From: news@cct-net.co.uk   
      
   On 28/09/2025 03:24, Dave Froble wrote:   
   > On 9/25/2025 2:40 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:   
   >> On 9/25/2025 9:59 AM, Johnny Billquist wrote:   
   >>> On 2025-09-25 14:35, Simon Clubley wrote:   
   >>>> On 2025-09-24, retrev  csh.rit.edu   
   >>>>  wrote:   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> I'm running VMS 4.7 on a simh vaxen and I'm trying to create a   
   >>>>> standalone   
   >>>>> backup to tape but I'm having some issues. I suspect it's a PEBCAK.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> simh> attach tq0 stabac.tap     # tq is an emulated TU81   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> $ @SYS$UPDATE:STABACKIT   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Enter the name of the device on which to build the kit: MUA0   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Do you want to initialize _VAX1$MUA0:?  Note that this will erase all   
   >>>>> files currently on the volume.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Have you tried with an emulated TK50 device instead ?   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Also, when was the TU81 supported in VMS, and did it need a patch kit   
   >>>> to enable that support ?   
   >>>   
   >>> TU81 - TK50. Both are TMSCP tape drives. If one works, the other works.   
   >>>   
   >>> But as asked by Volker - standalone backup on a tape? As far as I   
   >>> know, that   
   >>> was generally not supported. Old VAXen in general can't boot off tape.   
   >>> (MicroVAX being the first exception.) That's why the standalong   
   >>> backup exists.   
   >>> Because if you have a full backup of the system on tape, you need a   
   >>> way to   
   >>> recover that back to disk, in addition to a way of doing an initial   
   >>> install on   
   >>> disk. Standalone backup is what provides this. Done via floppies on the   
   >>> VAX-11/780, DECtape II on the VAX-11/750 and /730. Exists on the FE   
   >>> RL02 on   
   >>> the VAX 86x0.   
   >>>   
   >>> I never used many machines beyond that, so someone else needs to fill   
   >>> in the   
   >>> rest. :-)   
   >>>   
   >>> (And "can't boot off tape" is meant in the general sense in that VMB   
   >>> didn't   
   >>> have the capability. Of course you could always write your own   
   >>> bootstrap which   
   >>> booted off tape if you were inclined.)   
   >>   
   >> MicroVAX'es could boot of tape. And one could backup the system   
   >> disk to another tape when booted.   
   >>   
   >> Booting was painfully slow. As I remember it 35 years later, then   
   >> it was like 30 minutes from 9 track tape and 2 hours from TK50.   
   >>   
   >> Arne   
   >>   
   >   
   > And then we had CD drives and things were much better.   
   >   
   > Also, place a bootable kit on non-system drives and boot off them to   
   > backup system disk.  Or use /IGNOREINTERLOCK (and duck when Steve throws   
   > something at you).   
   >   
   > :-)   
   >   
   Ah, the joys!   
   I well remember building standalone backup kit on a data disk, booting   
   our 3 disk 8530 off that to backup to tape   
   Took hours!   
      
   --   
   Chris   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)