test-drb October 2000

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

184 participants
568 discussions

VAX Ethernet (was Re: IDE on Qbus (was Re: Microvax II))

by ethan_dicks＠yahoo.com

--- Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote: > > > > > Isn't there an issue with VMS obsoleting the DEQNA? > > > I suspect (without justification) that the DEQNA works fine on later > processors, but that DEC have simply not tested it and aren't prepared to > state definitely that it works. I'm not worried about processor compatibility (although I have personally been down the road with the VAX-4000 line and how DEC violated their own earlier Qbus specs because the newer processors got too complicated and too far away from direct bus control... several older cards don't play well with, for example, the TLZ04 controller because it grabs the bus for too long and they timeout) What I'm concerned about is OS compatibility. I have a mix of VMS 5.0, VMS 5.5 and VMS 6.2 stuff here. Essentially, I want the newest stuff I can get and still have the DEQNA work with it. Ultimately, through DEC layered products or third-party products or whatever, I want to have a Qbus VAX with TCP/IP over Ethernet so I can spin up various older media and perform physical backups to a machine that can cut CD-ROMs. I'd rather not push this quantity of data over a serial line - it'll take a stunningly long time. I'm talking about a closet's worth of old media (16MT9, RK05, RL01/2...) Several CDs worth. Not what I want to push over 9600 baud. Is there any sort of driver compatibility chart for VMS running around anymore? Thanks, -ethan ===== Even though my old e-mail address is no longer going to vanish, please note my new public address: erd(a)iname.com The original webpage address is still going away. The permanent home is: http://penguincentral.com/ See http://ohio.voyager.net/ for details. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! It's FREE. http://im.yahoo.com/

25 years, 1 month

VAX Ethernet (was Re: IDE on Qbus (was Re: Microvax II))

by ethan_dicks＠yahoo.com

--- ajp166 <ajp166(a)bellatlantic.net> wrote: > Cheap as far as I know. The key thing is despite claims if the DEQNA > you have is working, whats the rush to dump it. Isn't there an issue with VMS obsoleting the DEQNA? > ...take any DEQNAs you can get from free or nearly so. This one was free, as was the uVAXII it was in (RA81, KDA50, 9Mb, etc) -ethan ===== Even though my old e-mail address is no longer going to vanish, please note my new public address: erd(a)iname.com The original webpage address is still going away. The permanent home is: http://penguincentral.com/ See http://ohio.voyager.net/ for details. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! It's FREE. http://im.yahoo.com/

25 years, 1 month

Perkin-Elmer (was Re: AT&T 6300 PC)

by ethan_dicks＠yahoo.com

--- Bill Pechter <pechter(a)pechter.dyndns.org> wrote: > > Is that a SystemIII box with dual 68000 processors, > > > > -ethan > > > Actually, it only had a single cpu. (10 mhz). Ran SysIII (UniPlus) > SysV (microXelos -- which had it's root in UniPlus SysV), and Idris. Mine has SysIII/UniPlus. Got all the docs and disks, too. > The dual cpu stuff at the time was done by Sun (I think) and Masscomp > (their 500 series stuff). My apologies for not being clearer... IIRC, there are two 68000 CPU chips in the box. One runs the OS, the other is part of the memory management system. Since the 68000 itself (not the 68010 and up) does not save enough information on a page fault trap to restart instructions, the way I was told the Perkin-Elmer worked was to have the other CPU kick in on a page fault, load the page, then somehow automagically get the main CPU to resume without loss of information, etc. Perhaps it holds off DTACK during a page fault, then releases it when the page is ready to go; I don't know any technical details and I never did anything with the kernel on it. I was just a user then an admin. The hairiest thing we ever did to the box was to replace a power supply and an HDA. This sort of gyration was obviated by the 68010 since it _did_ fully support virtual memory. Old Suns went that way, as did the NCR tower I have. I remember sticking in the '010 into my Amiga 1000 for the 5% performance gain that came from the two instruction cache/loop mode enhancement. Very few programs after AmigaDOS 1.2 used the now-supervisor-mode MOVEcc instructions and in any case, there was an OS patch to add a trap handler for that (but I digress wildly). We got the Perkin-Elmer because it was a) cheap b) 68000-based. I'm happy to have rescued it at the end of its useful life eight years ago. -ethan ===== Even though my old e-mail address is no longer going to vanish, please note my new public address: erd(a)iname.com The original webpage address is still going away. The permanent home is: http://penguincentral.com/ See http://ohio.voyager.net/ for details. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! It's FREE. http://im.yahoo.com/

25 years, 1 month

New finds .... 2 HP-85's!

by r.stek＠snet.net

Sometimes the gods do smile upon us... Last week ebay had someone from the Hartford area put up a pallet of old computer / office "stuff." Just wanted to clear it out of an old warehouse that was about to be rented again. Since it was local I was able to preview it - 3 old PS-2 towers, 3 older VGA monitors, a Mac II, some answering machines, lots of power cords and cables, etc. Not much I wanted, so someone from Washington (state) won the lot for about $15 (and good luck with shipping!). I had a brief conversation with the guy who was selling off this stuff and told him about my interests in really old computers. He said that he had taken home an HP-85 laser jet printer which worked. I told him that I didn't think that it was the right model number. But he said it was definitely a laser jet printer. He called me yesterday and told me it was really a LJ-III, that his son wanted a color printer, and would I be interested in it for $50 since he had just put a new toner cartridge in. I called a friend who wanted it, and went to pick it up today. When I arrived, he said he figured out why he called it an HP-85. He then took me back into the warehouse and showed me TWO HP-85's, covered in dust and grime, plus 3 unopened boxes of thermal printer paper, 2 rolls to a box, plus two 3-ring binders marked HP 80 series. He asked me if I wanted them. How could I say no? Turns out that the docs are two copies of the manuals for an HP-86B, but I am not complaining! Those beasties are heavier by five pounds just due to the accumulated dirt and grime. It will be several weekends from now before they are clean enough to even think about a power-on smoke test. In the meantime, is there anyone out there who could trade some HP-85 docs (or copies) for my HP-86B docs? What kind of tape cartridges do I need? (as if I think there's a chance in hell that the drives will still work!) Never having used one of these before, any advice or comments are welcome. Bob Stek Saver of Lost Sols

