For this RT-11 SIG swap tape, we decided to build it using a virtual-device file system. This has a couple of advantages for us when we built the tape, and many advantages for you as you read the tape. The virtual-device system allows an RT-11 file to be accessed as a separate device. A virtual-device system was described in a paper by Jim Crapuchettes on page 639 of the DECUS proceedings for Fall 1979. This file will explain how the submissions contained on the swap tape can be transferred to other host systems. If you have a system that does not have error logging, and timeout support, you may use the distributed system. If you have any of those SYSGEN options, then you will have to build the system to suit your environment. There are two ways to pull files from this tape. We built the tape in such a way that each submission fits onto single density floppies or multiple floppies. The first way to pull off a submission is as follows: COPY/DEV/FILE MT:XXXXXX.DEV DX: The above command will transfer the submission XXXXXX.DEV from the magnetic tape and place it on a single density floppy. The floppy will have a regular RT-11 directory and will be usable as an RT-11 device. If you do not have floppies, or you want to take advantage of the virtual-device system, the procedure is a little more complicated. If you cannot use the distributed system, you will have to build the virtual- device system first. BUILDING THE VIRTUAL-DEVICE SYSTEM FROM SCRATCH First of all, copy the following files from the swap tape to a working disk. ASSIGN dev DK COPY MT:(XD.COM,XD.MAC,XDATCH.COM,XDATCH.FOR) DK: COPY MT:(GETFIL,FTRAN,TRIMS,ASLOOK).MAC DK: Now edit XD.MAC to add the conditionals that are appropriate for your environment. Then to assemble the virtual-device driver, type @XD If you need to rebuild the program that attaches, the virtual-devices use the indirect command file XDATCH.COM. INSTALLING THE VIRTUAL-DEVICE SYSTEM The virtual-device system requires that two files be present on your system device in order to operate. They may be installed by typing: COPY/SYS XD.SYS,XDATCH.SAV SY: INSTALL XD LOAD XD Now we are ready to use the virtual-device system. ATTACHING TO A VIRTUAL-DEVICE FROM THE SWAP TAPE First of all you need to copy the virtual-device file from the magnetic tape to a working disk using PIP. COPY MT:XXXXXX.DEV DK: Now we need to attach to the virtual-device using the program XDATCH. R XDATCH *XXXXXX=XD0: *^C The virtual-device XD0: is now attached and can be accessed as a disk device using regular RT-11 commands like DIR. DIR XD: will print a directory of the virtual-device. If you decide that you do not want to use the virtual-device system, then you can do a COPY XD: DK: and the contents of the virtual-device will be copied out of the virtual- device to your hard disk. There is more complete documentation on the virtual-device system in the file XD.DOC on the swap tape.