test-drb October 2000

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

184 participants
568 discussions

by phil＠ultimate.com

> Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 12:49:24 -0700 (PDT) > From: Ethan Dicks <ethan_dicks(a)yahoo.com> > .... > Has anyone designed a quick-n-dirty Qbus IDE adapter? see ftp://digital.dp.ua/DEC/ata/ Files there; README.txt waq.zip - ATA/Q-bus adapter hardware description wau.zip - ATA/UNIBUS adapter hardware description wart.zip - Software for ATA HDD OS support (RT-11) warsx.zip - Software for ATA HDD OS support (RSX-11M and RSX-11M-PLUS) wavms.zip - Software for ATA HDD OS support (VAX/VMS) 'twould be great if someone could spin some blank boards, (and a bulk order for parts)!! My Qbus wish list; ATA disk interface BOOT EPROM or Flash Crystal CS8900 Ethernet 512KW SRAM SuperIO (ie; WinBond) or NS16550A (or eqiv high-speed, deep FIFO) UART for networking/kermit Floppy ctrlr (capable of driving Shugart 8", 5.25" 3") ISA Bridge

23 years, 9 months

Commodore 720

by jolminkh＠nsw.bigpond.net.au

I don't seem to be finding much these days, so please excuse me showing this off. No keyboard unfortunately. http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1166661&a=9401608 Hans

23 years, 9 months

OT but you have to read this: New Information on the Kursk

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

>Subject: New Information on the Kursk > >Some new information has come to light over the Kursk disaster. For those >with short attention spans, the Kursk was the submarine that blew up and >sank in the Artic Ocean killing all 118 on board. The Russians tried to >blame the incident on a collision with an unidentified object. However, >sonar tapes which recorded the blasts (a small one at first, then a much >larger one two minutes later) cast doubt on these claims. A whistle blower >within the Russian military has leaked that the crew of the Kursk was >testing a new type of torpedo when the accident occurred. It seemed very >likely that the test didn't go quite as planned. > >While rescue efforts to save the survivors of the Kursk failed, salvage >crews were able to recover a 'Black Box' from the submarine which contained >detailed accounts of the events leading up to the explosion. As luck would >have it, we got a copy of those tapes. > >It turns out that the submarine crew was trying to load Microsoft Windows on >their fire control computer. Their intent was to replace the aging CP/M >operating system with the flashier Windows OS. Apparently, the Russians >didn't know about the legendary stability problems exhibited by Windows. The >log tapes make this painfully obvious: > >Captain: Is new fire control Windows OS installed yet, Comrade? > >Seaman: Almost Sir. Just need to finish filling out registration card. > >Captain: Excellent. Soon is being able to point and click our enemies into >oblivion. >[evil laughter in background] > >Seaman: Comrade Captain! Is booting! Look, it says "Preparing to run Windows >for first time". >[long pause] > >Seaman: Arrgh! Sir, is wanting me to reboot again. That makes 27th time. > >Captain: Hmmm. Is not encouraging. Go ahead and reboot again. > >Seaman: Aye, aye Sir. >[another long pause] > >Seaman: Captain, is up again. Is saying it found new hardware ... A CD-ROM >drive and that is needing drivers. > >Captain: Where are drivers? > >Seaman: On CD-ROM. > >Captain: You are joking, right? > >Seaman: No Sir. > >Captain: Reboot damn thing again. I am starting not to liking this Windows. >[another long pause] > >Seaman: Sir! Is back! Is saying it found the Gorby2000 Torpedo and is >looking for device drivers. Do we have driver disk? > >Captain: I do not think so. > >Seaman: I will tell it to use default drivers. >[another long pause] > >Seaman: Crap. Is wanting to reboot again. > >Captain: How many times are we going to reboot today? Is taking forever. Our >hull is rusting out before this works. >[another long pause] > >Seaman: Sir! Is up and this time is not asking for anything! > >Captain: Really? No device drivers? No registration cards? No user profiles? > >Seaman: No Sir. I think is ready. > >Captain: Good work comrade. Now is clicking on the fire control icon and >letting us see how this works. > >Seaman: Is clicking now, Sir. >[another long pause] > >Captain: Why does fire control screen have dancing paper clip on it? > >Seaman: I have no idea, Sir. > >Captain: Hmmm, is trying clicking on menu. > >Seaman: Aye Sir. Is saying: Open E-mail, Spam a friend, Mail a Virus, Fire a >Torpedo. > >Captain: Is spamming friend later. Is firing torpedo now. > >Seaman: Aye Sir. >[another long pause] > >Seaman: Is asking us to load torpedo and to click when ready. > >Captain: Torpedo room, load torpedo in tube number 1! > >[intercom:] This is Torpedo room. Torpedo is loaded, Sir. > >Captain: Click on continue button. > >Seaman: Aye Sir. >[another long pause] > >Seaman: Is asking for target, Sir. > >Captain: Hmmm, is targeting Rainbow Warrior. > >Seaman: Aye Sir. Damn! Is saying torpedo is low on ink. > >Captain: Click ignore. We will get some ink when we return to base. > >Seaman: Aye Sir. We are ready to fire. > >Captain: Very good. You may fire when ready comrade. > >Seaman: Is firing torpedo, Sir. >[another really long pause] > >Captain: Well? > >Seaman: Am trying Sir. Nothing is happening. Wait minute.... >[a loud explosion is heard in the background followed by screaming on >intercom] > >Captain: WTF was that?!?!? > >Seaman: Captain! New screen has appeared! "Outlook Express Fire Control has >performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. "Click 'OK' to >continue." > >Seaman: Oh my God! Paper clip has died! What should I do? > >Captain: Is shutting it down! Is shutting it down! > >Seaman: Is not responding Sir! > >Captain: Try 'CTRL-ALT-DELETE'! > >Seaman: Aye Sir. We are in luck! Task manager is still operating. I am >instructing task manager to shut down Outlook Fire Control. >[another long pause] > >Seaman: Task manager is saying that Outlook Fire Control is not responding. > >Captain: Well, no shit. Tell it to 'end task.' > >Seaman: Is happening nothing, Sir. > >Captain: Is trying 'CTRL-ALT-DELETE' again. > >Seaman: Aye Sir. >[sounds of frantic pecking on keyboard.] > >Seaman: Oooh! Is pretty blue screen! > >Captain: Holy Shit! Not Blue Screen of Dea.... >[KABLAM! A really big explosion. More screaming and the sound of rushing >water.] > > -------------------------------------------------------- > >The tape ends at this point. > >During the week long rescue effort, divers reported hearing tapping in the >form of Morse code coming from survivors inside the damaged sub. The >rescuers couldn't understand why a group of men would spend the last of >their strength tapping out "Windows sucks" in Morse code. The tapes of the >last moments of the Kursk may offer some insight into this. > >

