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Re: 3B1 Floppies

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In article <slrnmo1kkj.403.BPdnicholsBP@katana.d-and-d.com>,
	"DoN. Nichols" <BPdnicholsBP@d-and-d.com> writes:
> On 2015-06-15, Bill Gunshannon <bill@server3.cs.uofs.edu> wrote:
>> Does anyone know if the format of 3B1 disks allows for mounting and reading
>> on a BSD or Linux box? 
> 
> 	I don't know about BSD boxen for this, but it at least used to
> be possible to install drivers in a linux system to read them.
> 
> 	There are two formats.  The first floppy of the install system
> is always the older -- 8 sectors per track, and it must be that to boot
> IIRC.  Once booted (even with the start of the install set) it will read
> subsequent disks of 10 sectors per track -- while the IBM PC (and other
> Microsoft OS based systems) were 9 sectors per track.
> 
>>                         I have some disks that I would like to read before
>> it is too late and I really don't know when 9or even if) I will have a 3B1
>> running again.
> 
> 	Are they part of install sets, or something private?  Most of
> the install sets are available for download somewhere out on the net, so
> you can rebuild sets at need.  (Maybe some commercial packages are not
> included there -- like a Wordmark "Composer" word processor, but I think
> that anything from AT&T is out there somewhere.  Someone who has more
> recently used that can point you to where if searches fail.
> 

They are (I believe) a tar set.  I was mostly concerned about the
ability of another system to read the low level format.  I actually
have at least two copies of the install set.  Some of it still in
shrink-wrapped packages.  Maybe I need to just grab my remaining 3B1
when I go to cut the grass at the old house (which I stil have not
cleaned out enough to actually put on the market) and see if it will
still run.  Then I could probably read the floppies enough to use
kermit to move the data to something more reliable.

This is dats that I am sure there would be interest in but, unfortunately,
I can not release it to the publc.  The labels claim it is 3B1 OS source.
But, I assume I could send a copy to Warren Toomey for inclusion in the
archives as I assume he still checks for possession of a valid AT&T
source license before giving out access.  I know I had to provide a
copy of mine back in the day.

bill

-- 
Bill Gunshannon          |  de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n.  Three wolves
billg999@cs.scranton.edu |  and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton   |
Scranton, Pennsylvania   |         #include <std.disclaimer.h>   

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Thread

3B1 Floppies bill@server3.cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) - 2015-06-15 18:43 +0000
  Re: 3B1 Floppies djg@www.pdp8online.com (David Gesswein) - 2015-06-17 01:10 +0000
  Re: 3B1 Floppies "DoN. Nichols" <BPdnicholsBP@d-and-d.com> - 2015-06-17 01:50 +0000
    Re: 3B1 Floppies bill@server3.cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) - 2015-06-17 12:25 +0000
  Re: 3B1 Floppies Dave McGuire <mcguire@neurotica.com> - 2015-06-16 23:57 -0400
    Re: 3B1 Floppies robert bownes <bownes@seiri.com> - 2022-11-01 13:58 -0700
  Re: 3B1 Floppies Dave Brower <dbrower@gmail.com> - 2016-01-23 20:11 -0800

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