Micronix_Operating_System_1.61_Jun83 Micronix Operating System 1.61 Jun83

Micronix_Operating_System_1.61_Jun83 Micronix_Operating_System_1.61_Jun83

User Manual: Micronix_Operating_System_1.61_Jun83

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Micronix Operating System
Versio'ri 1.61

MORROW

IMPORTANT WARRANTY IBFORMATION
LIMITED WARRANTY
Morrow, Inc. warrants its products to be free from defects in workmanship and
materials for the periods indicated below.
This warranty is ~imited to
the repair and replacement 'of parts only.
This warranty is void if, in the sole opinion of MOrrow Inc., the product has
been subject to abuse or misuse, or has been interconnected to other maqufactut:er:s equipmen~for which compatiQility has not. beenes~ablis.hed'-:~n ·wr-itt.ng~:'
:\.

Circuit boards' - Parts,including the printed circuit board, purchased
as
factory assemblies, are warranted for a period of ninety (90) days from the
original invoice/purchase date.
Electro-mechanical peripherals ~ Peripheral equipment such as floppy or hard
disk drives, etc., not manufactured by Morrow t Inc., are included in the
limited warranty period of 90 days from the original invo\ce date when sold
as. part of a Morrow system.
Exception
printwh~els

- Expendable items such as printer ribbons,
are not covered by any walranty.

software

media~

and

Software/Firmware - Morrpw, Inc. makes no representatioris or warranties what-soever with respec~ to software or firmware associated with its products
and specific:-ally disclaims any implied or expressed warranty' of 'fi tness
for
any particular purpose or compatibility with any hardware, operating system,
or software/firmware. Morrow, Inc. reserves the right to alter or updaQe any
publication or manual without obligation to notify any person of
program,
such changes.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:
THE FOREGOING WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF
ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
IN NO EVENT WILL MO~OW, INC. BE
LIABLE FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES EVEN IF MORROW, INC. HAS BEEN
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Should a buyer experience a defect. in either workmanship or materials during
the warranty period,
any Morrow Authorized Service'Center will replace or
repair the product at its expense only if the product is promptly returned
to the dealer or Service Cente~ with dated proof of purchase.
Should factory repair be necessary, ,the Service Center shall contact Morrow
Customer Service for a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number.

Copyright (C) 1983 by Morrow,Designs, Inc.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted,
transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any
language or computet language, in
form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or
otherwise, without prior wrItten permission of Morrow, Inc.

any

DISCLAIMER
No representations or warranties, express ,or implied, are made
with respect to the contents hereof, including, 'but not limited
to, the implied warranty of merchantabili~y or fitness for a
particular purpose.
Further, Morrow, Inc. 'reserves the- right to
~~yise this publication and to make changes from time to time
in
the content hereof without obligation to notify any person of
such revision.

Morrow
600 McCormick St.
San Leandro, CA 94577

.

--~---------------------------

TlADEMARXS -----..;;...;;;;..;..;.-,;;....USED IIf THIS BINDEl.

UNIX is' a product of Bell Telephone LaboJ:'atories.-,
Micronix, Decision t MicroDecisiort, and Cor'rect-It are products'
of Morrow Inc.
CP/M 2.2 and CP/M 86 are products of Digital Research, Inc.
IBM and PC-DOS are trademarks of International Business Machines , Inc.
WordStar is a product of MicroPro Corporatipn.
LogiCalc is, a prod\lct ,of Software Products,
~

~nternational.

-

BASIC-SO, (MBASIC) is' a product of Microsoft, Inc,.
BaZic is a product of Micro-Mike's, Inc.
Personal Pearl is a product of Relational Systems, Inc.
XEROX 820 is a product of Xerox Corporation.
Osbourne is a trademark of Osbourne Computers, Inc.

POIEWORD TO

THE HICIORIX MARUALS

If you hate technical manuals ·as a matter of prineiple-~ we
can't blame you.: This one, at first -glance, looks very- thick, it
only has a handfuI:of pictures, and it's not even typeset.
Well, think of it as a beat up old Buick.
pretty, but it's comfortable and reliable.

It may not

be

Writing a set of manuals that covers an operating system is
a difficult task. When the operating system is one that emulates
Bell Lab's UNIX, the task becomes almost overwhelming. The
standard Bell Lab's documentation is a 6" thick stack of
technicalese, daunting to even the most hardy of individuals.
Their documentation was written over a period often years, by
many different people, in a variety of styles.
Our documentation has to be somewhat different.
Instead of
tens of programmers contributing, Gary Fitts wrote the Micronix
operating system and Len Edmondson wrote most of the programs.
They wrote many of the entries in the Reference Manual, and
provided the technical editing necessary for accuracy in the
User's Guide.
The User's Guide to Micronix was written in an atmosphere of
friendly chaos by John VanderWood and myself.
Part of the chaos
revolved around a change of attitude that made it possible to
rewrite the old manual in a much more amiable style.
That made
us happy.
But, naturally, this project was scheduled to be
finished before i't even began.
Add to this the simultaneous
improvements to the existing software by Gary and Len, and the
feeling we had was one of running a race in shifting sand.
The
goal, a complete and easy to understand User's Guide, was like a
mirage shimmering in the distance.
Result: the majority of
with the possible exception of
time even to look at yet.
The
work; at least it's as accurate

the User's Guide is pretty good,
Tutorials, which we haven't had
Reference Manual still needs some
as human imperfection allows.

Most of this manual was written in the stimulating and
We
distracting environment of Morrow's engineering department.
received a lot of support from Bob Groppo, the S-100 project

engineer, and further assistance and distraction from John
Zalabak, Dave Block, Don Mowry, Howard Fullmer and Ken Toland.
Customer service got into the act, mainly in the person of Norm
Tilbury, who read and corrected drafts. Dana Tilbury and Lawrence
Curtis, who toge'ther ha:ve installed (at the "factory"), more
Micronix systems than anybody in the world, also read and commented on drafts of the User's Guide.
We hope 'that this edition:of the Micr,<>nix Manuals enlightens
more than frustrates.
There should be ,8 great big "Under
Construction, Bard Beads Required" sign at the beginning of this
manual.
We've tried all of the examples provided, and can only
pray that the distribution sof.tware that you're using is the same
as what we work with.
~f you find parts tha,t confuse you,
discover better examples, . or can't fj.nd sQmething, you, need t9 knoW·
about, write us a nO.te, ca~e of Docum~ntation, ,at Horrow.

Take care, and much good fortune,
Rik Farrow,

June 30, 1983

Micronix Operating System
user's manual

MORROW.

o R lEN TAT ION

TAB L E

o

F

CONTENTS

1. USING THE MANUALS ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ~ ••••••••
1.1. Confusion Relief ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1.2. The User's Guide •••••••••••••••••••••••• -••••••••••••
1.2.1. Orientation •• ; •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1.2.2. Installation and Operation •••••••••••••••••••
1.2.3. Maintenance and Administration •••••••••••••••
1.2.4. Tutorials ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1.3. The Reference Manual ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1.3.1. Programs •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1.3.2. System Calls •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1.3.3. Subroutines ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1.3.4. Devices ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1.3.5. Files ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

3
3

2. THINGS YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST KNOW ••••••••••••••••••••••••••

4

3. SYSTEM OVERVIEW ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
3.1. Micronix Software Features ••••••••••••••••••••••••••
3.1.1. Memory Management ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
3. 1 • 2. I.anguage s ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
3.2. The Micronix Shell ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
3.3. The File System •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
3.4. Directory Terminology •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
3.5. Where Files Come From •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

5
6
7
7
7
8

13
14

4. WHERE TO GO FROM HERE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

14

1
1
2
2
2
2

2
2
3
3

3

1.

USING THE MANUALS

You rece~ved quite a mass of paper
system. Let's see if we can sort it out a
what's unnecessary at this point.

with your Micronix
little, eliminating

All of Micronix documentation can be divided into three parts:
The User Manual
The Micronix Reference Manual
The Technical Reference Manuals
1.1.