23 years, 9 months

Red Erasors, contacts, and gold revisited

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> Hi Doug > I don't clean. I get the feeling they may be talking > about silicone glue and not the grease. The oil is about > as non-corrosive as anything that I've seen. > On my boat, I use it on light sockets and any connections > I make. The only failures I've had are the original connections > made by the manufacture and previous owner. You do want to > apply it to a clean surface. Any salt covered over will still > be salt. Anyway, it make me wonder. Well, they did say "under the right conditions", what they didn't say is that those conditions are (maybe) only found in a lab... ;-) -dq

23 years, 9 months

Fleamarkets (was Re: A LART is needed (was: VCF 4.0))

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> FWIW there was what must've been a 30" disk platter > at the MIT Flea this weekend, mounted on its > center hub. Never saw a disk larger than 14" > before. Didn't get the manufacturer but the > price was $40.00 and the seller was Frank Fink. Frank's alive? He owes my company money for returned product for which he never issued a refund. I'd assumed he'd died. <sigh> -dq

23 years, 9 months

AT&T 6300 PC

by jolminkh＠nsw.bigpond.net.au

This machine is very common in Australia but is badged as an Olivetti M24. Magazines of the time had many ads for them and it's contemporary the NEC APC III Hans > >A new addition to my collection, an AT&T 6300 PC. Some stats that I have >so far: > > i8086 CPU > 640 K RAM > Weird keyboard > green monochrome display > Boots MSDOS 3.3 happily > >I'll do some searching on the web later tonight for info on it, as well as >cleaning it up, but if anyone has information on this little artifact, its

