Installing CTOS III in VirtualBox 02/15/2022
This is how to install Convergent Technologies CTOS III inside of VirtualBox.
We're going for a base install here, no frills, but we still need the utilities so it's possible to navigate around the OS.
As a side note, if you don't install the utilities you'll find it hard to just list files or change volumes/directories.
CTOS (Convergent Technologies Operating System) also rebranded BTOS was a multitasking operating system made for the Convergent Technologies IWS, AWS, and NGEN computers/workstations among others. The IWS and AWS computers even though they were 8086/8088 based computers predated the IBM PC and have many differences from how PC compatibles would eventually become. The NGEN series used 186, 286, 386, and at the end 486 microprocessors, and at the end of this operating system's life the SuperGen was more IBM compatible than it's predecessors which is why it is possible to get this OS running in a x86 PC compatible environment.
The OS itself is built up of macros, programs, and commands.
The Alt+F1 keys will bring up help info.
You will need the following floppy images from bitsavers to follow along:
http://www.bitsavers.org/bits/Converg...
You will also want to have a tool such as the HxC Floppy Emulator to convert the .imd files to .img files which can be mounted inside VirtualBox
http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_e...
VirtualBox:
https://www.virtualbox.org/
And if you wish to mess around with this operating system, the Executive manual:
http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/converge...
Make sure to pick the most basic VM possible inside of VirtualBox (or whichever VM solution you decide to use). Things like SATA, USB, Audio, and passthrough PCIe support will likely break things.
In theory one should be able to install this from scratch or on actual x86 compatible hardware. My attempts so far have not worked though.
If you find any CTOS floppies, they can be mounted as .img files and if they are official OS disks, the command "installation manager" can operate to install them.
There are many undocumented keyboard commands, and the keyboard input is a little buggy at times, if you find it 'ghost typing' or acting funny, just reset the VM and you'll be back to normal.
The disk order I used for this install:
01 102713872A_ctos_supergen_boot_disk_r12_3_0.img
02 102713872B_ctos_boot_continuation_r12_3_08.img
03 102713872A_ctos_supergen_boot_disk_r12_3_0.img
04 102713872C_standard_software_ctos_system_installation_r12_3_08_1of2.img
05 102713872D_standard_software_ctos_system_installation_r12_3_08_2of2.img
06 102713869A_std_softw_sys_util_r12.3.08_1of8_3-2-94.img
07 102713869B_std_softw_sys_util_r12.3.08_2of8.img
08 102713869C_std_softw_sys_util_r12.3.08_3of8.img
09 102713869D_std_softw_sys_util_r12.3.08_4of8.img
10 102713869E_std_softw_sys_util_r12.3.08_5of8.img
11 102713869F_std_softw_sys_util_r12.3.08_6of8.img
12 102713869G_std_softw_sys_util_r12.3.08_7of8.img
13 102713869H_std_softw_sys_util_r12.3.08_8of8.img
I hope you find this useful, or at least have a good time playing with a rather forgotten piece of computer history!