Juergen
2013-04-11 20:30:26 UTC
Hi All,
While updating, restructuring and automating mvt4apl-1.00 to create an easy to handle base for the "ready to use" system I realized that the techniques used for that could easily be extended to fully automate the installation process too, thus allowing the "ready to install" and the "ready to use" systems to be identical.
So, all you need is a Windows or Linux system, the MVT for APL Version 2.00 distribution from
http://wotho.ethz.ch/mvt4apl-2.00.zip
and the APL\360 source from the Museum (link is published in the MVT for APL documentation).
All you need to do is
- Install the APL font, predefined connection parameters and very few minor settings on your Windows or Linux system (and that's the only manual work you need to do!)
- Unzip the source you downloaded from the museum
- Start the system by executing a single script.
- Sit back, relax and wait for two APL\360 windows to pop up
There are no interactions with Hercules or OS/360 necessary. The need for knowhow in these areas has been completely eliminated, making MVT for APL a true ready to use APL\360 system while still not containing a single byte of APL\360 licensed code.
Specific features are:
- A ready to run OS/360-MVT 21.8F system configured to accommodate APL\360 but not containing any copyrighted code.
- An automated procedure to build APL\360 and the MVT supervisor calls it relies on from source.
- An automated operator (APLPILOT) for the OS/360-MVT system.
- A minimal automated operator for the recording terminal, which is intended for server type Linux systems to enable deployment of AaaS (APL as a Service).
- The MVT for APL Version 2.00 User's Manual.
- A partial reimplementation of the OPFNS workspace with sufficient functionality to operate APL\360 on emulated hardware.
- A comprehensive public workspace library which has been imported from APL\MTS (thanks Phil!)
Acknowledgements:
=================
- Len Shustek, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, went through 10 years of persistent negotiations with IBM to make the impossible happen: Obtain a license to make the APL\360 source code available to the public for non-commercial use.
- Brian and Barry Silverman shared many insights they gained during their 1998 APL\360 resurrection project, especially on how to handcraft a library structure on DASD. This greatly helped overcome the chicken-egg problem of how to create an initial library setup without having the original distribution tape available.
- Catherine Lathwell spread the word when the APL\360 source became available and provided the connection to Len Shustek.
- Max H. Parke provided the IBM 2741 terminal support: Having created the Hercules device driver for the 2741 and other asynchronous terminals attached to an IBM 2703 TCU, Max is most knowledgeable when it comes to implementing emulations of complex communications equipment and topologies. With the availability of APL\360 running on OS/360-MVT under Hercules he added the functionality and features required by APL\360 to the 2741 device support to provide a true generic implementation of the most commonly used APL terminal back in the APL\360 era.
- Tony Harminc made information about APL internal structures (workspaces, libraries, control blocks) available that was very helpful in creating the initial library setup.
- Jay Maynard's cookbook style MVT system generation instructions enabled getting up to speed with OS/360-MVT quickly.
- Kevin Leonard provides a lot of tools (namely PDS, COMPARE and REVIEW) and usability enhancements for OS/360-MVT on his website that helped transforming the MVT system initially meant as a runtime only environment into a veritable development system.
- Phil Roberts extracted the public library workspaces from APL\MTS. This was a major effort including installation of MTS and APL\MTS, exploring how to execute APL\MTS and how to print output, unlocking hidden functions, putting together some 4,000 APL statements to extract and finally print the full contents of the workspaces.
- and last but not least the Hercules developers who made this effort possible by providing this great piece of software.
Have Fun!
Cheers, Juergen
- Second will be an update of the mvt4apl "ready to install"
system containing all the above workspaces and enhancements
from feedback received on the 1.00 version.
- Third will be in cooperation with the Computer History
Museum a "ready to use" system, where the APL licensed code
will be hosted at the Museum's website.
Well, today I'm publishing MVT for APL Version 2.00 (mvt4apl-2.00) which is both in one:system containing all the above workspaces and enhancements
from feedback received on the 1.00 version.
- Third will be in cooperation with the Computer History
Museum a "ready to use" system, where the APL licensed code
will be hosted at the Museum's website.
While updating, restructuring and automating mvt4apl-1.00 to create an easy to handle base for the "ready to use" system I realized that the techniques used for that could easily be extended to fully automate the installation process too, thus allowing the "ready to install" and the "ready to use" systems to be identical.
So, all you need is a Windows or Linux system, the MVT for APL Version 2.00 distribution from
http://wotho.ethz.ch/mvt4apl-2.00.zip
and the APL\360 source from the Museum (link is published in the MVT for APL documentation).
All you need to do is
- Install the APL font, predefined connection parameters and very few minor settings on your Windows or Linux system (and that's the only manual work you need to do!)
- Unzip the source you downloaded from the museum
- Start the system by executing a single script.
- Sit back, relax and wait for two APL\360 windows to pop up
There are no interactions with Hercules or OS/360 necessary. The need for knowhow in these areas has been completely eliminated, making MVT for APL a true ready to use APL\360 system while still not containing a single byte of APL\360 licensed code.
Specific features are:
- A ready to run OS/360-MVT 21.8F system configured to accommodate APL\360 but not containing any copyrighted code.
- An automated procedure to build APL\360 and the MVT supervisor calls it relies on from source.
- An automated operator (APLPILOT) for the OS/360-MVT system.
- A minimal automated operator for the recording terminal, which is intended for server type Linux systems to enable deployment of AaaS (APL as a Service).
- The MVT for APL Version 2.00 User's Manual.
- A partial reimplementation of the OPFNS workspace with sufficient functionality to operate APL\360 on emulated hardware.
- A comprehensive public workspace library which has been imported from APL\MTS (thanks Phil!)
Acknowledgements:
=================
- Len Shustek, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, went through 10 years of persistent negotiations with IBM to make the impossible happen: Obtain a license to make the APL\360 source code available to the public for non-commercial use.
- Brian and Barry Silverman shared many insights they gained during their 1998 APL\360 resurrection project, especially on how to handcraft a library structure on DASD. This greatly helped overcome the chicken-egg problem of how to create an initial library setup without having the original distribution tape available.
- Catherine Lathwell spread the word when the APL\360 source became available and provided the connection to Len Shustek.
- Max H. Parke provided the IBM 2741 terminal support: Having created the Hercules device driver for the 2741 and other asynchronous terminals attached to an IBM 2703 TCU, Max is most knowledgeable when it comes to implementing emulations of complex communications equipment and topologies. With the availability of APL\360 running on OS/360-MVT under Hercules he added the functionality and features required by APL\360 to the 2741 device support to provide a true generic implementation of the most commonly used APL terminal back in the APL\360 era.
- Tony Harminc made information about APL internal structures (workspaces, libraries, control blocks) available that was very helpful in creating the initial library setup.
- Jay Maynard's cookbook style MVT system generation instructions enabled getting up to speed with OS/360-MVT quickly.
- Kevin Leonard provides a lot of tools (namely PDS, COMPARE and REVIEW) and usability enhancements for OS/360-MVT on his website that helped transforming the MVT system initially meant as a runtime only environment into a veritable development system.
- Phil Roberts extracted the public library workspaces from APL\MTS. This was a major effort including installation of MTS and APL\MTS, exploring how to execute APL\MTS and how to print output, unlocking hidden functions, putting together some 4,000 APL statements to extract and finally print the full contents of the workspaces.
- and last but not least the Hercules developers who made this effort possible by providing this great piece of software.
Have Fun!
Cheers, Juergen