PCE can now run PC/IX and Xenix!

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That’s right! from the homepage you can find screenshots, and download links, and ready to run systems too!

Xenix on the XT!

Pretty snazzy as the major hurdle with these old UNIX’en is that they talk directly to the old XT disk controllers, not using the BIOS.. The AT & beyond we got lucky as even in 2012 PC’s still emulate the old WD-1003 controller…

Not that I could imagine *WHY* you would want to run the 8088 version of Xenix (or the 286 version too for that matter) but rest assured you now can.

13 thoughts on “PCE can now run PC/IX and Xenix!”

  2. did you use some special flags to compile pce? on my 64 bit linux system pce-ibmpc dies with:
    512 KB OK
    1701
    ERROR. (RESUME = “F1” KEY)

    surprisingly the pre-built version works fine under wine.

    • No… The only Xenix networking parts I have is for 386 Xenix, and it only supports 3 NICs, the only program that can emulate one of the NIC’s is MESS.

      Back then, you were basically expected to UUCP your data around. And add in more serial ports for terminals, which your remote users would dialup and monopolize.

      TCP/IP used to cost big dollars, much like networking cards until we were lucky enough to have NET/1, the NE2000 clone market and the decline in prices of 80386 PC clones.

      Unix on a 286 or XT is just a painful experience, but in 1983, well what could you do?

  4. Have you had any success getting FAT (DOS) floppy images to work with ice, an in particular with PC/IX’s dosdir, dosread, and doswrite commands? Particularly images that can be created on something else or converted from such. I’d really like to get source for the SysIII versions of (at least) date and touch into PC/IX, which I think would cover the most basic Y2K issues. They’re not huge, but retyping would be a pain, esp. since INed isn’t fun without the keyboard template (esp. on a Mac laptop w/o some of the PC keys).

  5. I added some features to pce-ibmpc (and pce-img): pcm tape images with custom frequencies – must divide 44100 (Hz), and makeab disk image format. Drop me a /pmsg on a chat protocol if you interested in it.

      • Here you are:

        https://winworldpc.com/product/ibm-pc-diagnostics/102-cassette

        wget/curl/HTGET/socat it, then:

        #!/bin/bash
        set -euo pipefail
        INFILE=”$1″
        OUTFILE=”${1,,}”
        OUTFILE=”${OUTFILE%.mp3}.wav”
        sox “$INFILE” -r 44100 -c 1 -b 8

        # mplayer, lame, vlc, ffmpeg, cubic player can be used, too

        Then it can be loaded using only 5150 rombasic, with LOAD”ldcass”, then RUN.
        Case sensitive: the argument – however the command is not.

        Haven’t/Won’tbe pushed yet, I am not Hampa :o)

        Essential parts in ‘*.cfg’ for tapes:

        cassette {
        enable = 1
        file = “ibm_pc_diagnostics_cassette.wav”
        # pcmfreq = 44100 # this is my extension, not merged
        pcm = 1
        filter = 0
        mode = “load”
        position = 0
        append = 0
        }

        Cheers

        • Doubled the number of available ibm pc 5150 tape applications around. Converted the Galaxian (1983) booter game to “bootable tape” – means it can be booted with rombasic on a storageless machine. Tested, debugged with ndisasm+pce-ibmpc.

          Looking for: pcjr testers (pcem does not support tape AFAIK, no info about mame/mess)

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