Yufeng Gao shares exciting details about his forensic analysis of DMR tapes, revealing a working system from s1/s2 tapes that contain the earliest machine-readable UNIX kernel, positioned between V1 and V2. The s1 tape includes the kernel, while s2 has distribution files. The kernel supports both V1 and V2 a.outs, possesses a 16 KiB core size, and can run V2 binaries, earning it the title of “V2 beta.” A unique aspect is a picky environment that only aap’s PDP-11/20 emulator can boot, making the installation process complex. Gao shares his process step-by-step and provides a downloadable bootable RF disk image on GitHub.
https://www.tuhs.org/pipermail/tuhs/2025-February/031420.html