From Newsgroup: comp.sys.unisys

I have a copy of the emulator with a license that expired several
years ago (we dropped the 2200's at SITA in 2022-ish), but I have
a bit of a personal interest in getting it running if that is
still a thing.

I have a LOT of software in @FTPACK format and a couple of other
formats that I would love to revisit, including some
perhaps-not-well-known stuff from folks in Roseville (@VSH,
@CSHELL with source, @@UEDIT) and a dozen or so tapes from the
old UPLI archives.

Is PS2200 something Unisys still updates keys for?
--
Rich Steiner >>>---> rsteiner@prootwadl.org >>>---> Mableton, GA USA
Written online using slrn 1.0.3!
The Theorem Theorem: If If, Then Then.
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.unisys

On 7/9/2026 3:41 PM, Richard Steiner wrote:

I have a copy of the emulator with a license that expired several
years ago (we dropped the 2200's at SITA in 2022-ish), but I have
a bit of a personal interest in getting it running if that is
still a thing.

I have a LOT of software in @FTPACK format and a couple of other
formats that I would love to revisit, including some
perhaps-not-well-known stuff from folks in Roseville (@VSH,
@CSHELL with source, @@UEDIT) and a dozen or so tapes from the
old UPLI archives.

Is PS2200 something Unisys still updates keys for?

Unisys still issues license keys for users who have downloaded PS/2200
and requested one in years past. New users are no longer accepted.
Submit a copy of your most recent license request to <OS2200.Express@unisys.com>. That mailbox is not monitored daily so you
may need to wait awhile for a response.
--
- Stephen Fuld
(e-mail address disguised to prevent spam)
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.unisys

On 2026-07-09 19:41, Richard Steiner wrote:

I have a copy of the emulator with a license that expired several
years ago (we dropped the 2200's at SITA in 2022-ish), but I have
a bit of a personal interest in getting it running if that is
still a thing.

I have a LOT of software in @FTPACK format and a couple of other
formats that I would love to revisit, including some
perhaps-not-well-known stuff from folks in Roseville (@VSH,
@CSHELL with source, @@UEDIT) and a dozen or so tapes from the
old UPLI archives.

Is PS2200 something Unisys still updates keys for?

Note that PS2200 as issued to the public is Exec 49R4 with many TDATE$
calls. As I'm sure you know, TDATE$ rolls over on 2028-01-01. I don't
know what the failure modes will be, but I doubt it'll be pretty.

I suspect Unisys has already issued a newer TDATE$-remediated PS2200
release to its engineers. If you get a license, I'd be interested to
here whether you get a newer version. Why do I expect you won't?

- Steve J. Martin
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.unisys

On 2026-07-15 17:20, I wrote:

Note that PS2200 as issued to the public is Exec 49R4 with many TDATE$ calls.-a As I'm sure you know, TDATE$ rolls over on 2028-01-01.-a I don't know what the failure modes will be, but I doubt it'll be pretty.

I suspect Unisys has already issued a newer TDATE$-remediated PS2200
release to its engineers.-a If you get a license, I'd be interested to
here whether you get a newer version.-a Why do I expect you won't?

Clarification: My remarks above re. TDATE$ refer to PS2200's ROS (Real
OS) mode. I know nothing about TDATE$ and SOS (Simulated OS) mode. My experience with both modes is some years old.

- SJM

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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.unisys

On 2026-07-09 19:41, Richard Steiner wrote:
<snip>

I have a LOT of software in @FTPACK format and a couple of other
formats that I would love to revisit, including some
perhaps-not-well-known stuff from folks in Roseville (@VSH,
@CSHELL with source, @@UEDIT) and a dozen or so tapes from the
old UPLI archives.

I also have archives in @FTPACK format. If someone is looking for a
wicked cool (difficult!) programming challenge: Write a program that
will run on Windows and/or Linux to extract elements from @FTPACK files.

