plato:operation.r2:nos2.guides:add.diskpack

Adding New Master Files

CYBIS (R2) Operation and Usage (Virtual Book)

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Disk Drive Circa 1970

A Word of Advice

You are encouraged to read this ENTIRE article before proceeding.

You really may not need to add packs to the configuration. During the construction of Release 2, we built a considerable amount of free space for just about any purpose.

Additionally - there are some very good reasons to consider not adding a pack.

  • Once you have done it you will not easily be able to undo it.
  • If and when there is a new release you will have to do part of this all over again.
  • You will have to figure out what part by yourself!

Overview

This article is a continuation of Create NOS Disk Pack. The state of the system, at the end of that article should have left you with:

  • TWO newly initialized disk packs GEN1 and GEN2
  • a running NOS system with the above packs TEMPORARILY configured during deadstart
  • PLATO up and running on that system, with the same configuration it had after installation

Check Your Work

If you have made any errors or don't want to proceed, you may simply dead-start your system, remove the two pack definitions from cyber.ini and everything will be as it was.

The procedure that follows, involves making significant changes to the deadstart tape, pack configurations and enabling PLATO to see the new packs.

Be Aware

Once this procedure is complete, PLATO will attempt to use these packs for general storage and, therefore, must always be present when the system is operating.

In this procedure, in addition to creating 10 (ten) new Master Files, we will prepare one new deadstart tape. This new deadstart tape will contain three configuration changes which:

  1. add the disk pack equipment to NOS
  2. add the Master Files to PLATO
  3. increment the number of expected Master Files on PLATO

MAKE A BACKUP!

If you haven't done so already - you might not want to proceed.

1. Load Current Configurations

In this step, we will load the current configurations from the current deadstart tape, to a PLATO file called dstmods (deadstart modifications) in the system account on PLATO.

On the running PLATO system, logged in as a group s user (preferrably admin)

  1. Create a new two-part CODE file named dstmods (ie. Deadstart Modifications) in account system, then create the following three SOURCE blocks and populate them with a single character.

    Why this step?

    It doesn't matter what you put in the block since it will be overwritten shortly. Providing content in the block prevents the editor from freeing that block:

    1. eqpdeck (will contain the Equipment Deck entries)
    2. config (will contain the PLATO Configuration entries)
    3. mfnx (will contain the Master File configuration entries)

  2. BACK up to the SYSTEM MODE page.
    This step is important because it will write the dstmods code file back to disk, and release the reservation on the file so the next steps don't fail.

  3. From the dtCyber NOS console enter the following:

    X.DIS. USER(SYS,<password>) COMMON(SYSTEM) GTR(SYSTEM,EQPDECK)TEXT/EQPD01 GTR(SYSTEM,CONFIG)TEXT/CONFIG GTR(SYSTEM,MFNX)PROC/MFNX PF(W,PB,EQPDECK,DSTMODS,EQPDECK,S) PF(W,PB,CONFIG,DSTMODS,CONFIG,S) PF(W,PB,MFNX,DSTMODS,MFNX,S) DROP.

The above commands do the following:

  1. Copy (Get Tape Record), as a local file from the deadstart tape, the three files:
    1. EQPD01 (Equipment deck)
    2. CONFIG (PLATO System configuration)
    3. MFNX (Master File Loading Procedure for PLATO)

  2. Using the PF (PLATO File Manipulation) command, write, in binary format, the contents of the three local files to specified blocks on the PLATO file dstmods:
    1. EQPDECK to code file DSTMODS block eqpdeck
    2. CONFIG to code file DSTMODS block config
    3. MFNX to code file DSTMODS block mfnx

Once this step is complete, you may view the contents using PLATO. Make sure they look correct before proceeding.

2. Create New Master Files

You must decide how many, and what type of master files you wish to create. You may have a GENERAL or a MASTER type of master file.

The main difference is that only system people can create files on a type MASTER by specifying a master file name at file creation time. Anyone can create files on type GENERAL.

Naming Master Files

On CYBIS, the master file name is used to determine whether or not a binary file exists on a binary pack.