23 years, 9 months

New stuff

by agraham＠ccat.co.uk

Hi folks, Some recent additions to the BD collection, courtesy of a customer who was about to skip (dumpster) the whole lot of 'em! Well, the skipping happens tomorrow so I saved 1 of each: VT100 (yay), serial #AB00914 so I don't know if that makes it early or not? Worked fine once I put the fuse in properly and reseated the space bar on the keyboard :) Aaah, that keyclick of yore.... VT320 with keyboard VT420 in box VT510 w/keyboard VT520 w/keyboard (yes I know you can still buy 'em but I hate seeing anything chucked!) Rainbow 100+ with screen & keyboard....works fine running CPM/86....... Also got a couple more Pongs at the weekend including the Tandy TV Scoreboard in tasteful orangey-brown..... And as a P500-related aside I am the current custodian of my own P500's stablemate which I have to say is in far better condition (packaging wise) than mine but sadly the keyboard doesn't work. What are the chances of this - a guy working for Commodore brings a couple of P500s in for a shop called Vulcan Electronics in London in what, 82/83?. Both are packaged identically, both have german power cords etc and are taped up the same way. One ends up in a collector's loft courtesy of said Commodore bloke and the other ends up being picked up by me at a local boot sale. The machines are 30 miles apart and I already know the bloke that has it in his loft! Spooky, that's what it is. -- Adrian Graham MCSE/ASE/MCP C CAT Limited Gubbins: http://www.ccat.co.uk (work) <http://www.snakebiteandblack.co.uk> (home) <http://www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk> (80's computer collection) "Missing you already" - Mark Radcliffe

23 years, 9 months

Free Intel MDS

by jolminkh＠nsw.bigpond.net.au

I'm local to them and have made contact by phone but got a fuzzy answer. They'll check it out. I note the web page was last updated in February 1999. -----Original Message----- From: Joe <rigdonj(a)intellistar.net> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Date: Thursday, 19 October 2000 7:49 Subject: Free Intel MDS > I was searching for more info on the Inel MDS and found this ad for a >free one. "http://www.dazed.org/blazermate/". There just one hitch, it's >located in NSW, Australia. I don't know any more about it. If someone >picks it up leet me know. > > Joe > >

23 years, 9 months

Dauphin DTR-1 running Ersatz-11

by healyzh＠aracnet.com

Thanks to the CP/M User Group swap meet today I'm closer to my dream of a PocketPDP-11, as I picked up a box of Dauphin DTR-1 stuff, with three complete systems which are already earmarked (unfortunatly my wife wants one for some simple games). Still that leaves one for the PocketPDP-11 (if you've big enough pockets), and a console for the VAXlaptop project! Anyway the Dauphin is basically a pin-based handheld (that will accept either thier mini keyboard or a standard PS/2 keyboard) 486/25 with a 64 shades of grey 640x480 LCD display running MS-DOS 6.0, and Windows 3.1. I've got the external floppies, and an internal 40MB HD. I've loaded Ersatz-11 onto it and I've got a RT-11 RL02 image that I've used with the Supnik emulator. I'm doing the following with Ersatz-11: set cpu 23 mount dl0: c:\e11\rt11.dsk boot dl0: However, it just sort of sits there, and does nothing :^( Anyone have any ideas? It's not showing any indication of RT-11 booting. Zane | Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator | | healyzh(a)aracnet.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast | | healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector | +----------------------------------+----------------------------+ | Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, | | and Zane's Computer Museum. | | http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |

23 years, 9 months

Who collects (reads the mailing list...?) vintage computers

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Richard Erlacher <richard(a)idcomm.com> >Was that uPD 372 the version that handled hard-sectored diskettes as well? It could. >I remember they had a uPD 371 as well, but I'm not remembering whether it >was a tape controller or a hard-sectored disk interface controller. I seem >to remember something of that sort being available in the mid-late '70's. All the way up to 1980. I have some 371s too. makes a fair tape controller. Though I found using a 765 or 1793 far easier to use as the old 37x parts were three voltage nmos and two phase clocks. They were ok with systems that had 8080s. >I remember Robert Suding once telling me that the reason they couldn't do >any better with their FDC's was because the 74S124 (VCO) was too expensive. >Now, I used it from time to time and don't rmember ever paying more than $2 >for one. Of course, you never know how long before then the DG people were >trying to buy the things. the 74124 was fast enough and pretty cheap. PLLs using it were a pita. If you used it there was a lot of other TTL around it so it was not the cheapest way to go and often the flakeyest. A good design with oneshots worked well enough. Later one when people figured out how to do a digital oneshot or digital PLL then it got real cheap. Allison

23 years, 9 months

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test-drb October 2000