Confusion Relief

Before launching into a discussion of what information can
be found where, we should clear up a couple of potential sources
of confusion. '
Confusion Fac~or 1:
The User Manual and Micronix Reference
Manual are in the same binder, with .no obvious· separatiQn between
them.
This is pretty easy to get used to.
The first set of
tabs, orientatiQn, installation, maintenance & administration,
and tuto~ials, comprise the User's Guide. Everything else, from
Programs on back, is the Micronix Reference Manual.
Confusion Factor 2:
There are all these other reference manuals
in addition to the Micronix Reference Manual.
Well, these all
refer to the individual hardware components that make up the
Decision computer.
And unless you're one of that strange breed
of computer freak who can't keep his mitts out of the cirGuitry,
you can just put these Technical Reference Manuals away.
From
now on, when we say "Refer~nce Manual", we mean the Micronix
Reference Manual.
Confusion Factor 3:
Finally, you have the manuals for the
software that is included with Micronix (a word processor, for
example).
Since this isn't really part of Micronix as such,
we'll overlook it here.
The same is true of the C and Pascal
manuals, if you purchased those separately-priced compilers.
Now then. The next sections give an overview of the contents
behind each of the tabs in the User's Guide and Reference Manual.

1

1.2.

The

U~er's

Guide

This is the manual that you will use the most while you are
getting to know your way around Micronix.It tells you how to
install the hardware and software, how to run it, and how to keep
it: running.
1.2.1.

Orientation

The section you are now reading covers the documentation a~d
attempts to convey the concepts underlying the Micronix file
system.
1.2.2.

Installation and Operation

This section runs you through hooking up all-of the cables,
setting
up you~ terminals and printer,
checking out the
preinstalled software, and reinstalling it if it doesn't check
out properly.
It also-has instructions for an introductory
session with Micronix, including how to turn the system on and
off properly.
This section ends with a discussion on installing
CP/M software.
1.2.3.

Maintenance and Administration

Here you will learn about all of the exciting and wonderful
tasks that await you as system manager.
We'll tell you how to
check the file systems,~maintain free disk space, customize the
environment, copy diskettes, provide system security, back up
files, add new'user accounts, and respond to error messages.
'
1.2~4.

Tutorials

The last section 6f the User's Guide provides elementary
training in-common'Micronix operations that are not unique to the
system manager.
These include changing passwords, modifying the
"search path", mounting disks, using the CP/M emulator upm, and
taking advantage of some of the trickier features of Micronix.
1.3.

The Reference Manual

This manual makes up most of the bulk of the Micronix
binder.
Once you get used to Mi~roni.x, you will probably find
the Reference sections to be the most frequently accessed, when
All of this information is
you have mental lapses and the like.
also available online, by way of the "help" command.
Just pick
the name of a program, file, system call, device, or subroutine,
enter the command help so-and-so, and 10 and behold! there is the
information you wanted, right there on your screen. For example,
to learn how to use the concatenation program, enter help cat.
(No, this won't tell you how to get your kitty out of a tree.)

2

These sections of the Reference Manual are arranged by
topic, in alphabetical order.
Leaf through them to get an idea
of what's' in there and how to find it.
Go ahead, do that right
now. •
1.3.1.

Programs

This will probably soon becom~ the mo.st dog-eared section of
the manual, since you will refer to it constantly to check on the
usage and syntax of Micronix commands. It also contains valuable
tips on practical applications of the programs.
While many of
the commands ,are' discussed in the context of installation or
administration of Micronix, this section is the only central
depository of Micronix's capabilities., So it's a good idea to
just browse around in, it while you're waiting for a disk to copy
or a file to print.
You'll probably spot 'something that you've
been wanting but didn't know was in there.
1.3.2.

System Calls

We're gett'ing into some fa'irly advanced stuff here, aimed
mostly at programmers.
System calls and subroutines are the
building blocks upon which Micronix is constructed. This section
is intended for those of you who wis:h to make (Version 6 UNIX)
system calls to Mic,ronix from C or" asse~bly language programs.
1.3.3.

Subroutines

These are frequently-used mini-programs that programmers can
embed into their own creations with a simple C invocation.
1.3.4.

Devices

This section gives terse descriptions of the interface
between Micronix and the hardware components of the Decision
computer.
Some of it is very technical, but other parts are
quite accessible to the average user and helpful when modifying
the hardware configuration (see especially cables, printers, and
ports).
Those wishing to access memory or I/O mapped devices of
their own will be interested in the mem and io devices.
1.3.5.

Files

These are tools for cutting and, forming the
objects (just making sure you're still with us).

surfaces

of

Again, this is a pretty technical discussion of file formats
used internally by Micronix.
Non-programmers will still want to
be familiar with the layout of the banner, motd, passwd, rc,
signon, and ttys files.

3

2.

THINGS

YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST KNOW

I.

Whenever you are instructed to enter some command in- the
pages that follow, always follow it with a carriage return:

II.

When you see a screenful of data reproduced in this manual,
the part that is printed in boldface is the part you type.
The rest is sent Qut by the computer.

III. If you get. s~uck in some procedure and you can't figure out,
what to·do to escape, the delete key, (sometimes labeled
RUB instead) is your best bet. Sometimes it might take a
moment for Micronix to respond to the delete, so if
you're in 'a panic, go· ahead and press delete a' couple
more dozen -times while you wait. Delet'e also 'interrupts
the out-put' of Micronix programs· 1ik-e', type when
you
decide that you've seen enough.
When you're working inside some application program' that is
not part of Micronix as such (e.g. Personal Pearl), there
will be a different keystroke that 'performs the abort. Look
for that in the relevant documentation (Good luck).
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you abort a program by turning
off . the power or by resetting the system. Check out the
section called "Desperate Measures" in the Maintenance and
Administration division for additional procedures.
IV.

When you
tell Micronix to list something out on your
screen
wi th the type, form, cat, Is, 'far, and other
commands, and the info is whizzing up the screen faster than
even Evelyn Wood could handle it, press the ES~pe key or
control and s keys simultaneously to freeze the listing.
When you're ready to resume, press any other key.
You
can use escape or "control-s" over and over in the same'
operation to stop-start output.

4

3.

SYSTEM OVERVIEW

What is Micronix, anyway?
Every computer manual has its obligatory, patronizing,
futile attempt to explain just what an operating system
Let's hope we do a li t tle be t'ter •

and
is.

Think of the computer hardware as the North American
continent, sans the blessings of civilization. Now think of your
marvelous computer program (like WordStar) as-a sleek, gleaming
Mercedes waiting to launch you from equestrian barbarism into the
rolling pushbutton thunder of the latter twentieth century.
-Now there's something missing here, r"ight?
Your gullwing
isn't going to get too fat without paved roads and bridges.
So
you can think of an operating system as that system of highways
and byways that brings the vistas of automation within your
reach.
As for Micronix,
well,
it's the Interstate
of
microcomputer operating systems.
Jus t as. a road mus t follow the contours of the 'terrain
(within limits), an operating system must-conform itself to the
ideosyncrasies' of the hardware- on which it is running.
On the
other hand, you wouldexpe'c t your car to perform equally well on
a variety of topographies without having to modify it.
Thus
operating systems enable an application program to run on a range
of hardware without having to monkey around with the code.
As'- you travel down that highway, you stop and exchange
information, drop off reports, make phone calls and connect with
other programs. - This is known as input/ou'tput, or i/o. The
operating system provides the facilities.
Now that we've belabored this tenuous metaphor sufficiently,
we can sum up by saying that the operating system creates a
network of functions that give the computer
its personality.
Without any operating system, a computer makes a fine bookend.
With one o.s. versus another, a computer will be able to handle a
different set of chores, at different levels of proficiency and
efficienty.
Micronix
is your o.s.
It is
rather
elegant,
as
microcomputer operating systems go.
The following sections
describe some of the features of Micronix, but as you will see,
reading this is no substitute for getting in there and putting it
through its paces.

5

3.1.

Micronix Software Features
Mi-cro-nix
\mi'-cro-nix\
n. an interactive
timesharing operating system designed to run
on Morrow's Decision c,omputer.· It 1.s compatible
with Bell lab'~ UNIX version 6, containing many
of the same features, including:
'

*

a hierarchical file system - Unlike' the "flat" file systems'(such as ,the 'one used by CP/M), a hierarchical file
arrange~ent allows you to organize files in a logical and
convenient ~anner.