Absolutes, relocatables and object modules would not be useful on
non-2200 systems but source code and documentation would be. A year or
so ago a computer game researcher contacted me looking for source code
for old 1100/2200 games. I gave him what little I had but being able to extract source and documentation from @FTPACK files would have helped.

- SJM

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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.unisys

On 7/15/26 17:51, Steve J. Martin wrote:

On 2026-07-09 19:41, Richard Steiner wrote:
<snip>

I also have archives in @FTPACK format.-a If someone is looking for a
wicked cool (difficult!) programming challenge:-a Write a program that
will run on Windows and/or Linux to extract elements from @FTPACK files.

Is there any documentation on FTPACK format?

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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.unisys

Stephen Boyd <sboydlns@gmail.com> writes:

On 7/15/26 17:51, Steve J. Martin wrote:

On 2026-07-09 19:41, Richard Steiner wrote:
<snip>

I also have archives in @FTPACK format.-a If someone is looking for a
wicked cool (difficult!) programming challenge:-a Write a program that
will run on Windows and/or Linux to extract elements from @FTPACK files.

Is there any documentation on FTPACK format?

http://cgibin.rcn.com/leistlc/ftpack.htm
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.unisys

On 7/16/26 11:52, Scott Lurndal wrote:

Stephen Boyd <sboydlns@gmail.com> writes:

On 7/15/26 17:51, Steve J. Martin wrote:

On 2026-07-09 19:41, Richard Steiner wrote:
<snip>

I also have archives in @FTPACK format.-a If someone is looking for a
wicked cool (difficult!) programming challenge:-a Write a program that
will run on Windows and/or Linux to extract elements from @FTPACK files. >>>

Is there any documentation on FTPACK format?

http://cgibin.rcn.com/leistlc/ftpack.htm

That doesn't seem to address the actual file contents. I guess one would
have to dive into the FTPACK source to figure that one out.

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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.unisys

Stephen Boyd <sboydlns@gmail.com> writes:

On 7/16/26 11:52, Scott Lurndal wrote:

Stephen Boyd <sboydlns@gmail.com> writes:

On 7/15/26 17:51, Steve J. Martin wrote:

On 2026-07-09 19:41, Richard Steiner wrote:
<snip>

I also have archives in @FTPACK format.-a If someone is looking for a
wicked cool (difficult!) programming challenge:-a Write a program that >>>> will run on Windows and/or Linux to extract elements from @FTPACK files. >>>>

Is there any documentation on FTPACK format?

http://cgibin.rcn.com/leistlc/ftpack.htm

That doesn't seem to address the actual file contents. I guess one would >have to dive into the FTPACK source to figure that one out.

I wouldn't be suprised to find it based on Lemple-Ziv-Welch compression,
which Unisys had patented, although the description on that page
implies a simple least-common-sequence dictionary approach.
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.unisys

On 7/17/26 17:53, Scott Lurndal wrote:

Stephen Boyd <sboydlns@gmail.com> writes:

On 7/16/26 11:52, Scott Lurndal wrote:

Stephen Boyd <sboydlns@gmail.com> writes:

On 7/15/26 17:51, Steve J. Martin wrote:

On 2026-07-09 19:41, Richard Steiner wrote:
<snip>

I also have archives in @FTPACK format.-a If someone is looking for a >>>>> wicked cool (difficult!) programming challenge:-a Write a program that >>>>> will run on Windows and/or Linux to extract elements from @FTPACK files. >>>>>

Is there any documentation on FTPACK format?

http://cgibin.rcn.com/leistlc/ftpack.htm

That doesn't seem to address the actual file contents. I guess one would
have to dive into the FTPACK source to figure that one out.

I wouldn't be suprised to find it based on Lemple-Ziv-Welch compression, which Unisys had patented, although the description on that page
implies a simple least-common-sequence dictionary approach.

I wrote a compression program for *NIX once using a common-sequence
dictionary approach. In order to decode the file you need to know where
the dictionary is stored and what format it is in. If I ever have some
spare time I might dive into the source and see if I can figure it out.

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