After installing there are certain keys being mapped incorrectly.
Host is running VirtualBox 6.1.40 running Ubuntu 22.04.
I have not played with Coherent in many many years.

I do note at boot time it says:
Loaded German virtual console keyboard table - V1.6

If this is the issue how do I load the U.S. keyboard at boot?

Example press z results in y and visa versa
Pressing / results in -
Pressing _ results in ?
So without the / I can't change directories.
The above is not all the mapping errors.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Oh and how would I copy a program into Coherent?

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KenUnix schrieb am Mittwoch, 14. Dezember 2022 um 01:19:37 UTC+1:

After installing there are certain keys being mapped incorrectly.
Host is running VirtualBox 6.1.40 running Ubuntu 22.04.
I have not played with Coherent in many many years.

I do note at boot time it says:
Loaded German virtual console keyboard table - V1.6

If this is the issue how do I load the U.S. keyboard at boot?

Looks like you downloaded the VM configured for german keyboard,
there is another 4.2.14 VM available for US keyboard, use that.

With the loadable driver /conf/kbd/us loads the US keyboard, put
the command into file /etc/drvld.all, then you get it loaded at boot.

Example press z results in y and visa versa
Pressing / results in -
Pressing _ results in ?
So without the / I can't change directories.
The above is not all the mapping errors.

On a german keyboard shift-7 is /, that might help editing.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hope that helps.

Oh and how would I copy a program into Coherent?

On the host use mtools to format a DOS floppy disk image,
and copy files on that image.
Mount it in the VM and under COHERENT use the dos*
commands to copy files and such, see apropos dos.

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Udo,

Thanks that fixed the keyboard issue.. Now boots up in English.

Regarding a US version of Coherent I only saw 1 prepared for Virtualbox at: https://www.autometer.de/unix4fun/coherent/ftp/vms/COHERENT-4.2.14-gr.ova

I tried working through the floppy image.
I installed mtools and floppyd for Ubuntu but got lost along the way...

Ken

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KenUnix schrieb am Mittwoch, 14. Dezember 2022 um 16:04:27 UTC+1:

Udo,

Thanks that fixed the keyboard issue.. Now boots up in English.

Excellent.

Regarding a US version of Coherent I only saw 1 prepared for Virtualbox at: https://www.autometer.de/unix4fun/coherent/ftp/vms/COHERENT-4.2.14-gr.ova

There also is COHERENT-4.2.14-NOV-2020.ova, this is identical but has the non loadable
US keyboard driver configured.

I tried working through the floppy image.
I installed mtools and floppyd for Ubuntu but got lost along the way...

Create a disk image with:
dd of=floppy.img if=/dev/zero bs=512 count=2880

DOS format it with:
mformat -i floppy.img

Check if image is OK:
mdir -i floppy.img
Volume in drive : has no label
Volume Serial Number is 21F5-A7F6
Directory for ::/

No files
1 009 152 bytes free


Copy files to the image:
mcopy -i floppy.img /Users/udo/coherent/archive/mwcbbs/rogue/rogue.tar.Z ::rogue.tgz

Check disk again:
mdir -i floppy.img
Volume in drive : has no label
Volume Serial Number is 21F5-A7F6
Directory for ::/

rogue tgz 201438 2022-12-14 19:55
1 file 201 438 bytes
807 424 bytes free

Now connect disk to VM and use the dos* commands included in COHERENT.

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KenUnix schrieb am Mittwoch, 14. Dezember 2022 um 21:49:39 UTC+1:

What device should I mount in Coherent to access floppy.img?
I ran through them fha0, fqa0, fva0, etc. but nothing showed...

mkdir floppy
/etc/mount /dev/??? floppy
umount /dev/???

Ken

COHERENT cannot mount a DOS disk device. If you connect the disk image to the first floppy drive
in the VM in COHERENT try:

dosdir a:

The second drive would be b:

The correct device file for the first 1.44 MB drive is /dev/fva0 in COHERENT, but the dos* commands
map it appropriate to the DOS drive letters.