*

multi-tasking (background processes)' for each user - This
feature makes i ~ possible for you. to start some time-"
consuming program and at the same terminal, go on to
something else while the first "process" runs merrily
along.

*

compatible file, device and interprocess I/O - Whoa!
Jargon. city!
This means that you can send the output of
a program to a term,inal, to a printer, to a disk file, or
to the 'input of another program without having to refor,mat it. Likewise, you can get the input for a program
from a ter~inal) a disk file) or from the output of
another program.

*

mountable disks - You can extend the reaches of your file
system. to other hard disks or to floppy disks with a
simple mount command.
Without this feature, you would
have to copy the files on these devices over into the
file system in order to access them for reading or writing.
That would be a clunky, stagnant, and altogether
distasteful state of affairs.

*

a choice of shells (command line interpreters) - You can
run Micronix in several "modes", that is, if you are in
the Micronix shell, the computer will recognize Micronix
commands; if you switch to the upm shell, it will recognize CP/M commands. Finally, you can configure a user so
that he runs only one application program, say) Logicalc.
This. user then can be said to .possess a Logicalc shell,
since the shell will recognize only Logicalc commands.

*

nearly 100 software tools for program development, document preparation, file handling and inter-system communication (including an emulator that runs CP/M object code
unchanged)

*

all UNIX 6 system calls (except "ptrace U ) and a cOJllplete
standard I/O library.
Existing UNIX programs can be
compiled generally unchanged under Micronix.

6

3.1.1.

Memory Management

The Micronix "kernel" (t~e part that stays in memory instead
of being called in now and then) takes up 64K ,bytes.
Each "process" can occupy from 16 ,to 68K.
A process. in normal terms. is
a program that you are running from your terminal. More strictly.
a process can exist in background mode and even exist independent
of any terminal.~ It is a block of memory occupied by a program
and its data.
When the total demand for memory exceeds the
amount available t Micronix swa'ps selected processes out to disk
storage in order to make room.
3.1.2.

Languages

Most of the code in Micronix is written in the C language.
This language is 'both highly structured and "fairly unrestrictive t
making it efficient and easy to use.
Progranmers will find that
C language is good for a wide variety of programs.
Other
languages supp,orted by Micronix include Pascal,
RATFOR, BASIC and Intel assembly language. More specific details
concerning
software with Micronix are not contained in this
manual, since t.hey' are separately packag,ed products.
3.2.

The Micronix Shell

The shell or "command line interpreter" is your channel of
communication with Micronix.
It displays a prompt (# or %)
telling you to give it something to'do.
Then it reads what you
type, and checks to make sure you typed it JUST RIGHT. Of course,
it only checks for correct syntax..
If you accidentally tell it
to erase the book you spent the last six months penning, it will
do so ,without asking you if it's okay.
(We'll preach your ears
off about the importance of backup files later.)
The shell has some fancier functions'too.
It has a set of
built-in commands, for moving around in the file system and
displaying its contents. You can use "wildcards" in filenames to
make life easier for yourself.
The shell handles interpreting
wildcard symbols, as well as setting up background processes,
piped da'ta flow, and i/o redirection.
All of these handy
features are discussed in more detail in the Tutorials division
of the User's Guide.

7

3.3.

The File System

One ,of the most 'beneficial features of Micronix is it,S file
system.
If you are new 'to hierarchical file structures, you may
have to acquire a. taste for it.
Once you do,though, those flat
directories will never he good enough again. We'-r;e going to make
a heroic effort, he-re to explain how the Micronix file sys,tem
works, but for r'eally gettlng the hang of it you should take a
tour of the file syst-em as described- under "First Time Use of
Micronix" in the Installation division of ,the User's Guide.
Okay, here we go.
Traditionally, a file system like the one used in Micronix
is compared to an inverted tree.
There is a root d'irectory at
the top, with other files and directories de'scending, ramifying,
multiplying.. amoeba-like into the infinite depths below.
Alternatively, you could envision it as a starfish, or a
wagon wheel, a snowflake (~o two file systems are exac~ly the
same), or perhaps a mine shaft.
Here are

p

few things that the file system is NOT like:

a doughnut
a tricycle
a jazz band
an armadillo
We're going to try a different paradigm.
But first, we need to be clear on what's a file and what's a
directory. Let's assume you know enough to, have at least -a foggy
idea of what a file is: it could be some text you generated, some
numbers in a data base, a- program's coding;_ it doesn't matter.
The point is that it's NOT a directory. A directory is a list of
files and where to find them.
Now we get to the hierarchical
part - a directory can also contain other directories, cannily
referred to as subdirectories.
Imagine you have awakened in a spacious circular room,
chrome-and-glass motif, ferns atop filing cabinets, earth tone
sculptured carpet - the office of the. future. Woven into the
carpet is the cryptic symbol" I tI.
Surrounding you is a panorama of doors and filing
Where is the coffee machine, you wonder.
This is the
the future, remembe'r, and all of the coffee bushes in
have been laid waste in the Great Java Blight.
Don't
anything? Here, drink this Petro-delite and listen.

cabinets.
office of
the world
you know

You are in the root directory, a clean and wholesome place.
The doors, you see before you are entrances to other directories,
like bin and usr.
The filing cabinets are the files themselves,
8

like micronix and finstall.
The files are the important things.
Directories are just pathways that you go through to ge't to the
rest of the filing cabinets.
Egad! You have just been transported deep into the file
system.
Another room, but with over a hundred filing cabinets
and only one door, mysteriously labelled " •• ".
Emblazoned on
the carpet is the ominous, message II lusr/man/manl II
Kirk: Kirk to Enterprise!
Mister Scott!

Kirk to Enterprise!

Come in,

Scotty: (brogue-ish) Scott here, Cap 'n.
Kirk: What in the blazes is going on, ~cotty?, Are you
fiddling with, the transporter's' controls·or what?
Scotty: Beg pardon; sir. I was just testin' the transporter's
new opera tin" sys tem with this "cd lusr Iman /man l"
command.
Kirk: (aside) Explanation, Mister Spock?
Spock: It would seem that the expression /usr/man/manl
somehow represents this loca t'ion, when one considers
the unlikely coincidence of us materializing here
(thanks to Mister Scott's tinkering) and the fact that
those ve~y characters appear there on the floor.
Perhaps "cd" is some sort of directive, meaning
"coordinate definition" or "consign to destination".
McCoy: Or "capture and detain", or "chafe and decapitate"!
(Menacing theme music crescendos, cut to commercial)
While the commercials are on, we will put you at ease by
assuring you that ,the good doctor's anxieties are amiss.
"cd"
stands for change directory, which means pass through a door, or
a series of doors, depending on the "argument" that follows cd.
Therefore, the Enterprise brass have in effect passed from
the root directory, through the usr door, on through the man
door, and finally into the manl room.
The complete path of
this journey is "/usr/man/manl", which is the argument. By the
way, this room contains the online'documentation for section I of
the Reference Manual, hence "manl". But the show's back on.
Spock: Captain, there is a door to your left
with two dots on it.
Kirk: So I see. No doubt a secret message of some sort.
Now, if I can remember back to my days in the signal
corps, two dots is Morse code for "I". Hmmm. But
"I" is English for the Latin "ego" which sounds like
"y-go" which is sort of French for "Go there"!
9

".

Spock: (muttering) Which I was about to suggest.
Kirk: ScottYt give us a "cd •• ".
Sco~ty:

But sir t why doon't ya just walk o'er there?

Kirk: Do what I tell you, Mister Scott, or I'll have you
keelhauled! Besides, it'~ such a MOVING experience.
(winks at McCoy).
(whirring and whining of transporter - protagonists appear on the
other side of the ...... door.
No filing cabinets this time,;
instead t there are seven doors labeled "manO", "manl", and so on
Thi:s floor's
up to "manS", plus another strange ".... door.
carpet is decorated with the insignia "/usr/man".)
Spo,ck: Fascinating. Our previous location was Iu,sr/man/manl.
After passing ,thrqugh the double-dot 'door, our present
location is lusr/man. Over there is a door,mar~ed
"manl". I posit that these are one and the same door,
viewed from opposite sides. Furthermore, this second
double-dot door should lead us into a chamber known
. as i. lusr" t wherein will be a "man" door, leading back
into this very place. It is quite conceivable that
in th~ /us,r room we woul~ discover yet another dot-dot
door, being an entrance to the "I" room, whe.re we
began. '
McCoy: Why you. contemptible conglomeration of collagen and
chloroplasts! What the devil are you talking about?
(Spock raises eyebrow, exchanges knowing look with smiling Kirk up on happy music, freeze ,. superimpose credits)
More than likely you're in a similar state of befuddlement
at this point. The foregoing episode serves mainly to give you a
feel for the labyrinthine nature of the file system, a glimpse
from the inside as opposed to the external view, which we will
present next.

