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                   Guide to Useing the "FE" Device





                           File: USEFE.RNO
                           Date: 15-Mar-77





***Copyright (C) 1977 by Digital Equipment Corp., Maynard, MA***

Guide to Using the "FE" Device                                  Page 2


                           *** CAUTION ***

               The "FE" device is intended for use only
               in  software  updating  and  development
               procedures by knowledgeable people.  Use
               without   proper   caution  may  produce
               unpredictable results.



OVERVIEW

The "FE" device is used from the -11 to transfer files to and from the
TOPS-10  file  system.   Usually it is accessed through the use of -11
PIP, using device "FE:" as if it were a FILES-11 device.


FILE FORMAT

Two file formats on the TOPS-10 file  system  are  supported:   16-bit
binary files (in 18-bit bytes) and 7-bit ASCII files.  The format of a
particular file is determined by the file mode and/or the  file  type.
If  the  file  mode  is 10(.IOIMG) the file is assumed to be in 16-bit
binary format.  If the byte-size is neither 18 nor 7, the file type is
checked  to  determine the format.  File types .ABS, .BIN, .EXB, .LDA,
.MCB, .OBJ, .OLB, .SML, .STB, .SYS, and .TSK are assumed to be  16-bit
binary  format,  all  others are taken to be 7-bit ASCII files and the
proper swapping of bytes is performed during transfers.


RSX FORMAT FILE CONVERSION

Files  used  by  the  standard  RSX   tasks   are   required   to   be
record-formatted,  while their counterparts on the TOPS-10 file system
do not.  This applies to all  ASCII  text  files  (which  must  be  in
formatted  ASCII)  and  to formatted binary files, notably .EXB, .MCB,
.OBJ, .OLB, .SML, and .STB  types.   A  program  called  "RSXT10"  was
developed to do the necessary conversions, both to RSX format and back
to DOS/TOPS-10 format.  RSXT10 prompts by typing  "RSXT10>"  to  which
the  user  responds  with the desired command.  All commands to REST10
are described in RSXFMT.HLP, which can be invoked by the HELP  command
to RSXT10.

The default conversion mode for the file is determined from  the  file
type  and  the  first  data word in the file.  Note that RSX formatted
files and binary files are written in file mode 10(.IOIMG)  to  insure
binary  transfer mode.  Also note that all files read by KLDCP are not
read in record mode,  and  thereby  do  not  require  conversion.   An
example of converting a group of files to RSX format:

.R RSXT10
RSXFMT>CONVERT DEV:[P,PN]INPUT.FIL DEV:[P,PN]OUTPUT.FIL
DEV:[P,PN]INPUT.FIL[7-BIT-ASCII]==>DEV:[P,PN]OUTPUT.FIL[RSX-ASCII]
RSXFMT>

Guide to Using the "FE" Device                                  Page 3


GETTING THE SYSTEM STARTED

The program "FE" must be running on the TOPS-10 system.  If it is  not
already running, it can be started by typing the following under [1,2]
(probably under OPSER):

     .R FE

The "FE" program should now be running and is waiting  for  a  request
from the "FE" device from the -11.  The next step is to mount the "FE"
device from the -11 such that files can be accessed  using  it.   This
requires that the file "T20ACP.TSK" be present on the -11 file system.
"FE" can be mounted using the Consol Command  Parser  at  the  console
terminal by typing:

     ^ (Control-Backslash)
     PAR>MCR MOU
     MOU>FE:
     MOU -- MOUNT COMPLETE
     MOU>^Z (Control-Z)


ADDRESSING TOPS-10 FILES

All files on the TOPS-10 file system may be accessed from the -11.

The FE program reads a file called FEUIC.TXT when it is started  which
determines  the  mapping from TOPS-10 directories to UIC's on the -11.
The format of each line of this file is as follows:

     [grp,usr]=str:[p,pn,sfd1,sfd2...]

where:

     [grp,usr] is the UIC on the -11.

str: is a file structure name, or "DSK:" for the search list  for  the
     job  running  the  FE  program.   If  this  field  is absent, all
     structures will be searched.

     [p,pn,sfd1,sfd2...] is the TOPS-10 directory name.

FEUIC.TXT may exist on DSK:  or SYS:.

Files are merely  referenced  by  file  name.   Note  that  generation
numbers on the -11 are in octal, and are punctuated by a ";".


USING -11 PIP

-11 PIP is used in almost all transfers through the "FE" device.   PIP
can  be  requested through the Console Command Language using the "MCR
PIP" command.  The following basic commands can be used  to  list  and
transfer files:

Guide to Using the "FE" Device                                  Page 4


To list a TOPS-10 directory on device DEV:

     PIP>dev:FE:[uic]file.typ;nnn/LI (or /BR or /FU)

Example:

     PIP>FE:[5,5]/BR

     DIRECTORY FE0:[5,5]
     4-JAN-75 00:35

     QFC.LST
     QFC.MAC
     QFC.MAC
     QFC.MAC
     QFC.OBJ
     QFC.OBJ
     QFC.OBJ

     PIP>

To copy a file to the -11 file system:

     PIP>dev:[uic]*FE:[uic]file.typ;nnn/NV

Example:

     PIP>DT1:FE=:[10,20]QFC.*/NV
     PIP>

To copy a file from the -11 file system:

     PIP>FE:[uic]=dev:[uic]file.typ

Example:

     PIP>FE:[10,20]*.NEW=[120,10]*.BIN
     PIP>

To delete a file:

     PIP>dev:[uic]file.typ;nnn/DE

Example:

     PIP>DB0:QFC.MAC;*/DE
     PIP>FE:[10,20]*.*/DE
     PIP>

dev- is an -11 device which is mounted.  If absent, SY:   the  (system
device)  is  assumed  for  files,  TT:   (the  control  terminal)  for
directory listings.  [uic] is optional and  defaults  to  [5,5].   /NV
(New Version) is recommended in transferring files.  To exit from PIP,
type ^Z (Control-Z).

Guide to Using the "FE" Device                                  Page 5


TERMINATION OF "FE" DEVICE

When all the desired files have  been  transferred,  the  "FE"  device
should  be dismounted to free up system resources in use.  Dismounting
the "FE" device is done by typing at the console terminal:

     ^ (Control-Backslash)
     PAR>MCR DMO
     DMO>FE:
     DMO -- DISMOUNT COMPLETE
     DMO>^Z (Control-Z)



[End of USEFE.MEM]