test-drb September 2000

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

156 participants
405 discussions

What kind of tape is this? [+ how can I hack it?]

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

Not a chance. That is an old 9track tape and drive are outthere for those that wish to. Allison -----Original Message----- From: Rodrigo Ventura <yoda(a)isr.ist.utl.pt> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Date: Sunday, September 03, 2000 1:00 PM Subject: What kind of tape is this? [+ how can I hack it?] > > I've just found a tape I recovered some time ago from the >trash. It realy looks old. Tape dimensions: 1/2 inch, density 6250dpi, >reel exterior diameter 8 1/2 inches, reel internal hole 95mm. What >might it be? > > I have a QIC tape drive and a DEC TZ30 tape drive. Is there >any chance (I mean, any chance at all, no matter how crazy) to hack a >way of reading it with the those tape drives? Just wondering... > > Cheers, > >-- > >*** Rodrigo Martins de Matos Ventura <yoda(a)isr.ist.utl.pt> >*** Web page: http://www.isr.ist.utl.pt/~yoda >*** Teaching Assistant and PhD Student at ISR: >*** Instituto de Sistemas e Robotica, Polo de Lisboa >*** Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisboa, PORTUGAL >*** PGP fingerprint = 0119 AD13 9EEE 264A 3F10 31D3 89B3 C6C4 60C6 4585

23 years, 8 months

D'oh! Backup issue solved

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Richard Erlacher <richard(a)idcomm.com> >There's one gotcha with the SAMBA (SMB) approach to this problem and that's >in connection with the DOS backups I also have to do. My serious work, PCB >layout, schematic capture, digital simulation, etc, is done largely in a >10-year-old DOS-based package. Reasons aside, what this means is that I >still have to consider memory requirements for those applications. The SMB >driver package(s) I've looked at have too large a memory requirement to fit, >together with rather voluminous SCSI driver requirements imposed by my need >for interchangeable media used together with the software I need. This >means that I either use SAMBA or I get the work done, and not both. Ok then the dos/networking is a problem on the dos side not the server side where SAMBA runs. RIght? Yes running dos is painful as it lives in the 640k world wher things have to fit. >Of course, I could compromise, in that I could run the software under WIN9x, >but that limits the display resolution I can use, since Win9x forces me to >use an 800x600 resolution. I really prefer to be able to see the nearly 1:1 >representation of a B-size (11x17") drawing on the CRT and still be able to >read the lettering. Well getting win9x to run at 640x480 or any other resolution is not a big deal if the video card and tube can, W9x really doesnt care. >Moreover, the Windows drivers for my HP 9585B plotter don't work properly, >while the ones internal to the drafting package have always worked just >fine. I have several packages under DOS that work properly, and not one >under Windows, since the authors of the drivers apparently thought the >$13,000 "E" size plotters work just like the $175 "A" size ones, which is >not the case. Get a new or different driver, we use one at work and it's larger D sized brother and it's not an issue under win9x. >Part of the backup problem is because of the long file names, since the >DOS-based package that backs up and restores with complete reliability >doesn't like long file names, and the software that understands the long >file names doesn't understand backup. Well using dos to do back up is not a best config. In the world of long file names dos is severly crippled. Rather than dos I'd use *nix or NT4 workstation as either is more robust than dos. Dos while fairly bug free has no protections and relies on sane debugged apps to be robust. FYI: NT4 workstation runs better than w95 on my stuff even the 486dx/66 box. >Yes, the LINUX is an option, but I'll not use it until there's >synchronization between the documentation and the software in current usage. >That seems millenia away, however. How about FreeBSD? Allison

23 years, 8 months

D'oh! Backup issue solved

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

>My solution has been to abandon backups, and to create archives instead. >When possible, I try to extract from the running system any configuration >info I'd need to get back to where I was, and include that in the archive >as well. Actually from expereince that is a good approach. Expereince has been that when I needed a back up or archive I also had changed OSs due to major system failure. For example the latest was due to a real disk crash. So I finally jumped off W3.1 to WinNT4 so archives were actually more useful. I started doing that lots of years ago as every new varient of CP/M system usually had more storage so it was rare that I wanted to reproduce the former configuration. Also archives allowed me to leave off stuff that was of little or no further interest. Allison