From compass file binaryx

* binary file name = bppppxxxxx * b = b * pppp = first 4 characters of packname on which * the lesson source resides. * xxxxx= file space number from file info word of * soure file, converted to display code. * * * ** note ** the first 4 characters of each sourc * pack must be a unique set of chararcters for th * process to work correctly. *

You will be able to create up to five Master Files per disk pack of DD885/DQ Geometry. By default, each Master File allocation provides space for 5000 disk parts.

In this exercise, we will create 10 (ten) Master Files.

On Disk Pack, we will create the following Master Files:

Pack Master File
GEN1 GENA
GENB
GENC
GEND
GENE
GEN2 GENF
GENG
GENH
GENI
GENJ
  • From the dtCyber NOS console enter the following:

    X.DIS. USER(CYBISMF,<password>) PACKNAM(GEN1) MFCREAT(MF=GENA,PT=GENERAL) MFCREAT(MF=GENB,PT=GENERAL) MFCREAT(MF=GENC,PT=GENERAL) MFCREAT(MF=GEND,PT=GENERAL) MFCREAT(MF=GENE,PT=GENERAL) PACKNAM(GEN2) MFCREAT(MF=GENF,PT=GENERAL) MFCREAT(MF=GENG,PT=GENERAL) MFCREAT(MF=GENH,PT=GENERAL) MFCREAT(MF=GENI,PT=GENERAL) MFCREAT(MF=GENJ,PT=GENERAL) DROP.

This is the recommended procedure because the MFCREATE operation may take some time and there are many variables that would affect how fast this process could complete.

Warning

If you use this method - you'll have to play with the addition of timing parameters to each statement to account for the elapsed time necessary to write the Master File.

  • From the dtCyber OPERATOR console prepare the following statements and replay (copy/paste) them from the following:

    ek X.DIS. ek USER(CYBISMF,<password>) ek PACKNAM(GEN1) ek MFCREAT(MF=GENA,PT=GENERAL) ek MFCREAT(MF=GENB,PT=GENERAL) ek MFCREAT(MF=GENC,PT=GENERAL) ek MFCREAT(MF=GEND,PT=GENERAL) ek MFCREAT(MF=GENE,PT=GENERAL) ek PACKNAM(GEN2) ek MFCREAT(MF=GENF,PT=GENERAL) ek MFCREAT(MF=GENG,PT=GENERAL) ek MFCREAT(MF=GENH,PT=GENERAL) ek MFCREAT(MF=GENI,PT=GENERAL) ek MFCREAT(MF=GENJ,PT=GENERAL) ek DROP.

Info

ek is the shorthand equivalent of typing enter_keys in dtCyber.

Note

MFCREAT accepts four different pack types:

  • MASTER
  • BINARY
  • GENERAL
  • BACKUP

Master File names may be between 1 and 7 characters (a NOS constraint).

Checkpoint

At this point:

  • 10 new Master Files have been created successfully
  • CYBIS knows nothing about them.
  • NOS is only temporarily aware of them.

3. Change EQPDECK

Now re-open file dstmods and verify that the three blocks (see previous) now contain the configuration statements expected.

  • From the SYSTEM MODE page enter file dstmods and edit block eqpdeck
  • Assuming that this work is being done on a standard NCC installation, there should be a line:

eq025=dq,un=2,ch=4. uol

  • Following that line, insert the equipment descriptors for the new packs:

eq026=dq,un=3,ch=3. gen1 eq027=dq,un=3,ch=4. gen2

  • After the line that reads:

pf=025,x,uol,1.

  • Insert these Permanent File descriptors:

pf=026,x,gen1,1. pf=027,x,gen2,1.