10

I

o 0 0 0
o 0 0 0\
o 0 0 0 0\
o

---\/
/etc

,
,

_ _....:/0\
o 0

/

/ bin

I0

~----~

\

/

I /

0 0 0 0 0 0
usr /man/manO, 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 \
/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
/0 0
0 0 \
/0 0
0 0
0

\/

I

I
I

\0 0/
/usr

I

,

The Root
Directory /0\

0 /

\0 0

\//usr/man

/ \

6 0 0 \ / 0 0\

o 0/
-----\ /

\

\/

/

0 \
\ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/
\ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/-

I

I/usr/man/manl

\
10

I

,

/0\

/ 0

/0 0\
/ 0
\ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
\ 0 0 0 0 000 0

I

/a/annl
/a
0 0 0 0 0 0 01/usr/man/man2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
,
'0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -I
I0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
/0\
/0 0 0 0 0-0 0 0 \
/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
o 0 0 0\
/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 \
/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 boo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

-_...

This is a partial overhead view of the file system.
The
thing to notice is the way that each directory cell has a
"pathname" that is determined by its position relative to the
root directory.
The farther down into the file system you gOt
the longer the pathname becomes.
Whenever you are using Micronix, you will be "in" some
directory.
You will have access to the files in that directory
(unless they are restricted) by simply typing the file's name
after so~e command; for example, if you are in /usr/man/martl, you
could look at file cptree.l t which is in that directory, by
entering type cptree.l.
If you were in some other directorYt thought you would have
to include the whole pathname, as in type /usr/man/manl/cpttee.l
A major potential confusion factor -. is that when you look at
the contents of a directory using the dir command, you'll get a
list of filenames and subdirectory names with no apparent
distinction between the two types.
Once you know your way
around t this isn't a problem. But early on you'll be making the
harmless mistake of trying to change directory (cd) to a path
ending at a file,
which won't work, and attempting file
manipulations on some directory, which won't work either.
There are two ways to get your bearings within the file system:
to directory.
pathname, for

1.

Use the command pwd, meaning pathway
Micronix will respond with your current
example, la/ann/letters.

2.

The dir command displays the files and subdirectories
that
are in your current
directory.
Hopefully
something will look familiar enough to clue you in as
to where you are.
11

Now for a little mental exercise to help assimilate what's
,before. • •

gone

You are in the .root directory.
You get there either by logging
in as the user named "root" or by typing cd I.
You want to get to the home directory of user "bob", ·which means
the directory that Bob automatically lands in when he logs in.
(The setting up of "home directories" is discussed in Maintenance
and Administration.)
The pathname of Bob's home directory

i~

la/fu11time/bob.

There. are four ways of getting there, but .on1y one does it in a
single step. See if you can come upwitb the right one. Don't
peek. Cover the answers, below with your hand. (Hint: the answer
is painfully obvious.)
Answer #1:

cd a
cd fulltime
cd. bob

Answer #2:

cd a/fulltime
cd bob

Answer #3:

cd a
cd fulltime/bob

Answer #4:

cd a/fulltime/bob

If you produced any of the first three answers, you're catching
on, but your sense of efficiency is a little suspect.
You may be wondering why Answer #4 doesn't have a slash in
front of the "a" in the pathname, since the pathname was given as
/a/fu11time/bob.
This is because you were already in the root
directory (symbolized by I, giving slash a double meaning). That
means subdirectory a was in your current directory, so anything
that comes before it in the pathname is superfluous.
Now suppose you are in directory /a/fu11time/oglethorpe, and
One way to
you want to get over to Bob's home directory.
accomplish this is by entering cd la/fulltime/bob. The slash has
to be up front there since you weren't in the root directory at
the time.
The
alternative
route
demonstrates backing
out
of
directories a step at a time, symbolized by the dot-dot doors in
our earlier fable:
cd
cd bob

to back up from la/fu11time/og1ethorpe to la/ful1time
to advance from la/fu11time to /a/fu11time/bob

And finally, these two commands may be condensed to cd •• /bob.

12

We're about finished with this file system discussion. It's
doubtful that you feel inspired and enlightened, because as we
said earlier, reading about it is no substitute for tapping on
that keyboard.
3.4.

Directory Terminology

Just to make sure you're clear on some of the
you'll ,be running into elsewhere in the manual -

terminology

"Root Directory" is the center of the file system, if
you like the starfish analogy; if you prefer the
inverted tree, it is the top. For the office-building
scenario, consider it the lobby.
All pathname$ to
files in the system begin at the root directory.
The
root directory contains a few files (unless you put
more in it) but mostly it contains subdirectories. The
r,oot directory.is symbolized by a sla.sh, so the. command
cd / will put you there.
..

"Home Directory" is the position in, the file system
where a user is placed when he logs. in. This choice is
under the control of the. system.' manager.
The 'home
directory of the user "root" (usually the login name
for the system manager) is the root directory.
Other
users would typically have home
directories like
la/henry.
No matter where a user happens to be in the
flie system, he can always return to his home directory
with the command cd, with no argument following it.
"Current Directory" is whatever directory you happen to
be in at present. It could be the root directory, your
home directory,
or some other subdirectory.
The
pathname of your current directory can be subtracted
from the pathname of some file farther down in the file
system if you want to do something with that file. For
example, if you are presently at la/sylvia and you want
to print the file /a/sylvia/letters/mom, you could
enter lpr letters/mom.
You can find out the pathname
of your current directory by typing pwd.
To see the
contents of your current directory, enter dire
The " •• "symbol means "one step back in the file system".
You can use more than one of them in a string.
For example, to move from /f/john/micronix/chapter1
back to If, you could enter cd •• / •• /..
Starting
at the
same
place,
if you
wanted to get to
/f/john/cpm/intro, you can mix •• 's with a normal path
in cd •• / •• /cpm/intro.
Remember that cd commands have
to end up at a directory name, not a file name;
therefore "intro" and "chapter1" above are directories.

13

3.5.

Where Files Come From

. Your Micronix system comes with a basic fil·e system made up
of the Micronix programs and the online documentation. You will
be adding new directories with the mkdir (make directory) command, and adding files by copying things into the system (such as
when you install your word and data processing software), and by
running that software (it creates files for its own use). Other
ways of generating new files are by using the edit command on a
file that doesh't yet exist, by sending the output of som·e operation to a file that isn't there yet, and by duplicating existing
files with the cp and cptree programs.
No matter how extensive or intricate your file system
eventually becomes, it will still always lead back to the
original root direct6ry.
A couple of tips on setting up your own tile space:
1.

As a regular user (instead of system manager), you will
probably have a home directory of /a/yourname. This is
created by the accounts program. It will be an empty
directory at that point. When you use mkdir directoryname
to make a subdirectory, capitalize the name or at least
its first letter to distinguish it asa directory instead
of.a file.

2.

Micronix has certain restrictions on the file names that
you can come up with. File (and directory) names can be
any combination of printing characters up to 14 characters
long, with one exception. The slash character, /, has
a special meaning for Micronix (it separates directory
names), so it can't appear in file or directory names.
A different set of restrictions on
when using CP/M. Micronix files
lower case letters or numbers, with
characters, possibly followed by a
characters.

4.

file names is imposed
for CP/M must be all
a maximum length of 8
period and three more

WHERE TO GO FROM HERE

Well, if you haven't installed your system yet, by golly,
you can't do too much else until you get that overwith. The
INSTALLATION division covers this ·subject pretty well.
Then you should take the tour of the file system as
described toward the end of the INSTALLATION division.
Next, refer to MAINTENANCE AND ADMINISTRATION for instructions on setting up user accbunts. Flip back to PROGRAMS and try
running a few of them, just to see what happens. Remember that
the DELete or RUBout key will normally get you out of confusing
situations. CTRL and D simultaneously can be helpful too, since
it logs you out. Now dig in, and enjoy yourself.
14

Micronix Operating System
user's manual

MORROW.

