/vax-vms.iso
danae@danae-host:~$ ls -lh storage/vax-vms.iso
-rwxr-xr-x 1 danae danae 523M Feb  2 17:01 storage/vax-vms.iso

[pkoning2]

It looks like I misread the log. But I don't see this behavior. Can you make the ISO file available?

[CoherentLogic]

http://216.223.229.240/~jpw/vax-vms.iso

[CoherentLogic]

Also of note, SimH 3.8 will use the same ISO with the same configuration. So, I installed VMS on the emulated VAX with 3.8, and I run it in OpenSimH so that I can use networking without a tun/tap device.

[markpizz]

That disk image was created using an InfoServer1000 simulator and it was done relatively early in the disk container with meta-data window.

The https://github.com/simh/simh repo has support for cross simulator accessing of disk containers where that concept makes sense. It makes sense to allow SCSI and most other disk containers to be attached to MSCP controllers and likewise for most disk containers to be attached on a SCSI controller.

That container might work just fine on simulators which have native SCSI devices. The Open-simh repo does not have support for mixed simulator disk container access, however to use this container attached to a MSCP disk controller, this should work:

sim> zap vax-vms.iso
sim> set rq1 cdrom
sim> attach rq1 vax-vms.iso

[pkoning2]

Yes, just get rid of the metadata and things work. That is why SIMH 3.x worked -- it doesn't include the metadata stuff.

The "zap" command will strip any metadata from an existing container.

[CoherentLogic]

This definitely works! Thank you all very much.

Has your group considered taking donations? I would very much like to support the project with at least a little something, should you all decide to head in that direction.

SimH is wonderful.