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Thanks.

Created floppy image.
mdir -i floppy.img is empty.
Added test file to image.
mdir -i floppy.img shows test file.
Added floppy.img to virtualbox.

What device should I mount in Coherent to access floppy.img?
I ran through them fha0, fqa0, fva0, etc. but nothing showed...

mkdir floppy
/etc/mount /dev/??? floppy
umount /dev/???

Ken

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Udo,

Thanks again!!

You have been a great help. Everything worked. I've been away too long.

With this Coherent is there a possibility to run X and use the mouse?

Obviously copy/paste does not work.

Was there ever any consideration given to network connectivity? Example
putty running under Ubuntu connecting to Cohertent on VirtualBox.

Was a Basic interpreter ever written for Coherent?

Keeping in mind I am running Coherent on VirtualBox.

Ken

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KenUnix schrieb am Donnerstag, 15. Dezember 2022 um 15:40:15 UTC+1:

Udo,

Thanks again!!

Ken,
you are welcome.

You have been a great help. Everything worked. I've been away too long.

With this Coherent is there a possibility to run X and use the mouse?

Yes, X is installed and configured, just run command startx.

Obviously copy/paste does not work.

Not on the text consoles.

Was there ever any consideration given to network connectivity? Example
putty running under Ubuntu connecting to Cohertent on VirtualBox.

Yes it was considered but there is no finished implementation available.

If you are running on a VBox VM you can map the serial ports to TCP/IP,
which then enables one to use putty to telnet into the VM's serial ports.
This also works with Qemu.

Was a Basic interpreter ever written for Coherent?

Several, you still can find the open source versions in the software archive.

Keeping in mind I am running Coherent on VirtualBox.

Doesn't matter, guess we all do this nowadays instead of fiddling with some old and probably
flaky hardware, which would be able to run the old OS's.

Ken

Udo

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Udo,

So far so good!

Got basic loaded and it works.

Got putty to connect to Coherent as:

127.0.0.1 port 4022

One problem hitting ENTER it appears to be sending CR/LF
instead of just CR causing double prompt to appear I.E $ $.

Is there a way to send just CR or is there a way via stty to ignore LF?
Or is this a termcap thing?

Thanks

My propeller has stopped spinning.

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KenUnix schrieb am Freitag, 16. Dezember 2022 um 21:05:33 UTC+1:

One problem hitting ENTER it appears to be sending CR/LF
instead of just CR causing double prompt to appear I.E $ $.

Is there a way to send just CR or is there a way via stty to ignore LF?
Or is this a termcap thing?

This is because VBox won't do any telnet negotiation and then most
telnet clients work in line mode, you need to set it to character mode.

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Udo,

Here is a cheat sheet I came up with when connecting to Coherent via COM
port from Virtualbox and Putty. Fixes Enter, Backspace and Cursor key issues.


Best results Putty connecting to Coherent via Virtualbox COM port 4022

login to Coherent as root
cd /etc
ed ttytype
/com1l/
.p
.d
.i
vt100<tab>com1l
.
/com2l/
.d
.i
vt100<tab>com2l
.
w
q

The above changes terminal type for com ports 1 and 2 to vt100.

Start putty (0.76)
Session
Host 127.0.0.1 Port 4022
Connection type: other raw
Terminal
Local Echo: Force off
Local Line Editing: Force off
Keyboard
Function keys: vt100+
Connection
Backspace key: Control-H
Telnet
Check Return key sends Telnet New Line
Window
Set the size of the windows: 80 x 24
Appearance
Check Cursor blinks
Font
Font used for ordinary text: client:Monospace 20
Session
Saved sessions:
Coherent 4022
Save
Open

The above should pretty much lock down Putty.

Now keys (and Enter) working as expected in vi are Backspace and cursor arrows.

Udo, If you find this useful you are free to use it.

Ken

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