------_.-------------------------INS TAL LIN G M I C RON I X
TABLE

1.

2.
2.1
2.1.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.5.1
2.6
2.7
2.7.1
2.7.2
2.8
2.8.1
2.8.2
3.
3.1

3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5

4.
4.1
4.2
4.3

4.3.1
4.3.2
4.3.3
4.3.4
4.3.5
4.4
4.5
4.6

O.F

CONTENTS

................
STEP BY STEP INSTALLATION PROCEDURE •• · . . . . . · .
STEP 1: UNPACK AND INSPECT ••
• • • • • • · .
INSTALLATION OVERVIEW

Checking for Hidden Damage ~ • • • • • • •
STEP 2: SELECT A LOCATION • • • • • • • • •
STEP 3: PLUG IN THE POWER CORDS • • •
STEP 4: TURN THE POWER ON, .FIRST TIME
STEP 5: SETTING UP THE FIRST TERMINAL • • • • •
Terminal Settings ••- • • • • • • • • •
STEP 6: CONNECTING THE RS-232 TERMINAL CABLE.
STEP 7: BOOTING UP CP/M • • • • • • • • • • • •
TUTORIAL: Care and Feeding of Floppy Disks.
Getting Ready to Boot. • • • •
• •••
STEP 8: CHECKING THE HARD DISK.
• •••
Booting Micronix • • • • • • •
If CHECK FAILS.... • • • • • _.

·.

INSTALLING MICRONIX ON THE HARD DISK • • • •
FORMATTING THE HARD DISK • • • • • • • • • •
USING STANDALONE MICRONIX. • • • • •
BUILDING A SKELETAL MICRONIX • • • •
BOOTING A SKELETAL HARD DISK MICRONIX. • • •
ADDING THE SOFTWARE • • •

.....· .......

FIRST TIME USE OF MICRONIX •
CHECKING THE FILE SYSTEM • • ..
SETTING THE DATE • • • •
• • • •
MOVING AROUND THE FILE SYSTEM.
The BIN Directory. • ••
The DEVICE Directory
•••••
The ETC Directory. • •
•• • • • • • •
The USR Directory. • •
• •••••••••
A Map Of The File System • • • • •
ADDING A PASSWORD FOR ROOT • •
GOING MULTIUSER. • • • • •
• • •
• • • •
TURNING YOUR MICRONIX SYSTEM ON AND OFF • • • • • • •

..
· . .. .. .. ..
·.
....

1

2
2
3
5
5
7
8
8

9
10
11

14
17
18
18
21

21
23
26
28
29
31
31

33
34
36
37
38
38

39
40
41
42

5.
CONNECTING THE PRINTER • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
5.1
PLUGGING 'IN YOUR PRINTER • • •
• • •. • • • •
5.2
TESTING YOUR PRINTER • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
5.3
ADJUSTING MICRONIX FOR ,YOUR PRINTER. •
• ••
5.4
USING LPR, THE PRINTER COMMAND
••••• • •
5.5
USING YOUR, PRINTER WITH CP/M • • • • • • • • • • • •
5.5.1
Using LPR With CP/M. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
5.6
ADDITIONAL PRINTERS. • • '. • • • • • • • • • • • • •
6.
INSTALLING YOUR CP/M SOFTWARE. • • • .-. • • • • • • •
6.1
Copying CP/M ~iskettes to the Hard Disk. • • • • • •
6.2
Customizing Software • • • • • • • •.• • • • • •
Terminal Emulation and upm • .• • • • • • • • • • • •
6.3
6.3.1
Turning Terminal Emulation On and Off.
• •
6.3.2
Terminals .File • • • • • • '. • •.• • • • • .• • • •
6.3.3
Upm's Notepad: The upmttyX File • • • • • • • •
EXAMPLE: Installing NewWord • • • • • • • • • • • •
6.3.4
6.3'.5
ANOTHER EXAMPLE: Customizing Personal Pearl • • • •

44
45
46
47
49
50
50

51
53
54
55
57
57
58
58

59
60

Appendices

A.

Installing WordStar • • • •

......... .....

62

INSTALLING YOUR MICRONIX SYSTEM
Congratulations on getting your new system. This section of
the Micronix manual explains how to connect your terminal(s) and
printer(s) and how to get the software running.
Rather than
trying to do everything at once, then trying to figure what went
wrong, we will proceed a single step at a time.
This may seem a
little slo~ if you are anxious, but it is merely honoring
Murphy's law:
If anything can go wrong, it will.
Your Mlcronixsystem was connected with a terminal and
tested for 12 hours before it was packed at Morrow. Twelve hours
may not seem like much, but most problems from faulty hardware
show up within the first half hour of use.
Because of the test,
we know that your Micronix system worked great for us; it should
also work for you.
Just follow the instructions,
please.
We
will use checkpoints at every step so that you can be sure that
you have succeeded in understanding and follo.wing instructions.
We'll also do our best to explain briefly and simply what
you are doing to your system as you install the software.
This
should provide you with a better understanding of how Micronix
works.

1.

INSTALLATION OVERVIEW

Before we get started, this section provides a brief
description of the procedures involved in installing Micronix on
a Decision.
This section may be all that you need if you have
previously installed a Micronix system.
For those of you firsttimers, the installation steps are explained in greater detail in
the sections that follow. Here goes •••
1.

Unpack and check for external damage; remove the inserts
from the floppy drives;

2.

Choose a suitable
peripherals;

3.

Plug the Decision into a grounded socket;
terminal into a power socket on the Decision
another grounded socket;

4.

Turn on the power:
on?

5.

Set the terminal to 9600 baud, 2 stop bits and no parity;

6.

Connect this terminal to the RS-232 connector located in
the lower right-hand corner of the back of the Decision;
there are (at least) three of these connectors: use the
one nearest the right side (when viewed from the back.)

location for the computer

are

the

1

and

its

plug a
or into

fan and switch panel light

7.

Insert the CP/M floppy disk, and boot up CP/M by
pressing the RESET switch (or flick~ng the key to RESET)

8.

Run the CP/M CHECK program to check the contents of
hard disk.

the

The CHECK program is an important milestone in this process,
since its outcome determines whether you will have to repeat a
time-consuming (though easy) procedure that was already done when
your system was tested.
If it is successful, you are ready to
boot and play aro~nd with Micronix and can install whatever
software packag~s you may hay'e purchased. We will traverse these
bridges upon ~rrival.
2.

~

2. 1.

BY STEP INSTALLATION PROCEDURE

STEP 1 :

UNPACK AND INSPECT

The instructions for unpacking your system are essentially
the same as for unpacking a piece of stereo equipment: carefully
remove the cabinet from the box and save all packing materials in
case you ever want to ship the system again. Besides the cabinet
containing the Decision, you should have also found:
o

two binders, one with these instructions,

o

a packet of diskettes,

o

warranty cards, and

o

a power cord.

The packet of diskettes contains a CP/M diskette for testing and
"booting" your system, copies of the Micronix software that has
already been placed onto the ~ disk, and a set of application
diskettes for word and data processing.
The warranty cards should be read, filled in, and mailed.
THIS IS IMPORTANT:
There are cardboard inserts in your
floppy drives to protect them during shipping.
You must remove
them before applying power to the system. Lift the door latch
and slide them out. Leave the doors open. Easy enough?
The power cord is the only external part that is packed with
the Decision. Since you are going to connect at least one terminal to the system, you also need an RS-232 cable with two male
ends for each terminal you are connecting.
Hopefully,
your
dealer was saVvy enough to realize this and sold you one with
each terminal. Or, if you are daring, and competent technically,

2

you can build your own cable with parts purchased at Radio Shack
or an electronics store.
The section on installing printers
has more details on RS-232 cables.
If you bought a Morrow
terminal, a RS-232 cable will be in the box with the terminal.
Keep your carton and packing materials!
the kids for playing camp-out.

