Multics and AS400：DPS8M on IBM PASE for I (OS/400) (2024)
7 days ago
- #IBM i
- #PASE
- #Multics
- Multics instances can run alongside IBM AIX and IBM i workloads on IBM Power Systems hardware using DPS8M on IBM PASE for i.
- IBM i (formerly AS/400) evolved from the System/3 in 1969, incorporating features like single-level storage and high availability.
- The AS/400 platform transitioned to PowerPC-based CPUs, maintaining backward compatibility without requiring application modifications.
- DPS8M was ported using PASE for i, leveraging AIX compatibility for near-native performance on IBM i.
- Key dependencies like libuv, libsir, and decNumber were successfully integrated, with some modifications required for libsir.
- Development on IBM i is robust, with tools like dbx and gdb available, alongside classic 5250 terminal debugging tools.
- IBM i supports modern development environments like IBM Rational Developer for i and Code for IBM i, catering to different developer preferences.
- The porting effort highlights the flexibility and power of IBM i, making it a viable platform for running Multics simulations.
- Experimental builds for IBM i 7.5 on POWER9 are available, with future plans to document cross-compilation and expand support.