====== TOPS-10 Survival Guide ======

===== Introduction =====

[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOPS-10|TOPS-10]] is an operating system for [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Equipment_Corporation|Digital Equipment Corporation]]'s [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-10|PDP-10]] family of mainframe computers (including the DECsystem-10 and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DECSYSTEM-20|DECSYSTEM-20]] product lines). TOPS-10 was originally developed under the name "Monitor" for the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-6|PDP-6]] computer in 1964. It was renamed "TOPS-10" in 1970. The last release was in 1988.

LCM+L currently has two TOPS-10 systems available on-line: 
|
^ Host ^ Model/Processor ^ Operating system ^
| **dec-10** | DECSYSTEM-2065 / KL10 | TOPS-10 version 7.04 |
| **ki587** | DECsystem-1090 / KI10 | TOPS-10 version 6.03A |

===== Getting Started =====

**Apply for a user account** on one of LCM+L's TOPS-10 systems with the [[http://www.livingcomputers.org/Discover/Online-Systems/Request-a-Login.aspx|Request a Login]] form. Check the box "Tops-10 v7.04 (DECSYSTEM-2065)" for an account on dec-10. For an account on ki587, write a memo in the box "(Optional) Please describe your interest in these systems:". After completing and submitting the form, within a few days you will receive e-mail from LCM+L with your project-programmer number (PPN, TOPS-10 user ID) and initial password. 

**Connect to the system** by opening a Secure Shell session with the destination for your host:

^ Host ^ Destination ^
| dec-10 | dec-10@tty.livingcomputers.org |
| ki587 | ki587@tty.livingcomputers.org |

On ki587, after the log-in message is displayed, press the **Enter** key once or twice to display the command prompt ''.''.

Enter the ''LOGIN'' command to start your session.

**Command format**: TOPS-10 commands are one to six characters long. At the command prompt ''.'', type the command string or a unique prefix followed by command arguments if any, then press the **Enter** key to execute the command. In version 7.04 commands are case-insensitive; in version 6.3 all entered command text is automatically converted to upper case.

**File name format**: TOPS-10 files are identified with a file name from one to six characters long followed by a period (''.'') and a zero to three character file extension. Many commands allow wildcard characters ''*'' (matches any zero or more characters) and ''?'' (matches zero or any one character) in file name arguments to operate multiple files.

Files with standard extensions are given special treatment by some commands.

^ Ext. ^ File contents ^ Ext. ^ File contents ^
| ALG | ALGOL language source | EXE | Executable binary program |
| BAS | BASIC language source | FOR | FORTRAN language source |
| BLI | BLISS language source | MAC | MACRO assembly language source |
| CBL | COBOL language source | REL | Relocatable binary file |

**Special characters**: TOPS-10 recognizes the following special characters to assist with input and output from the system.

| Ctrl-C | Interrupt current program and return to TOPS-10. |
| Backspace \\ Ctrl-H | Delete last input character. (Deleted character is echoed at the end of the input line.) |
| Ctrl-U | Delete current input line. |
| Ctrl-O | Pause/restart terminal output scrolling. |

===== Command Summary =====

^ ^ Command ^ Syntax \\ Remarks ^
| 1. | LOGIN - Log-in to your account | ''LOGIN'' //<PPN>// |
| 2. | PASSWOrd - Change your password | ''PASSWO'' \\ Not available in version 6.3. |
| 3. | KJOB - Log-out from your account | ''KJOB'' \\ In version 6.3, KJOB prompts for how to handle user files. Enter ''F'' to save all your files. |
| 4. | MAKE - Create a new file | ''MAKE'' //<file name>// \\ Create //<file name>// with TECO editor. See [[Survival TECO]]. | 
| 5. | TECO - Edit an old file | ''TECO'' //<file>// \\ Edit //<file>// with TECO editor. See [[Survival TECO]]. |
| 6. | DIRECTory - List your files | ''DIRECT'' [//<file>//] |
| 7. | TYPE - Show file contents | ''TYPE'' //<file>// |
| 8. | COPY - Copy files | ''COPY'' //<new file>//''=''//<old file>// |
| 9. | RENAME - Rename files | ''RENAME'' //<new name>//''=''//<old file>// |
| 10. | DELETE - Delete files | ''DELETE'' //<file>// |
| 11. | EXECUTe - Compile and run your program | ''EXECUT'' //<file>// \\ Compiler will be selected based on file name extension. |
| 12. | BASIC - Run BASIC interpreter | ''R BASIC'' |
| 13. | SYSTAT - Print system status information | ''SYSTAT'' |
| 14. | SEND - Send a message to another user | ''SEND'' //<line> <message>// \\ Look-up the user's //<line>// in the 'Line#' column of the SYSTAT list. |

===== Learn more =====

  * [[http://bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp10/TOPS10/1972_PDP-10_Users_Handbook/02_timesharing.pdf|DECsystem-10 Getting Started With Timesharing]] (for TOPS-10 version 6.3)
  * [[http://bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp10/TOPS10/1972_PDP-10_Users_Handbook/08_commands.pdf|DECsystem-10 Operating System Commands]] (for version 6.3)
  * [[http://bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp10/TOPS10_softwareNotebooks/vol02/AA_0916F_Operating_System_Commands_Manual_Oct88.pdf|TOPS-10 Operating System Commands Manual]] (for version 7.04)