Don't give them to

If you do see blatant physical damage to
ify the carrier immediately for filling out a
contact Morrow's Customer Service Department
ask for' a' Return Authorization Number.
They
turned equipment without that number and it
the original carton.

the Decision, notdamage- claim. Then
(408-430-1970) and
will not accept. remust be shipped in

Those of you with Decisions that have the keyswitches o~ the
front can ignore the next subsection and proceed to STEP 2.
2.1.1.

Checking for Hidden Damage

This section can be skipped by owners of Decisions that have
an ON/OFF keyswitch on the front panel; this should include just
about all of you.
However, if you do run into some intractable
problem later in the installation, the ftillowing procedures may
prove helpful, regardless of which' cabinet your 'Decision uses.
By the time you have removed the Decision cabinet from the
packing mater:Lals, you should have discovered any gross damage
suffered during shipping.
What we want you to do now'is check
for hidden damage.
The hidden damage will probably involve
loose, rather than broken, parts that you can ,reattach yourself.
And by "hidden", we mean inside the Decision cabinet. Opening
the cabinet is simple and not dangerous, so don't be afraid.
If
you have already plugged in your
Decision,
please
unplug it. There are two types of Decision cabinets: a molded
plastic one and a metal one. To look inside the plastic cabinet,
remove two screws in back, and slide the top of the Decision
toward the back and lift it off.
The cover to the metal cabinet
is attached by four screws which you need to remove before you
can slide off the cover. The cover slides off toward the front.
Just under the cover, on the left hand side, there is a
piece of foam rubber. Please remove the foam. This foam was put
into your Decision after testing to protect the pc boards during
shipping and it will interfere with air cooling if you leave it
in. (Non-keyswitc-h models only.)
When you have removed the foam, you will have revealed the
printed circuit boards.
Each board looks like a green or blue
rectangle, about 5 by 10 inches in size, covered with black
integrated circuits on one side.
The boards should be neatly
standing in a row, with white plastic guides holding the boards
upright, and a black plastic connector fastening
them, along
their lower edge.
3

By looking down between the, pc boards (there is room for
several more boards right in the middle) you will see another,
much larger, green printed circuit board that extends from the
front to the rear of the cabinet.
This board is called the
WUNDERBUS I/O, and holds 14 black 'connectors, each about 7 inches
long. These connectors work identically to. one' another, that is,
they provide the same data and signals to each printed circuit
board that is plugged into them.
To work properly, the lower
edges of the smaller pc boards must be firmly attached to the
black connectors.
This connection, between the s~aller printed
circuit boards and the WUNDERBUS I/O, is often a 'problem when
shipping computers.
Checkpoint:
We are going to check ~,o,}:' two things:
that the boards .are' held
between the white plastic guides, and that all the boards are
firmly connected.
1.

To see whether each ·pc board is still held between the
two white plastic guIdes, look along the left and right
,ends. of the boards. The white guides begin 3/4" (2 cm.)
below the top o.f, the boards, and its easy to see whether
each board is resting in the guides, unless you keep
your computer under the table or in a dark room.

2.

It's pretty hard to see the connection between the
boards and the WUNDERBUS, but you can do two things.
You can see that the top edge of each board is about
3/8" (.8 cm.) above the metal ~ides, and that the tops
of all the boards .appear to be about the same height.
And you can press down on the tops of the boards to
reseat them.
To reseat boards, press gently with your
thumbs on both ends of the top of a board.
You can use
up to about 10 lbs. (4 kilos) of force pressing down,
and can alternate the force from your left thumb to your
right to gently rock the board into place.
Even if all
the boards look seated, try this with at least one
board.

If you find a board that is co~pletely unseated, well,
reseat it. It doesn'~ matter which slot on the WUNDERBUS you fit
it into, and it will only go in one way.
If you find a loose
cable, it should be readily apparent where it connects. Chapter
11 of the D120 manual (the hardware manual for the Decision that
is in the other binder) shows the proper connection for most
cables.
If you can't figure out where to connect a cable, get on the
horn to Morrow Customer Service.
These situations are very
unlikely,
but we want you to be as self-reliant as possible in
case they occur.

4

2.2

STEP 2:

SELECT A LOCATION

The choice of the location for your Decision is up to you.
However, there are three requirements that'must be followed.
Your
Decision should be installed where it will remain
level,
stable and dry.
The level and stable requirements refer mainly
to the hard and floppy disk drives.
These both contain moving
parts ,that are designed to be operate,d on a level surface for
maximum life expectancy.
And, if you drop or jar a hard disk,
the head alignment inside the sealed unit may change, making
everything on the disk unreadable.
Even worse, dropping an
operating hard disk will probably force the heads into contact
with the spinning disk, destroying many sectors. Treat your hard
disk like a priceless Ming vase:
keep it wher~e it won't be
dropped.
The definition of "dry" for electronic equipment is that the
environment must be non-condensing. That is, the humidity should
never be so high that water condenses on the metal parts of your
computer. Obviously, rain, or spilled coffee, is too wet.
And, if it, is,really"dry in your environment, you may have a
problem with static.
The static-charge that you ~an build up in
your body walking across a rug might amount to thousands of
volts, but very little current,.
What this means is tha~ what
feels like a little .hock to you is li~e elctro-convulsive
therapy ,f,Or your computer. Computer-brain damage wiJ.I be the
likely result.
Problems with static can be vanquished by
purchasing a rug that has copper wires woven into it.
Strange
though it may seem, rugs with metal content are not too uncommon,
and you may be able to buy a small one from a rug store. Or, you
can get an anti-static rug from an office supply or computer
retailer.
One final suggestion about location.
Like a stereo s~stem,
all of the connections f.or your system are located on the back of
the cabinet. If you can arrange the system so that you can stand
behind it, at least while installing it, everything will be a lot
easier.
Once the physical installation is completed, you can
move the system so that "the back faces a wall. Remember to leave
at least 4" (10 em.) at the back and over the top of the cabinet
for ventilation.
2 .3

STEP 3:

PLUG IN THE POWER CORDS

••• but don't just jump right in and do that.
Read this
section first, and be sure that the power switches to the Decision and its peripherals are off. Some Decisions have large red
or white rocker switches on the front or rear panels for controlling power.
To confuse matters further, they can be mounted
vertically or horizontally.
Off is always DOWN for vertical
switches and LEFT for horizontal ones (when facing the switch).
Whew.
If your Decision has a keyswitch on the front panel,
ignore the above and turn it fully COUNTERCLOCKWISE.
5

Your Decision comes configured from the factory for either
110 or 220 volt operation, as specified by the dea~er who ordered
it.
Just to be absolutely 'sure that your available current
matches what the computer needs,
check the sticker on the rear
of the Decision.
The sticker covers the power socket and tells
which voltage level the computer expects.
Your
Decision can be plugged into any grounded
Grounded outlets for 110 volts look something like this:

/

\

\

/

outlet.

I II II I
I II 'I I
101

-

They will receive the three-pronged plug that comes with the
Decision.
(If you have a 220 volt system, you will also have a
three pronged socket,
but in a different shape.) If grounded
receptacles are not available', use an adapter to plug the power
cord into the wall, and plug accessories, such as your terminal
and
printer, ' 'into the outlets on the back of the
Decision.
When using a three pronged atlapter, be sure to fasten the metal
tab or green wire'from the adapter to the screw that secures the
socket cover to the wall. And don't just break the ground lead
off of the power plug. This is a computer, please,'not a sabre
saw.
To make matters worse, not all three pronged sockets are
actually grounded. In older houses and buildings, all the wiring
was done with two wires - no ground wire!
Later, three pronged
sockets were added by someone and "grounded" to the metal box
they were installed in.
If you want to check your ground (the
third hole, which is round, or the screw that you attach the
adapter to), use a 'volt-ohmmeter and check the resistance between
your alleged ground and a cold water pipe. The resistance should
hover near zero.
If you need more outlets, get a power strip and plug
everything into the power strip.
Computer systems with their
accessories are like stereos in that they work best if they are
all using the same ground.
If you are going to have terminals
that are located a distance away from the Decision,
use
the
full RS-232 specification cables which include a protective
ground on pin 1.
Besides a shared ground, the Decision and its peripherals,
(terminals, printers, etc.) require a steady power supply. The
volts,
and
minimum suggested voltage for the Decision is 105
the maximum is 125 volts.
For 220 volt systems, the tested
voltage range is 208 to 265 volts.
In the United
States and
most of Europe,
the power companies are pretty reliable at
delivering electricity in this range,
so most of you won't
6

have trouble with

this.

