We did fruit flies, somebody is trying human reality connection emulation now. I think we're screwed.
On Sat, Feb 7, 2026 at 6:42 AM Jim Davis <[email protected]> wrote: > I watched a promo VM/370 movie at Portland state at a nerd fest in 1975. > 64 Meg was not believable in 1975. We had 32K on our IBM 1130. > Oregon S/W / OMSI Barry White said, When core gets to $1 a byte, Computers > will take off. > It's funny now. > > On Sat, Feb 7, 2026 at 1:36 AM David Wade via cctalk < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> >> >> On 07/02/2026 03:51, Steve Lewis wrote: >> > Dave, >> > >> > Page 439 of that document you linked has a nice chart of "integrated >> > emulators that run execute under VM/370" - now I do recall one of the >> > "famous" things about the prior S/360 was it could emulate 1401 and >> > other IBM systems. Then later on, more systems to emulate would be >> > the 709-series. Ok, so VM/370 is more like what we might today >> > call a Hypervisor? So the "it looks like whatever you want" comment >> > makes sense. >> > >> You don't need VM to emulate a 1401, I believe the 1401 emulator ran >> under MVS as well, or I think on some S/360 machines you could load 1401 >> microcode. >> So yes VM itself is what today we would call a hypervisor. It creates >> virtual machines and each virtual machine is pretty much totally isolated. >> But CMS was provided as source code, and in the early days it was very >> limited so sites made many modifications. >> >> > I suppose what I'm after is more a visual on the usage of CMS, DOS/VS >> > or OS/VS1 ( OS's that one would only use on an S/370 ? ) >> > >> >> There was also MTS and MUSIC plus a few other TSO and CICS replacements. >> >> > I put a couple reference images here on what I have about CTSS and >> > TOPS-10 (CTSS is from a modern-day emulators, TOPS-10 is from one of >> > their manuals so its from in 1970). I see how you mean VM/370 isn't >> > quite the same nature (not "just an OS" but an enterprise thing like >> > for airlines, banks, financial brokers -- and the virtualization >> > helped in testing/deploying new systems -- that maybe had newer OS's >> > -- without disrupting operational systems?) >> > >> > https://github.com/voidstar78/OS_NOTES >> > >> OK I can do something similar for VM and CMS but got a busy day here:- >> >> https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/meet-baby >> >> (yes thats me, the rest of the team are camera shy) >> >> > >> > - Steve >> > >> > >> > >> Dave >> > >> > On Fri, Feb 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM David Wade <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > >> > >> > >> > On 06/02/2026 14:55, Steve Lewis wrote: >> > > Thanks Dave, the 3270 terminal screen makes sense. Or to make >> > use of >> > > the system and resources, you'd remote to it using a 3270. >> > > So it may have been at a time no one thought to snap a >> > photograph of >> > > any of those 3270s in use (not just a "room full of 3270's" kind >> of >> > > photo - but of the actual screen, showing whatever it was they >> were >> > > doing; managing tape/disk resources, files, users, or running >> > APL or >> > > something. That's more what I was looking for, when you "used >> > VM/370 >> > > {or remoted into it}, this is what it looked like." >> > Generally thats not what you did with VM/370. You edited, >> > compiled, and >> > ran programs.... >> > >> > > >> > > There had to be some kind of installer? Or maybe I'm viewing it >> > wrong >> > > - they (a business) didn't just buy a S/370 then decide what OS to >> > > install. But rather it was a packaged prepared by IBM, so maybe >> it >> > > was pre-installed with VM/370 and configured to whatever the >> > > arrangement/contract was? >> > >> > For VM you usually got a "starter system" on a tape. There was a >> > different tape for each disk type. The first file on the tape is the >> > standalone disk dump and restore program, DDR. So you IPL (boot) >> from >> > this tape, and use DDR to restore the starter system to DASD >> (disk). >> > You usually needed three packs. The first time you IPL the restored >> > starter system it asks you some basic config questions, and you then >> > have a working system that you can use to restore the rest of the >> > VM/370, load and apply service (fixes) , and configure to your exact >> > hardware set-up. >> > >> > I expect at 522 pages this manual which covers install and >> > congigureis a >> > tad bigger than the one for other systems... >> > >> > >> https://bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/370/VM/370/Release_6/GC20-1801-10_VM370_Sysgen_Rel_6_Jan80.pdf >> > >> > >> > > Or a way to say "when someone used a S/370 {or CMS}, this is >> > what the >> > > console content looked like" (printed, or by that time yea >> probably >> > > more likely a CRT). >> > > >> > >> > It looked like whatever you wanted. The samples in the previous >> > e-mail >> > are typical... >> > >> > >> > > “The Origin of the VM/370 Time-Sharing System” – R.J. Creasy >> > gives a >> > > little bit of a description on those components CP, CMS, and RSCS. >> > > But no photo/image yet of a terminal with content to identify >> > "yeah, >> > > see they are using a S/370 there" (maybe its listing disk packs, >> > > tapes, memory resources, etc?) I got something like this for the >> > > earlier CTSS and TOPS-10. >> > > >> > pass me what you have for that so I can see what a VM Equivalent >> > might >> > be. The definitive thing on a users 3270 is the status bottom right >> > which on a pukka system which usually reads "VM READ VM/370" but can >> > also start "RUNNING", "HOLDING" "CP READ". >> > >> > > -Steve >> > > >> > > >> > Dave >> > >> >
