HP Multi-Programming Executive

Template:Short description Template:Infobox OS MPE (Multi-Programming Executive) is a discontinued business-oriented mainframe computer real-time operating system developed by Hewlett-Packard for their HP 3000 computers. While the HP 3000s were initially mini-mainframes, the final high-end systems supported 12 CPUs and over 2000 simultaneous users.

Description

It runs on the HP 3000 family of computers, which originally used HP custom 16-bit stack architecture CISC CPUs and were later migrated to PA-RISC where the operating system was called MPE XL.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1983, the original version of MPE was written in a language called SPL (Systems Programming Language). MPE XL was written primarily in Pascal, with some assembly language and some of the old SPL code.Template:Citation needed

In 1992, the OS name was changed to MPE/iX to indicate Unix interoperability with the addition of POSIX compatibility.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The discontinuance of the product line was announced in late 2001, with support from HP terminating at the end of 2010. A number of 3rd party companies still support both the hardware and software.Template:Citation needed

In 2002, HP released the last version MPE/iX 7.5.<ref>3000-MPE (Software), on HPMuseum site, retrieved on October 2019.</ref>

Commands

Among others, MPE/iX supports the following list of common commands and programs.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

• =SHUTDOWN
• BASIC
• CHDIR
• COPY
• DEBUG
• ECHO
• ELSE
• EXIT
• FORTRAN
• HELP
• IF
• PASCAL
• PRINT
• RENAME
• SH
• WHILE

External links

• Template:Web archive
• Allegro Consultants, Inc. Free HP 3000 Software, MPE Software Support
• Beechglen Development Inc. MPE Software Support Template:Webarchive
• HP MPE/iX homepage
• HP MPE/iX Command reference
• Template:Webarchive Advocates of continued MPE and IMAGE source code access beyond 2010
• Template:Cite web Search for headings 3000, MPE V Operating System, MPE/XL MPE/iX