One problem that you need to try to avoid is voltage
variations due to the startup of large electrical appliances like
air conditioners, space heaters, and freezers.
If an electric
lamp connected to the outlet you want to use dims visibly when
one of these appliances turns ori, ' you will probably be plagued
with erratic performance from your computer.
The only solutions
are
running
a dedicated power line from your main service
panel to either the computer or the appliance, or getting an
uninterruptable power Supply.
2.4.

STEP 4:

TURN THE POWER ON, FIRST TIME

Now"
ready for the big step?
Look on the back of the
Decision
cabinet.
The socke t for power will be covered by "the
sticker with the voltage level ort it.
Remove the sticker.
The
socket is a hole with three' prongs in it.
Plug the female end
of the power cord into this socket.
The socket is designed so
that there is only one way the plug will fit in,
so don't
worry about doing it wrong.
Plug the other end of the power
cord into the outlet you have selected.
Now, apply power by
either reversing the position of the rocker switch or by turning
the keyswitch one click clockwise.
The power is now ON to the
Decision.
Checkpoint 1:
A pilot lamp should now be glowing to notify that power has
been applied.
In the keyswitch~odels, the panel next to the
keyswitch illuminates;
in other models the Reset button lights
up. The fan inside of the the back of cabinet should also be on.
If you have a 5 and 1/4 inch hard disk,
known as a mini-wini
or mini-winchester drive,
the red indicator light on the drive
will also be on.
The two grounded power outlets on the rear of
the Decision
now have power applied as well.
If everything
checks out here, go on to the next section on connecting the
first terminal.
Troubleshooting 1:
If neither the pilot light nor the fan came on, check:
1.

The connection of the power cord to the back of the
Decision. This socket is about 3/4 (2 cm.) deep, ,and
the female end of the power cord must be fully inserted
for a good connection.

2.

The grounded outlet.
Plug a desk lamp into the outlet
to make sure that you have power.

3.

The circuit breaker on the back of the Decision -(keyswitch models only). It is of the pushbutton type seen
on stereo receivers and speakers.
Push it all the way
in and release with a snap.
7

4.

The power switch itself.
Rock it back and forth
flick the keyswitch) a couple of times.

(or

If the fan comes on, but the pilot light· doesn't come on,
the Decision may well be operationai ·with the exception of
the lamp itself.
In NON-keyswiteh models, there is an.alltoo-frequent problem with a loose connection on the wires
that connect the RESET button to the WUNDERBUS I/O.
Unplug
:your Decision, take the top off and, with good
lighting,
look into the cabinet between the back of the cabinet and
the rearmost pc board.
Located just to the rear,of'a black
connector on the WUNDERBUS are two pins with the' word PRESET
printed next to them.
A small black (or brown) plasti~
connector with a black wire and a blue wire coming from it
should be attached .to the two pins, but is instead lying
nearby.
The black and blue wires are tied down near to the
two pins, so tha,t if the connector ,is loose it will be easy
to find.
It is a tight fit for large'hands,
but you can
. maneuver the connector over the pins by holding the connector between two fingers and slide it back on.
The blue wire
goes on the pin nearest the power switch, the black wi.re
on the pin nearest the fan.
STEP 5:

2.5.

SETTING UP THE FIRST TERMINAL

This section covers attaching. ONLY the first terminal.
If
you're going to have more, these procedures apply in principle,
but there is further information under "Terminals" in the MAINTENANCE AND ADMINISTRATION division of this manual.
The first terminal connected to a Micronix system is called
the console. On mainframe (large) computer systems, the console
is used by the system operator.
Micronix's.conso1e is used both
by the system administrator and ordinary users.
When you first'
bring up your Micronix system, the console is also the ONLY
terminal that you can use.
In fact, whenever the system is
reset, only the console will be operative.
(Making other
terminals usable is known as "going multiuser".)
2.5.1.

Terminal Settings

Terminals have many switch-selectable features, of which
only a few concern us at present.
The first, and most
important, is the baud rate, that is, the transmission rate in
bits per second.
Both the CP/M system that we will use to check
out the hard disk and Micronix initially expect that you will be
using a baud rate of 9600.
9600 is the most common baud rate
used for terminals connected directly to computers.
Look up the
baud rate selection, or option switch settings, in the operation
manual for the terminal you are using, and set the terminal for
9600 baud.
While you are looking at this section of your
terminal's manual, also set the switches for:
o

full

duplex - since the Decision echos the
8

characters

you type back to your screen, if you see two of everything later, you should double check this setting.
o

8 bits - the number of bits used to send a character;

o

2 stop bits
character;

o

no parity - parity is an option that _is used for
checking transmission accuracy (usually not a problem
at 9600 baud); and

o

on line - as opposed to local, means that ~he keys you
type are transmitted to the computer; sometimes this
switch will be on the keyboard.

- the pattern that marks the

end

of

a

The odds are that if you have already been using a terminal
with a different computer, it is set up correctly for use with
Micronix.
Once again, the most likely cause of trouble-here is
the baud rate.
The usual sign of using the wrong baud rate is
that the sign-on messages '(after booting or resetting) will be a
nonsensical collection of assorted characters and the letters
that you type will be displayed as other letters on your
terminal.
For example, if you type an "rtf and the characters
"-pH appear instead,
your terminal is set to 4800 baud.
The
Decision has software-controlled baud rates, so you must set
your terminal to 9600 baud initially in order to use the software
to change the baud rate, if you so desire.
2.6.

STEP 6:

CONNECTING THE RS-232 TERMINAL CABLE

NOW, look at the back of your terminal.
There will be one
or two trapezoid shaped female connectors there, (like the
capitol letter "D" lying on its rounded side), the same size and
shape of the end of the RS-232 cable we told you you'd be
needing.
If there is only one connector on the back of the
terminal, great.
If there are two, use the one labeled "modem",
"RS-232", "main port", or "PI", not the one labeled "printer" or
"aux". The second connector is not designed to be connected to a
computer, and you don't need it.
Connect one end of the RS-232
cable (either end is fine) to the correct connector on the back
of the terminal.
The other end of the RS-232 cable is attached to the
connector in the lower right hand corner of the back of the
Decision.
There are two additional connectors of the same shape
and size to the left of this connector, when looking at the cabinet from the back.
Don't use them now.
Use the rightmost
connector, nearest to the side of the cabinet, for the console.

9

TERMINAL

DECISIOH

Now, plug in the terminal and turn it on.
You can use one
of the two sockets on the back of the Decision to plug in your
terminal, so that the console will turn on when the Decision is
turned on.
When the terminal is turned on, it may "beep", and
you should be able to hear it w~rming up (sounds like a TV set, a
high-pitched whine.) After warming up, (5 seconds or so), you
should see a marker on the screen of your console called the
cursor. The cursqr marks the place where the next character yill
appear on the screen. (The cursor precurses the next character.)
It will probably be in the upper left-hand corner o~ your screen.
If you don't see the cursor on the screen, you may ~eed to
adjust your terminal's brightness c~ntrol. Before you leave this
paragraph,
find your cursor.
If you can't find the cursor,
something is wrong with your terminal, so you might as well just
mark your place in this manual, and return when your terminal is
okay. Thanks.

-2.7.

STEP 7:

BOOTING UP CP/M

Now that we've got the basic connections made, a terminal
and power, we're ready to load CP/M into your Decision. Although
there is a complete Micronix operating system already on the hard
disk, we'd like you to check things first by using the less
sophisticated CP/M.
Then you will run the CHECK program mentioned earlier.
There is a'-lengthy primer on diskettes embedded
in this procedure which the more experienced of you may skip.
and

Look in the packet of diskettes that came with your
take out the disk labeled

system

COLD BOOT LOADER (CP/M)
With the power on to your system and the console, insert this
disk in the floppy disk drive.
If you are familar with floppy
disks, this should be no problem and you should skip the next
section.
For those of you unfamiliar with the use of floppy
disks, the next section is for you.

10

2.7.1.

