VAX Simulator Entering Time Incorrectly on First Boot

[horuden]

• Context

  After restoring the save set from the standalone VMS 7.2 or 7.3 and booting for the first time from the hard disk you are requested to enter the date and time. The emulator appears to be attempting to enter it automatically for me, which is nice, however there appears to be an extra space in-between the date and the time which causes a %DCL-W-MAXPARM error that just endlessly repeats.

I only included output for the vax8600 simulator, but I have tried this using both the vax 8600 and the regular vax emulator and I get the same results.

I did attempt to google my issue, and I can't seem to find anything, which could definitely be my own fault. Maybe there is a simple answer to this that I have just overlooked, but I sure would appreciate any help that you all could provide me! :)

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

  sim> show version
  VAX 8650 simulator V4.0-0 Current
  Simulator Framework Capabilities:
      64b data
      64b addresses
      Threaded Ethernet Packet transports:PCAP:TAP: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 12.1.0
      Simulator Compiled as C arch: x64 (Release Build) on Jul 19 2022 at 16:29:40
      Build Tool: simh-makefile
      Memory Access: Little Endian
      Memory Pointer Size: 64 bits
      Large File (>2GB) support
      SDL Video support: No Video Support
      PCRE RegEx (Version 8.45 2021-06-15) support for EXPECT commands
      OS clock resolution: 1ms
      Time taken by msleep(1): 1ms
      Ethernet packet info: libpcap version 1.10.1 (with TPACKET_V3)
      OS: Linux souji 5.18.12-arch1-1 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Fri, 15 Jul 2022 15:33:02 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux
      Processor Name: Intel(R) Pentium(R) CPU G860 @ 3.00GHz
      tar tool: tar (GNU tar) 1.34
      curl tool: curl 7.84.0 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu) libcurl/7.84.0 OpenSSL/1.1.1q zlib/1.2.12 brotli/1.0.9 zstd/1.5.2 libidn2/2.3.3 libpsl/0.21.1 (+libidn2/2.3.0) libssh2/1.10.0 nghttp2/1.48.0
      git commit id: 677e89ba
      git commit time: 2022-07-12T13:54:58-0700

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

  I am building the simulator from the open-simh/simh source myself, running Arch Linux, compiler output follows:

make vax8600
lib paths are: /usr/lib/ /usr/lib/libfakeroot/ /usr/lib32/ /lib/
include paths are:  /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu/12.1.0/include /usr/local/include /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu/12.1.0/include-fixed /usr/include
using libm: /usr/lib/libm.so
using librt: /usr/lib/librt.a
using libpthread: /usr/lib/libpthread.a /usr/include/pthread.h
using libpcre: /usr/lib/libpcre.so /usr/include/pcre.h
using semaphore: /usr/include/semaphore.h
using libdl: /usr/lib/libdl.a /usr/include/dlfcn.h
using libpng: /usr/lib/libpng.so /usr/include/png.h
using zlib: /usr/lib/libz.so /usr/include/zlib.h
using mman: /usr/include/sys/mman.h
using libpcap: /usr/include/pcap.h
*** Info ***
*** Info *** vax8600 Simulator is being built with
*** Info *** minimal libpcap networking support
*** Info ***
*** Info ***
*** Info *** Simulators on your Linux platform can also be built with
*** Info *** extended LAN Ethernet networking support by using VDE Ethernet.
*** Info ***
*** Info *** To build simulator(s) with extended networking support you
*** Info *** should read 0readme_ethernet.txt and follow the instructions
*** Info *** regarding the needed libvdeplug components for your Linux
*** Info *** platform
*** Info ***
***
*** vax8600 Simulator being built with:
*** - compiler optimizations and no debugging support. GCC Version: 12.1.0.
*** - dynamic networking support using Linux provided libpcap components.
*** - Local LAN packet transports: PCAP TAP NAT(SLiRP)
*** - Per simulator tests will be run.
***
*** git commit id is 677e89bab08a685c271923cd9b0077acffdad153.
*** git commit time is 2022-07-12T13:54:58-0700.
***
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=677e89bab08a685c271923cd9b0077acffdad153 -DSIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME=2022-07-12T13:54:58-0700  -DSIM_COMPILER="GCC Version: 12.1.0" -DSIM_BUILD_TOOL=simh-makefile -I . -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_UTIME -DHAVE_LIBPNG -DHAVE_ZLIB -DHAVE_GLOB -DHAVE_SHM_OPEN  ./VAX/vax_cpu.c ./VAX/vax_cpu1.c ./VAX/vax_fpa.c ./VAX/vax_cis.c ./VAX/vax_octa.c  ./VAX/vax_cmode.c ./VAX/vax_mmu.c ./VAX/vax_sys.c  ./VAX/vax_syscm.c ./VAX/vax860_stddev.c ./VAX/vax860_sbia.c ./VAX/vax860_abus.c ./VAX/vax780_uba.c ./VAX/vax7x0_mba.c ./VAX/vax860_syslist.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_xu.c ./PDP11/pdp11_ry.c ./PDP11/pdp11_cr.c ./PDP11/pdp11_rp.c ./PDP11/pdp11_tu.c ./PDP11/pdp11_hk.c ./PDP11/pdp11_vh.c ./PDP11/pdp11_dmc.c ./PDP11/pdp11_dup.c ./PDP11/pdp11_td.c ./PDP11/pdp11_tc.c ./PDP11/pdp11_rk.c ./PDP11/pdp11_io_lib.c ./PDP11/pdp11_ch.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 -DVAX_860 -DUSE_INT64 -DUSE_ADDR64 -I VAX -I ./PDP11 -DHAVE_PCAP_NETWORK -I/usr/include/ -DBPF_CONST_STRING -DUSE_SHARED -DHAVE_TAP_NETWORK -Islirp -Islirp_glue -Islirp_glue/qemu -DHAVE_SLIRP_NETWORK -DUSE_SIMH_SLIRP_DEBUG slirp/*.c slirp_glue/*.c -o BIN/vax8600 -lm -lrt -lpthread -lpcre -ldl -lpng -lz  
BIN/vax8600 RegisterSanityCheck /home/horuden/src/open-simh/VAX/tests/vax-diag_test.ini </dev/null 
 Running internal register sanity checks on VAX 8600 simulator.
*** Good Registers in VAX 8600 simulator.

VAX 8600 simulator V4.0-0 Current        git commit id: 677e89ba
Running Hardware Core Test (EVKAA)

*** PASSED - VAX 8600 Hardware Core Instruction test EVKAA

Starting VAX Diagnostic Supervisor

Running - VAX Basic Instructions Exerciser EVKAB

*** PASSED - VAX Basic Instructions Exerciser EVKAB

Running - VAX Floating Point Instructions Exerciser EVKAC

*** PASSED - VAX Floating Point Instructions Exerciser EVKAC

Running - VAX Compatibility Mode Instructions Exerciser EVKAD

*** PASSED - VAX Compatibility Mode Instructions Exerciser EVKAD

*** All Diagnostic Supervisor tests PASSED ***

• the simulator configuration file (or commands) which were used when the problem occurred.