23 years, 8 months

Semi-OT: EPROM/PROM/PAL/.. programmer recommendations

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> For my money it is the Needham's EMP-20, nearly on topic > since they were introduced in 1993 :-) Yup, ditto that, nice unit... > Its a parallel port based device and their software programs a _LOT_ of > devices. Further with just the base unit you can program a lot of stuff. > With three "personality" cards you can program every PIC made and nearly > every ATMEL part made. There personality cards cleverly use the SIMM socket > as a means for re-routing power/signals to the socket that can accommodate > narrow or wide parts up to 64 pins. I also bought the 68 pin PLCC adapter > to program 68HC11's. The "downside" is that their software continues to be > DOS based and so my DOS PC continues its life on my workbench as primarily > a tool for operating such things. For a while, I had mine in my 160MHz 486 box (overclocked AMD5x86-133), which dual-boots between DOS/WfW311 and Win95Retail, then moved it to a DOS 5 machine that also hosts Linux on UMDOS partitions. Now it's in a pure DOS-only machine, running open-air (desktop box, no cover). -dq

23 years, 8 months

Odd Honeywell Mouse

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Douglas Quebbeman <dhquebbeman(a)theestopinalgroup.com> >Oh, sure, and I didn't mean to contradict you, I just wanted to provide a Oh heck, shure you did. ;) >contrasting data point. I passed on a TS-803 on E-Bay recently, as I know >where I can get one locally... they were really nice as CP/M machines go. Yes they were. Got to play with one back when they were new and "da thing". Allison

23 years, 8 months

D'oh! Backup issue solved

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> It used to be that one could do backups on a home-based system. However, > softare to handle the backups just doesn't seem to be there. It's not > complicated, so one could, I suppose, roll-yer-own. My solution has been to abandon backups, and to create archives instead. When possible, I try to extract from the running system any configuration info I'd need to get back to where I was, and include that in the archive as well. But backing up home systems in situ is problematic, since you generally have to have a running system from which to restore the backup anyway. regards, -doug q

23 years, 8 months

D'oh! Backup issue solved

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> Anyone reading this could suggest a good low cost POP3/SMTP package > for NT4 server with 40 users (not internet), contact me off list. IT > doesn't have to forward mail to the internet as we dont have such a > connection...yet. Hi, Allison... Until we went with MS Exchange, we were running Mercury Mail server under NT4... it's written by the same guy down in Oz who wrote Pegasus Mail. And once you're ready to connect to the internet, IIRC, it can use a standard dial-up line to a $20/mo ISP account to move mail in and out. Let me know if you'd like more info, and I'll scrape it up... regards, -doug q

23 years, 8 months

(O.T.) White Castle Belly Bombers

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> According to what their PR department says, the first White Castle was in > Wichita, KS. The first ones I saw were in Columbus OH. I wan't too > impressed with the small size, but I do like them now. Three or 4 WC's equal > one normal hamburger. I also thought they started in Columbus... do you remember when they used to keep a small rack of White Castle Corporate literature (I think they called them "house organs") at each store? > BTW, note that the buns are no more than Parkerhouse rolls. Hence the size > of the pattie. I like mine with cheese and horseradish mustard. Yum! never tried that, I either eat 'em plain or with Heinz & Dijon... > I have yet to figure why the frozen varieties cost more than the fresh ones. Well, the box for one, and the little plastic wraps each pair is sealed in. Then there's the labor for putting them in the bags and boxes... I don't believe it's an automated process. regards, -doug q

23 years, 8 months

Odd Honeywell Mouse

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> >At a local electronics trade school where I worked (as a programmer and > >teaching digital briefly), we had a bunch of Televideo TS-803 Z-80 based > >CP/M workstations; each had a mouse port, we bought only one mouse tho; > >it was an early Mouse Systems unit, optical, but requiring the dedicated > >optical mouse pad. Worked quite nicely, tho, and I wrote a rudimentary > >drawing program for it to create graphic objects for the computer-based > >simluation of our digital trainer/breadboard systems. > > Never said it was never done. I said *most* didnt'. I have a triad of > Visual 1050s that have a 6502+32k for graphics so I know some did. > It was however quite rare for those to have a mouse and software > that was mouse aware. Oh, sure, and I didn't mean to contradict you, I just wanted to provide a contrasting data point. I passed on a TS-803 on E-Bay recently, as I know where I can get one locally... they were really nice as CP/M machines go. regards, -doug q

23 years, 8 months

VCF Requests i.e. liquid and solid fuel

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> On Thu, 31 Aug 2000, Cameron Kaiser wrote: > > > > I have heard that 1 or 2 dozen White Castle burgers is another substitute. > > > > White Castle. Ugh, filthy things. I was introduced to them by my WC-munchin' > > pa when I visited family in Ohio, and they were positively nasty. :-P > > I've heard those called "murder burgers". When they hit your stomach, > it was murder... Strange... never heard anyone say they caused *stomach* problems, but they do have a way of finding their way to the sea rather quickly... ;-) -dq

23 years, 8 months

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test-drb September 2000