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                    TOPS-20 Beware File


                        April, 1982


                         VERSION 5





COPYRIGHT (C) 1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982 BY  DIGITAL
EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, MAYNARD, MASS.

THIS SOFTWARE IS FURNISHED UNDER A LICENSE AND MAY  BE  USED
AND COPIED ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF SUCH LICENSE
AND WITH THE INCLUSION OF THE ABOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICE.   THIS
SOFTWARE  OR ANY OTHER COPIES THEREOF MAY NOT BE PROVIDED OR
OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE TO ANY OTHER PERSON.  NO  TITLE  TO
AND OWNERSHIP OF THE SOFTWARE IS HEREBY TRANSFERRED.

THE INFORMATION  IN  THIS  SOFTWARE  IS  SUBJECT  TO  CHANGE
WITHOUT  NOTICE  AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT
BY DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION.

DIGITAL ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE USE OR RELIABILITY
OF  ITS  SOFTWARE  ON  EQUIPMENT  WHICH  IS  NOT SUPPLIED BY
DIGITAL.
                                                      Page 2





1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Function

This document supplements the TOPS-20  manuals  by  pointing
out  hints  and  potential  problems  discovered at the last
minute.

2.0 INSTALLATION INFORMATION - FLOPPIES

2.1 Floppies A and B

To make room for the larger BOOT and MTBOOT files  on  these
floppies, some reorganization and shifting of files has been
done since Version 4.  The MAP files have  been  shifted  to
FLOPPY-C.   Note  that  floppies  A  and B still contain all
files necessary to build a working front-end file system  as
described in the TOPS-20 Installation Guide.

2.2 Floppy C

This floppy now contains the MAP files  for  RSX20F.   These
files are not critical to installing a new system and may be
installed at any time after a working front-end file  system
has been built.  The MAP files may be installed as follows:

This procedure assumes:

     1.  You have a running TOPS-20 V4 or V5 monitor

     2.  PS:  is mounted on DB0:

Mount floppy C in floppy drive 0 (the left-hand  drive),  go
to  the  CTY  (the  system may remain under timesharing) and
type:
     ^\
     PAR>MCR MOU
     MOU>DX0:
       Mount Complete
     MOU>^Z
     ^\
     PAR>MCR PIP
     PIP>DB0:/NV=DX0:*.*
     PIP>^Z
     ^\
     PAR>MCR DMO
     DMO>DX0:
       Dismount Complete
     DMO>^Z

This procedure is also documented in  the  TOPS-20  Software
Installation  Guide,  Chapter  4,  Creating  Front  End File
                                                      Page 3


System.



3.3 Microcode Version 275

The floppies  contain  KL10  microcode  version  275.   This
microcode  may  only  be  used  with  version  5  of TOPS20.
Version 5 must use this microcode.  TOPS20  version  4  will
NOT  work  using microcode 275.  In the case that a site has
to revert back to version 4 from version  5  steps  must  be
taken  to  insure that the version 4 microcode (version 231)
is used.  See RSX20F manual for help doing this.


4.0 DX20

The method of distribution for DX20  microcode  is  magtape.
The RP20 microcode is also on this tape.

Under  certain  powerfail  conditions,  the  DX20  must   be
manually  reloaded.   See  DX20LD.DOC and TOPS-20 Operator's
Guide, Part VI,  Section  1.14  for  information  concerning
appropriate times to manually reload the DX20.

5.0 SOFTWARE

5.1 DUMPER

The version of DUMPER that is on the  distribution  tape  is
from  Version  4.  Due to some changes in the MACSYM macros,
this field-image version of DUMPER cannot be assembled  with
the  new version of MACSYM that is on this tape.  Therefore,
in order for DUMPER  version  4  to  be  re-built,  the  old
version  of  MACSYM  must be used.  Sites without this older
version  should  see  their  DEC  Software  Specialist   for
details.

Some new ARCHIVE system functionality in  the  EXEC  is  not
supported  by  the current (V4) DUMPER.  DUMPER is currently
in field test and a new release is expected soon.


6.0 EXEC CHANGE

6.1 DIRECTORY

Directory commands now have more  descriptive  guide  words.
Users  must change any DIRECTORY command guide words used in
control  (.CTL)  files.   Otherwise,  the  command  will  be
rejected by the EXEC with the error "?Invalid Guide Word".

6.2 COMPILE/LOAD

The version 5 EXEC also includes a change in  the  operation
                                                      Page 4


of  the COMPILE/LOAD commands which is intended to correct a
deficiency  but   which   may   possibly   affect   existing
procedures.

This situation arises on load-class commands if there  is  a
search list for the object (REL) files.  For example,

@COMPILE PROG

where DSK:  has a logical name definition including a search
list of two or more directories, or

@COMPILE AA:PROG BB:PROG

where the object file specification includes such a  logical
name.

This situation usually exists where a  user  has  a  private
directory  containing  sources  files  he  has modified, and
builds a program using RELs from a common library  directory
as well.  E.g.,

@DEFINE DSK:  DSK:,PS:<LIBRARY>



The usual operation of COMPILE/LOAD is to compile  a  source
if  there is no REL or if the existing REL is older than the
source (determined by date of last write).  This is  correct
when  all sources and RELs are in the same directory, but it
can prevent the sources in the private directory from  being
compiled,  taking the library REL instead, thus building the
program without the user's version of the source.