TUTORIAL:

Care and Feeding of Floppy Disks

TIlere are two sizes of floppy disks availablewfth Decision
systems': 5 and 1/4 inch and 8 inch. Disks of both'sizes consist
of a black plastic envelope with' a circular piece of recording
material on the inside. The recording material is visible in t,he
center' hole of the disk; and through an oblong slot between the
center and one edge of the diskette.
Floppy disks are read and
written through this oblong slot.
Be careful never to touch the recording material revealed
though the oblong slot.
TIle oil naturally occuring on your
fingertips will ruin the magnetic material. 'The recording
material can also be damaged by: being scratched, heated, folded
or getting wet.
Floppy disks are cheap and convenient, but
somewha t fragile, so be care,ful when you handle them.
The top side of a floppy disk is the side with the label on
it.
The label is always ,next to the edge opposite the oblong
slot, so the label is the best place to hold floppy disks~ When
inserting a floppy disk, hold the disk with your thumb on the
label and your other fingers underneath. (It may happen that you
have bought a bulk quantity of blank floppies without labels. In
this case, the labels would go on the smooth side, the one
without the seams folded over on it.)

~(

)

Now for the difference between 5 and 1/4 and 8 inch
diskettes. We'll talk about 5 and 1/4 inch diskettes first. The
major difference is their size:
5 and 1/4 inch diskettes are 5
and 1/4 inch square. The other important difference is something
called "write-protect".
When a diskette is write-protected, it
may be read, but not written on. Write-protection is a physical
mechanism that cannot be overridden in software, so it provides a
good way of protecting valuable data on diskettes from accidental
erasure.
Cassette tapes in stereo systems have a similar
protection scheme.

11

The write-protect notch on a 5 and 1/4 inch diskette is on
the left hand edge when your are holding the diskette properly
(by its label) •. When this notch is covered, the disk is writeprotected.
Left uncovered, the diskette can be written on or
erased.

,0

,

notch-covered

1:1

o©
t{:

,

10

r

notch-open

10

A WRITE-·PROtECTED 5 1/4"
DISKETTE

AN UNPROTECTED 5 1/4"
DISKETTE

Eight inch' floppy disks have the write-prote'ct notch in a
different position.
The write-protect notch is on the edge of
the diskett,e nearest the oblong opening.
And,' to confuse the
issue, 8" diskettes ,use the opposite scheme from 5 and 1/4 inch
diskettes:
when the notch is open, the disk is write protected;
when the notch is covered, it is write enabled., Make sure you've
got that straight, or forget it if you don't use 8" diskettes.
notch covered

notch open

-/

L
0

-'

@
•

@
•

I

0

10

I

10

AN UNPROTECTED 8"
DOUBLE-SIDED
DISKETTE

A WRI~E-PROTECTED 8"
SINGLE-SIDED
DISKETTE

12

NOTE:
The following discussion of formatting applies only
to new diskettes, or those you wish to recycle.
Do n~t format
any of the diskettes that came with your system.'
Before new floppy diskettes can be used the first time, they
must be formatted.
Formatting adds a timing patter.n to a disk
that must be there before an ordinary read or write can occur.
Even
if you bought blank preformatted diskettes,
they
should' be reformatted on your Decision before you use them.
The fdj program should be used for this.
The Decision accepts
the following diskette formats:
-5 and 1/4"North' Star compatible, single and double density,
single and double-sided, 35 and 40 tracks.
For use
exclusively with Micronix, use: double density, doublesided, 40 tracks. Soft-sectored Micro Decision format
is also supported.
'

8"IBM 3740 compatible, single and double density, single
and double sided.
For use exclusively with 'Micronix,
select double density, double sided, 512 byte se,ctors
when using the fdj program.
Micronix can handle the
other format options as well, but this is the
most
efficient.
If you buy a diskette with software on it, it is already
formatted, SO DON'T FORMAT IT or you will erase the software.
The diskettes provided with your system all have software on them
and don't need formatting.
If you're curious about the meanings of some of the terms
used above, here we'll discuss single versus double sided. There
is no difference in appearance between single and double sided 5
1/4" floppy diskettes.
However, the 5 1/4" diskettes that are
labeled and sold as double sided, have passed a test for doublesidedness;
the
diskettes labeled as single-sided FAILED this
test. You should buy 5 1/4" diskettes certified as double-sided.
There is a physical difference between single and double
sided 8" diskettes.
If you look at the drawings of 8" diskettes
on the previous page, you will notice that one is labeled
"SINGLE-SIDED", and the other is labeled "DOUBLE-SIDED".
The
difference between the two is the location of the index hole.
The index hole is a small (1/4" or .6 cm.) hole located between
the large hole in the middle of the diskette and the label.
The
index hole for single-sided 8" diskettes is located at about
6:30, a little off to the left below the center hole.
In
double-sided 8" diskettes, this hole is located further to the
left, around 7 o'clock.
This physical difference allows the
hardware and software to distinguish between single and double
sided 8" diskettes.
If you want to use double-sided 8"
diskettes, you must buy them this way.

13

The last ,point to discuss about floppy diskettes is how to
open and close the drive doors.
There are at least three types
of
drive doors.
In every case, closing the door causes the
diskette to be clamped in place through the hole in its middle.
Please close the door gently, so that you don't mangle the edges
of the cent'er hole in the d·iskette.
The first type of door isa flap .that covers. part of the
slot where you slide in a diskette.
To open the door" lift up
the flap.
Slide the diskette in as far as it will go·and close
the door by pushing the flap down gently.
The se~ond type of door is like a latch handle. To open the
latch, turn the latch counterclockwise so that it pivots to a
position above the slot. Slide the diskette in as far '"as it will
go and close the· latch by turning it clockwise until it is
vertical. Simple enough?
To open
The third type of door is used on 'some 8" drives.
the door, press the rectangular button with the red indicator
light in it.
The door will pop open revealing the slot.
Slide
the diskette in' ·as far as it ·will go. This time ,there will be a
"click" ' when the diskette is in far enough.
If it is not, it
will pop out like toa~t from a toaster. Just slide it in ag~in,
gently, until it clicks.
Then, press down gently on the gate
above the slot until it too clicks into place.
Now you're all
set.
You should NEVER close the door of a drive without a
diskette in it.
Closing the drive door moves the .reading and
writing heads into position for contacting the diskette. Without
a diskette in place, the heads are in position for crashing
together, possibly cracking or scratching each other.
This is
why there was a piece of cardboard in the driv~ when your system
was shipped.
The red light that is on the front of disk drives is called
an activity light.
When the activity light'is ON, it means the
diskette is being read or written.
NEVER open a drive door when
the red light is ON.
2.7.2.

Getting Ready to Boot.

We're back on track now. We assume that your Decision and
the console terminal are up and running with their communications
cable connected and the baud rate set to 9600.

14

After power is applied to the Decision, the computer is ready
to be booted.
The word "booting" refers'to the phrase "to pull
oneself up by one's own bootstraps".
For computers, booting
means loading in the operating system by reading in the first
sector
on the disk.
The first sector
contains
enough
instructions to read in the first two tracks on the diskette. On
the disk labeled COLD BOOT LOADER (CP/M)>> the operating system is
completely contained on these first two tracks.'
Resetting the computer tells it to re,load the operating
system from the diskette into memory and to produce a prompt on
the con$ole screen to tell you that it' ~s ready for further instructions'.
Now, with the CP/M diskette in your floppy disk drive, close
the door and press the red RESET switch.
On keyswitch models,
give the key a quick flick clockwise; a spring will push it back
to t,he ON position (away from RESET) si,milar to a, car's ignition
switch.
have now arrived at checkpoint 2.

We

Checkpoint 2:
After you RESET the system, the red activity light on the
front of the floppy disk drive should begin to blink.
After ,a
pause, the screen may be cleared; depending on your terminal,
and the CP/M cold boot sign-on message and a prompt are displayed:
Morrow Designs 48K CF/M 2.2 E4
AB: DJ /DMA 5 1/4", CD: DJ /DMA 8", E': HDC/DMA M5
A)[ ]

Once you see the CP/M prompt, "A)", CP/M has been successfully
booted.
Those of you familar with CP/H may like to take a look
around by typing DIR 

---

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