B5500ColdLoader does not initialize the SYSTEM/LOG file correctly

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The coldstart loader script, when doing a cold start, attempts to create the 
SYSTEM/LOG file for the MCP's use. The MCP either removes the file or refuses 
to use it.

Original issue reported on code.google.com by [e-mail] on 6 Jul 2013 at 12:18

[Google Code Exporter]

After several abortive attempts, finally determined that the header was not 
being built correctly. Words/record and words/block were not being set in 
header[0], and the savefactor, creation date, and last-access dates were not 
being properly initialized in header[3].

Also created a small Algol deck, LOG/MAKER, to create the SYSTEM/LOG file per 
the specs in the B5500 Operations Manual (1024916, Sep. 1968 rev 6/15/71, 
p.3-24..25, 5-19..26B). This can be used on systems where the cold start did 
not create a usable log file.

Original comment by [e-mail] on 6 Jul 2013 at 12:36

[Google Code Exporter]

Finally got this fixed. It required numerous changes (i.e., false starts) in 
B5500ColdLoader to get the initial file built so that the MCP and LOGOUT/DISK 
will recognize it and work with it properly. See SVN revision r351.

The safest way to implement a working log is to cold-start with the new 
webUI/B5500ColdLoader.html script. There is now also a tools/LOG-MAKER.job deck 
you can run if your systems does not have a SYSTEM/LOG file in the directory. 
If your system does already have SYSTEM/LOG, it probably does not have the 
correct file attributes. You can run the tools/B5500DiskSystemLogFixer.html 
script to correct that, but be careful -- this modifies the disk directory, and 
can only be run when the emulator is completely shut down.

To analyze the log, do an "LN" command to copy the log data, which will create 
a file of the form mmddsss/SYSLOG, where mmdd is the date and sss is an 
MCP-assigned log sequence number. Then execute LOGOUT/DISK with COMMON=yymmsss.

Original comment by [e-mail] on 28 Jul 2013 at 2:46

• Changed state: Verified