  cat vms73.ini 
  ;;;;    VAX 8650 Running VMS 7.2    ;;;;
  ;
  ; Set up the CPU.
  SET CPU MODEL=8650
  SET CPU IDLE=VMS
  SET CPU 64m
  ;
  ; Set up the hard disk drives. 
  ; RA92 is largest-supported VAX drive. (1.5GB)
  SET RQ0 ra92
  ATTACH RQ0 ./disk/vax0.dsk
  SET RQ1 ra92
  ATTACH RQ1 ./disk/data1.dsk
  SET RQ2 ra92
  ATTACH RQ2 ./disk/data2.dsk
  ;
  ;Set up the CD-ROM drive.
  SET RQ3 cdrom
  ATTACH -r RQ3 ./disk/VAXVMS73OS.iso
  ;
  ;Set up Mag Tape Drive (TE16):
  SET TU0 enable
  SET TU1 disable
  SET TU2 disable
  SET TU3 disable
  SET TU4 disable
  SET TU5 disable
  SET TU6 disable
  SET TU7 disable
  ;
  ;Set up terminal multiplexor
  SET DZ enable
  SET DZ LINES=8
  ATTACH DZ LINE=0,connect=/dev/ttyUSB0
  ATTACH DZ 10001
  ;
  ;Set up Printing
  SET LPT enable
  ATTACH LPT ./print/%DATE_YYYY%%DATE_MM%%DATE_DD.txt
  SET LPT append
  expect -p "(DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM)" send -t after=500k "%DATE_DD%-%DATE_MMM%-%DATE_YYYY%  %TIME_HH%:%TIME_MM%\r"; continue
  ;expect -p "(DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM)" send -t after=500k "%DATE_DD%-%DATE_MMM%-%DATE_YYYY% %TIME%\r"; continue
  ;
  ; Attach Ethernet to a network interface
  ;SET XU enable
  ;SET XU mac=AA-00-04-08-00-2B
  ;ATTACH XU tap:tap0
  ;
  ; Disable unused devices. 
  SET HK disable 
  SET RL disable
  SET RK disable
  SET RP disable
  SET RY disable
  SET TC disable
  SET TS disable
  SET TQ disable
  SET VH disable
  SET TDC disable
  SET RQB disable
  SET RQC disable
  SET RQD disable
  SET XUB disable
  ;
  ; Start the emulator
  ;BOOT RQ0

• the expected behavior and the actual behavior

  I would expect to either A) have to enter the date and time myself, or B) for the date and time to be entered automatically correctly, i.e. without the extra space

sim> boot rq0
%SIM-INFO: Loading boot code from internal vmb.exe

%SYSBOOT-I-SYSBOOT Mapping the SYSDUMP.DMP on the System Disk
%SYSBOOT-W-SYSBOOT Can not map SYSDUMP.DMP on the System Disk
%SYSBOOT-I-SYSBOOT Mapping PAGEFILE.SYS on the System Disk
%SYSBOOT-I-SYSBOOT SAVEDUMP parameter not set to protect the PAGEFILE.SYS
   OpenVMS (TM) VAX Version BI73-7G7 Major version id = 1 Minor version id = 0
%WBM-I-WBMINFO Write Bitmap has successfully completed initialization.

           OpenVMS VAX V7.3 Installation Procedure

                         Model: VAX 8650
                 System device: RA92 - _DUA0:
                   Free Blocks: 2854566
                      CPU type: 04-00

* Please enter the date and time (DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM) 19-Jul-2022  17:50
%DCL-W-MAXPARM, too many parameters - reenter command with fewer parameters
 \17\

* Please enter the date and time (DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM) 19-Jul-2022  17:50
%DCL-W-MAXPARM, too many parameters - reenter command with fewer parameters
 \17\

* Please enter the date and time (DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM) 19-Jul-2022  17:50
%DCL-W-MAXPARM, too many parameters - reenter command with fewer parameters
 \17\

[markpizz]

Noice in your configuration file you've got these lines:

expect -p "(DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM)" send -t after=500k "%DATE_DD%-%DATE_MMM%-%DATE_YYYY%  %TIME_HH%:%TIME_MM%\r"; continue
;expect -p "(DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM)" send -t after=500k "%DATE_DD%-%DATE_MMM%-%DATE_YYYY% %TIME%\r"; continue

It is these lines (actually only the first since the second is commented out) that are responding to the OS prompt for the date and time.

The non commented out line has 2 spaces between the date and time. The commented out line has one space between the date and time. I would suggest that you comment out the first and uncomment the second and try again, or if you want to enter the date and time yourself, comment out BOTH.

[horuden]

Oh wow... Sure enough that solved my issue. Well I feel dumb now, I thought I was getting pretty good at RTFMing, but apparently not. I honestly thought that had something to do with the printer files. Thank you for taking the time to hold my hand for a minute, I very much appreciate it!