Small correct for the info below :
The operating System George (1, 2, 3 & 4) run on ICL 1900 series, 2903 &
4 ( as George 2 & 3).
G1 was the original and was replaced with G2 - just as well as a bit of
a dog but better than in native mode.
George 4 was for very big installations and was rarely used (compared to
installs with G3) in my experience but acted like G3.
George 3 runs under emulation on Series 3900 (and the prior 2900 series)
using DME only not VME which is a native O/S which was at least in the
early days, written in Algol68R and yes I was just one of many
programmers writing it !.
Later versions that fixed bugs and more importantly speeded it up
written in S3 while the compiler was improved.
Algol68R - think a cross between C++ and C but more C.
As far as I remember (so might be wrong) Poland used ICL 1900 series
built under license as the 2900 series was being build and sold in the
UK along with the small systems 2903/4. There was other small system
that I was not involved with directly.
The 2903/4 was a microcoded system that ran G2 mostly but I know I did
run OS360 Dos type o/s's on it by changing the microcode in the evenings
and W/E's when I had a need but mostly for my own requirements (I was
the DP Manger) although cannot remember why.
It took but minutes to change the microcode via mass storage device
drive (dasd) or tape - can't remember which.
This all in the mid 70's.
Now the 30+ system still in use in the UK (other than the original
painted Orange 2944 at Bletchley Park Computer Museum which is run at
weekends) actually run under emulation over Linux based Server/blade
system or systems not sure which.
Yes I still have a complete manual set on CD (no engineering manuals)
for the 3900 range that was up to date - ish 7 years ago but software
has not been updated since other than at best some bug fixes but knowing
Fujitsu a little, that is unlikely.
At least they save on electricity as only use singe phase supply so can
run one at home.
Would like to get one if going free - - -
Vince
On 24/02/17 15:47, R.S. wrote:
W dniu 2017-02-24 o 15:14, Bernd Oppolzer pisze:
Am 24.02.2017 um 14:37 schrieb R.S.:
W dniu 2017-02-23 o 20:09, Bill Woodger pisze:
Also note that if you see a current job-ad for Fujitsu Mainframe
skills in the UK, it will be for an ICL Mainframe, running VME, and
being distinctly different from... anything from IBM. The COBOL is
to the 1974 Standard (with Extensions, including COMP-5 which
allows the definition of "bits").
Various parts of "the government" have huge projects at the moment
converting their old ICL systems to Microfocus COBOL on "servers".
It was very popular in Poland, because our government bought a
license for ICL machines and OS. Indeed, it wasn't even similar to
IBM family. The system name was GEORGE (GEORGE3), polish name of the
machine was ODRA (this is name of second largest polish river, which
crosesse Wrocław - a city where ODRA were built).
I think the last ODRA's were in use approx. 10 years ago in a railways.
Some years later there were also ODRA emulator working under VM on
IBM hardware. I met it approx 18-20 years ago. People claimed the
emulator was over 10 times faster than real machine. The emulator
ran on 6 MIPS 4381.
There was a report generator on ODRA called TABU,
somehow similar to RPG, but more elegant IMO.
I wrote a Pascal program for MPK Lodz (in 1991) to convert their
TABU reports to COBOL programs, because they replaced their
ODRA machine with a 4381 VM machine; but because they
had so much TABU reports, there had to be a solution for this.
I also heard that the ODRA simulator was very successful;
MPK also sold computer time on ODRA to third parties, and
they charged for ODRA time, but in fact they ran the batch programs
on the VM based ODRA simulator, so they got more money in less time.
There were also stories that they managed to build an interface for
a very large old Russian tape device and attach it to the 4381 somehow.
BTW: the Odra river marks the frontier to Germany, too,
the German name is "Oder".
Bernd,
MPK is the installation I mentioned.
(BTW: MPK is public transportation company, trams and buses)
They replaced 4381 with P/390.
And yes, Odra (Oder) is border river, upper part of it is also Czech.
--
- IMPORTANT –
This email and the information in it may be confidential, legally privileged
and/or protected by law.
It is intended solely for the use of the person to whom it is addressed.
If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately
and do not disclose the contents to any other person, use it for any purpose,
or store or copy the information in any medium.
Please also delete all copies of this email & any attachments from your system.
If this is an encrypted email it is your responsibility to maintain the 1024
byte key system even for one-use keys. Once mail has been sent the sending key
is not kept and therefore a replacement mail cannot be resent.
We cannot guarantee the security or confidentiality of non encrypted email
communications.
We do not accept any liability for losses or damages that you may suffer as a
result of your receipt of this email including but not limited to computer
service or system failure, access delays or interruption, data non-delivery
or mis-delivery, computer viruses or other harmful components.
Copyright in this email and any attachments belongs to Applewood Computers.
Should you communicate with anyone at Applewood Computers by email,
you consent to us monitoring and reading any such correspondence.
Nothing in this email shall be taken or read as suggesting, proposing or
relating to any agreement concerted practice or other practice that could
infringe UK or EC competition legislation (unless it is against Security
requirements).
This Email and its attachments (if any) are scanned for virii using Clamd
and ClamAV 0.99.2 or later (Linux x64).
Dykegrove Limited T/A Applewood Computers is a company registered in England
(no. 01681349) whose registered office is at Applewood House,
17 Stag Green Avenue, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 5EB, UK.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions,
send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