4. Change MFNX

Now edit block mfnx. Near the end of that block, there is a definition for the Master Files on pack pub1 - it looks like this:

.* packnam(pn=pub1,r=dq1) attach(pubf/÷m=m) attach(pubg/÷m=m) attach(pubh/÷m=m) attach(pubi/÷m=m) attach(pubj/÷m=m) .*

Following the .* statement, add the following lines:

packnam(pn=gen1,r=dq1) attach(gena/÷m=m) attach(genb/÷m=m) attach(genc/÷m=m) attach(gend/÷m=m) attach(gene/÷m=m) .* packnam(pn=gen2,r=dq1) attach(genf/÷m=m) attach(geng/÷m=m) attach(genh/÷m=m) attach(geni/÷m=m) attach(genj/÷m=m) .*

5. Update CONFIG

In block config, increment the ndsus parameter value by the number of masterfiles created in the above steps. (In this example, 10). the line should now contain:

ndsus=32. number of master files

Important

Failing to complete the above change to config will prevent PLATO from starting properly. If this happens, just deadstart from the original deadstart tape and repeat the following steps to build a proper deadstart tape.

Success

You may now return to the SYSTEM MODE page (to return the dstmods file to disk) and proceed to the next step.

6. Make New Deadstart Tape

Tip

As distributed, the NCC installation contains no directory dedicated to deadstart tapes. The original deadstart tape is located in the tapes directory. The following expects that you will have created a dedicated folder (at the same level as disks) named Deadstart.

  • In the dtCyber operator window enter:

    lt 13,0,2,w,Deadstart/yyyymmdd.deadstart.tap (this *should* load the tape on EQUIPMENT number 52 on the ''ncc'' system)

The above example expects that you substitute yyyymmdd with the current year (4-digit), month (2-digit) and day (2-digit) values. In the current system configuration this tape will be automatically loaded and may be found on the equipment display using the NOS console display command E,T.. Note the equipment number upon which it was mounted.

  • In the dtCyber NOS console enter:

    X.DIS. USER(SYS,<password>) COMMON(SYSTEM) PF(PB,EQPDECK,DSTMODS,EQPDECK,S) PF(PB,CONFIG,DSTMODS,CONFIG,S) PF(PB,MFNX,DSTMODS,MFNX,S) UNLOAD(DIR) NOTE(DIR,NR).*FILE EQPDECK NOTE(DIR,NR).*FILE CONFIG NOTE(DIR,NR).*FILE MFNX PACK(DIR) REWIND(*) LIBEDIT(P=SYSTEM,I=DIR) REWIND(*) ASSIGN,52,T,F=I. COPY(NEW,T,V) DROP.

  • Do a full system backout and signoff.
  • Take your system completely down in the usual way.
  • Edit your cyber.ini file. In the [equipment.cybis] section:
    • Comment out the existing deadstart tape definition.
    • Add the MT679,0,0,13 line to reflect the new deadstart tape definition:

      ; MT679,0,0,13,tapes/ds.tap MT679,0,0,13,Deadstart/yyyymmdd.deadstart.tap

SUCCESS!

You are ready to deadstart your system with the added disk and master file(s).

7. Update IPEDIT

Once the system has been successfully started and you have confirmed that PLATO/CYBIS is up and running, examination of the dayfile (NOS Console command: DAYFILE,PLA1) will show that there are Master Files present which are not in the required Master Files list.

Add these packs to the Required Master Files Table using lesson ipedit, option 'b' and configure the open slots so they appear:

Required Master Files Table 0. system 20. system4 1. s0files 21. system5 2. s0stuff 22. gena 3. s0sup 23. genb 4. puba 24. genc 5. pubb 25. gend 6. pubc 26. gene 7. pubd 27. genf 8. pube 28. geng 9. pubf 29. genh 10. pubg 30. geni 11. pubh 31. genj 12. pubi 13. pubj 14. binary1 15. binary2 16. develop 17. system1 18. system2 19. system3 NOTE: The first entry in this table is special in that "operator" and "accounts" set this master file as a default for all file operations for account "system". Entry to change ⪢ (+ or - to move)

Once you have exited ipedit, you may reload PLATO/CYBIS to test that they work.

To do this cleanly - backout all users first, then issue the NOS Console command:

K,MAS1. K.RELOAD.

All should be well! (If not, you have some homework to do…)

  • plato/operation.r2/nos2.guides/add.diskpack.txt
  • Last modified: 2026/01/24 19:05
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