25 years, 1 month

New finds .... 2 HP-85's!

by fauradon＠mn.mediaone.net

Or you can visit the Sanctuary (my very own site) at http://people.mn.mediaone.net/fauradon/index.html and check the "Tech Info"-> "BASIC" part for 7 pages of HP-85 BASIC Syntax Francois >can use the 86 books for the 85. There's a chart posted at >"www.ebbsoft.com" that compares the HP85/86/87 features. With it you should >be able to figure which commands will work on the 85 without too much >difficulty. HP-85 manuals are hard to come by. > > Joe > >

25 years, 1 month

TRS-80 PC-2 Printer/cassette interface

by jhellige＠earthlink.net

Hello, Does anyone have a need for a printer/cassette interface for a TRS-80 PC-2, Tandy cat# 26-3605? I've had one that I picked up a while back, but it's just taking up space. I believe I have the A/C PSU for it too. I believe it works, as it did when I got it, but I have no way of testing it currently as I don't have a PC-2. If interested, drop me a note. Jeff -- Power Computing PowerCurve, 400mhz G3, Mac OS 9.0.4 Collector of Classic Microcomputers and Video Game Systems: http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/lakes/6757

25 years, 1 month

Perkin-Elmer (was Re: AT&T 6300 PC)

by ethan_dicks＠yahoo.com

--- Bill Pechter <pechter(a)pechter.dyndns.org> wrote: > Parity error on /dev/brain Core dumped. The damned Unix Perkin-Elmer > box limited them to 15 sectors/track. (WD 1001 controller) > > 'Course the RLL took em to 25 (IIRC). Is that a SystemIII box with dual 68000 processors, input buttons below the monitor? If so, I happen to have one of them. We used to use it as a code safe and C compiler for 68000-based projects. Model 7350? (Not sure at the moment and it's in storage somewhere). Fun box for its day. -ethan ===== Even though my old e-mail address is no longer going to vanish, please note my new public address: erd(a)iname.com The original webpage address is still going away. The permanent home is: http://penguincentral.com/ See http://ohio.voyager.net/ for details. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! It's FREE. http://im.yahoo.com/

25 years, 1 month

MS Laugh-In

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> >I take it the market doesn't yet trust W2000 and SP3 will be > a while yet. > > Most people have no desire to update their OS from W95 or W98, not broken > don't fix it attitude. Standing in line, and paying full price for beta > software has lost its chic. Stability is currently more popular than > features. And that right there is the primary benefit of Windows 2000. Stability. But that's OT until 2010, so to get us back on topic: Kaypro 2000 very heavy, very slow, looked nice tho... -dq

25 years, 1 month

Vax 11 -7/80 (plus equipment)

by tarsi＠binhost.com

At 12:33 PM 10/18/00 -0400, you wrote: > > On EBAY there is an 11 7/80 (currently 6 cents). The guy has no where to > > put it and hopes someone can pick it up. It's located in Greencastle IN > > > > Anyone? > >This is a very large system, right? 72-inch cabinets, 220v 3-phase juice, >etc? I ask because it's relatively close. *drool* Wish I was close. :) Tarsi 210

25 years, 1 month

Dumping vs. selling vs. recycling (Long)

by mmcfadden＠cmh.edu

Dumping vs. selling vs. recycling One of our local high schools has a "clothesline sale" every year. Everybody donates all year long. The students get the first purchase chance, alumni second, general public third, and then all you can carry for $5. I sort, price, sell the computer/electronic stuff. If you really want the stuff then you will pay the asking price or take the risk that someone else will. When the price drops you have the chance again. Finally its $5 and it's yours. Lastly its off to Goodwill, or the computer surplus exchange. I guarantee there is nothing but trash in the dumpsters. Most of the obvious stuff sells fast, the older stuff or something that needs repair may take awhile. Since they have to pay to have the dumpsters dumped by the trash service most of the stuff we can recycle we do. The biggest problem is that items may not be obviously valuable unless you know what you have. We had a Grid in a magnesium portable case that was priced $10 because of no power supply. It went for $5 eventually. I was a little late the other day at the surplus and a HP MO disk jukebox went to China for 7 cents/pound. All of the stuff to China must be salvage so they had sledgehammered it. I did pick up two 3B2's for 10 cents/pound. I need to check the surplus every week, no vacations allowed. I'm of the belief that once you dump it, I'm saving you money by taking it out of the trash. I know that most trash haulers charge the customer by the pickup and then they pay by the cubic yard at the dump/landfill. I think we can all agree that what we have here is a redistribution problem. The cost is shipping to redistribute you trash/my treasure. Mike mmcfadden(a)cmh.edu

25 years, 1 month

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test-drb October 2000