To correct this, the Version 5 EXEC makes a  further  check:
the  source  file  is  found  according  to  the  given file
specification.  If it is found in the  connected  directory,
then  the  lookup  for  the  REL file will be limited to the
first item on the search list (if any) for the  object  file
specification.   Thus,  in  the example above, if the source
file is found in the connected directory, only the connected
directory  will  be  checked for the REL.  If the REL is not
found there, the source will be compiled and the REL put  in
the connected directory.  Any source found in <LIBRARY>, not
being the connected directory, will  allow  the  REL  to  be
taken  from  the  connected directory or <LIBRARY>.  As with
usual search list rules, the search will stop at  the  first
directory in which the REL file is found.

6.3 LOGIN.CMD and COMAND.CMD V5 now reads  LOGIN.CMD  before
COMAND.CMD.    Also,  the  CSAVE,  DEPOSIT,  EXAMINE,  SAVE,
SET-ADDRESS-BREAK, SET ENTRY-VECTOR, and START commands take
symbolic  expressions  in  addition  to  octal numbers.  See
TOPS-20 Commands Reference Manual.  7.0 SYSTEM MESSAGES
                                                      Page 5


Version 5 provides a way for  the  system  administrator  to
control   the  sending  of  some  system  messages  to  user
terminals.

There are various advisory messages sent by  the  system  to
all  terminals.  These are divided into two categories, less
important (level 0)  and  more  important  (level  1).   The
system  administrator  can suppress the sending of either or
both message levels by use of SMON functions.

The following messages are level 0:

     1.  Swapping space low.

     2.  SPT space low.

     3.  PS:  space low.


The following messages are level 1:

     1.  Shutdown  messages  for  a  shutdown  more  than  5
         minutes away.

     2.  PS:  automatic expunge.


The following messages are always sent:



     1.  Initial shutdown  message  and  automatic  shutdown
         announcements for shutdown 5 minutes or less away.


The default setting of the  SMON  functions  is  similar  to
version  4,  i.e.  level 0 off, level 1 on.  This means send
all shutdown and PS:  expunge  messages,  but  do  not  send
space low messages.

8.0 RSX20F 

Note that there is a new version of RSX20F, which should  be
installed.    See   the   RSX20F.DOC   and  .BWR  files  for
information.

The RSX20F DEPOSIT command has changed its  delimitor.   The
old delimitor was a ":" and the new delimitor is a "=".  The
format of the DEPOSIT command is now as follows:

DEPOSIT addr=data

9.0 FOREIGN COMMUNICATION HARDWARE

It has come to our attention that  some  systems  are  using
                                                      Page 6


communication  hardware  manufactured  by vendors other than
DIGITAL.  Some  customers  have  experienced  problems  with
asynchronous  line controllers.  Specifically the ABLE DH/DM
has been observed to cause hung  terminal  lines  and  other
problems.   The  problems  seem  to stem from the silo delay
"feature" of the DH/DM.  This "feature" can be turned off by
disabling (ie.  closing) switch F4 position 3 (silo delay).

10.0 TEXTI BREAK ON CR

It is now possible for the TEXTI% JSYS  to  break  on  a  CR
(ASCII  015).   In  previous versions it was not possible to
break on CR.  The monitor always inserts a LF  after  a  CR.
If you break on CR then the LF will still be in the terminal
input buffer.

11.0 KNOWN MICROCODE Bugs

The MOVSLJ instruction cannot transfer data between sections
unless  BOTH byte pointers are global.  For example, if both
pointers are indexed byte pointers, with one  of  the  index
registers  local  and the other global, the data doesn't get
transferred correctly.

MOVSLJ  cannot  be  used  to  fill  a  destination  with   a
"fill-character"  if  the  destination  byte  pointer  is  a
one-word-global byte pointer.  If the source length is 0 and
the destination pointer is a OWGP, then the instruction does
nothing.












EXTEND AC,[GSNGL E] where E >= 400000 octal will  result  in
an  Illegal Memory Read.  This instruction, new to V5 is NOT
currently used by any Digital Software.


12.0 RP20 Microcode It should be noted that  the  RP20  boot
microcode  is  shipped  on  the  RP20/DX20  tape.  Users are
advised  to  read  README.MEM  from  this  tape  and  follow
instructions there to restore BOOT and MTBOOT to their Front
End file system.

13.0 SPEAR

When SPEAR outputs the following message:
                                                      Page 7


%SPEAR Event file error detected in module RDFILE -- Routine
GETVALIDHEADER -        CHECK - Bad header found - RESYNCing

it indicates that a portion of the event file being read  is
not in the expected format (ie the data in the file has been
corrupted).  In some cases, this may be caused by a lack  of
disc  space  on  PS:.   Since the event file is written in a
special manner, it does not have all of  the  facilities  of
the  normal  monitor  file  handler available.  Although the
file is corrupted, both the file format and SPEAR have  been
designed to recover from this problem and SPEAR will discard
the bad block and attempt to  resynchronize  itself  in  the
next  file  block.   <><><>  N O T E ::  Read the TOPS20.DOC
file for additional information!  <><><>