>
>Subject: Re: Old MS-DOS & WIN Software
> From: Jim Leonard <trixter at oldskool.org>
> Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 17:32:27 -0600
> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>
>Allison wrote:
>> As to better docs... WordperfectV5/dos was better than any of the MS apps
>> for that back then.
>
>He wasn't talking about document creation, he was talking about printing, for
>which he is right on the money. If you used Word Perfect 5 for DOS, you were
>limited to the fonts your printer supported. If you used Geoworks, or
>Ghostscript (I used a retail package called "GOSCRIPT"), or Win 3.1, you could
>use any font you want and the print subsystem would just rasterize it as graphics.
Ah yes, then again I was using other stuff to do that.
Allison
>
>Subject: Re: PDP-11/73 booting!
> From: David Betz <dbetz at xlisper.mv.com>
> Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2005 20:38:59 -0500
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>
>Well, I have the two cables that connect to the RDxx drive. Sounds
>like my best bet would be to get a BA23 box with the appropriate
>panel already installed. I guess I'll start looking for one of those.
Certainly if you can find a BA23 with the rack kit that would be an ideal
solution just make sure it has the PDP-11 backplane (can have a different
one for VAX). Then you can transfer the modules you have to it and have
more usable slots as the backplane is 18 slots (ABAB config). There's
a plus you'll have the distribution board for the in box mounted RX
and RD drives.
Allison
>
>On Nov 30, 2005, at 7:18 PM, Allison wrote:
>
>> There isn't a "cab kit" for RQDXn. The cables were all internal
>> and you used RQDXn in one of the BA23/123 boxen. So you either need
>> a M9058 from a scrapped BA123 or a mostly torn up BA23 (micro PDP11
>> or microvax) you can pull the pannel from. You also need the little
>> switch pannel inserts from the BA123 to enable READY/OFFLINE and
>> Writeprotect.
>>
>> You need:
>>
>> 1 50 pin female to female IDC cable (max length 18") RQDXn to breakout
>> 1 34pin female to female IDC cable (max length 30") (RX50)
>> 1 26pin IDC to card edge (RDxx)
>> 1 34 pin IDC to card edge (RDxx)
>>
>> If your not using either of those boxes then your doing what I did
>> which was to build something DEC didn't document. The cables are
>> seriously are trivial and not a big a deal like those breakout boards
>> and the switch pannels.
>>
>> Having done this I know.
>
>Subject: Re: Good haul of old PC stuff
> From: "Teo Zenios" <teoz at neo.rr.com>
> Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 20:46:37 -0500
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>
>
>
>A place I worked at untill the 1999 used an old XT to run software to check
>the serial ports of temperature controllers. Generally if the device does
>not change, companies tend to use the same old equipment for QC.
The last place I was at used a pair of them for test and data logging
of product and another to control ovens used to bake out parts. They
are still in service.
Allison
>From one of the XT clones I got something I have
heard of but
>never seen before: an 8-bit controller card for IDE
drives. It
>has a BIOS extension on it and some other chips, I
haven't >studied it thorougly yet.
There were a few XT IDE controllers back in the day.
The one I still have is made by Acculogic, called the
sIDE/16 or something. People who have used them claim
they work well. Either this one was blown to begin
with or the drive was at fault. It's mostly discrete
logic, the exception being a GAL or PAL as I recall.
There wasn't any firmware on it from what I remember.
What did I do with the thing?
__________________________________________________
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Today at work I was given another haul of old stuff retired from
the lab. I got a whole pile of 8088 IBM machines. Actually,
there were some XT clones as well, which I didn't keep as units,
but did salvage the cards and drives out of.
>From one of the XT clones I got something I have heard of but
never seen before: an 8-bit controller card for IDE drives. It
has a BIOS extension on it and some other chips, I haven't studied
it thorougly yet.
I kept intact the IBM machines, two complete PC-XT systems and two
PCs. I believe both XTs have the 64-256 motherboard. Most of the
boards in these systems are IBM originals, they all have 'AST
Six-Pack' style (not sure of the brand) memory and I/O expansion.
If I ever get the time (hmmm..) I may build a cassette drive cable
and explore cassette basic on one of the PCs (stripped down, of
course, to remove the 'optional' floppy controller.)
I am now the sole person in the lab still using the last two
PC-XTs (and a Commodore SX64) for actual data acquisition and test
purposes. I was able to grab and consolidate ALL the good parts,
so the machine in the lab I primarily use now has a special drive
controller (with BIOS extension) in it, so that the B: drive is a
1.44M 3-1/2" drive.
I also got an IBM CGA monitor in the haul today, and a number of
real IBM PC keyboards. There are also some 'third party'
switchable XT-AT keyboards. If anybody on the list needs a 'third
party' XT keyboard for the cost of shipping, drop me a note, I
will give away up to three of the ones I got today (and they
continue to grow harder to find) to the first three people
interested.
John A. said:
> I just found an HP Apollo PA-RISC 735/125 (1992) in very good condition.
>
> It's another example of HP's ridiculously clean under-the-hood design,
> and probably could almost be shown to industry outsiders as an object
> of art. </rant>
>
> I have to ask: Anyone have a copy of HP-UX that will run on this?
> I understand that NetBSD won't use the UltraSCSI and I like to keep
> the original configurations together anyway.
There was a place on the net somewhere that was selling HP-UX 10.20
install media for $30. It'll take some time to dig it up since I
purchased it years ago. All you should have to pay for is the media. I
personally own a HP 715/100, and I was informed that even owning the
machine was all that was required to use HP-UX (you didn't have to buy a
license, ownership granted you the license). So keep an eye out for the
install media because you do not need to purchase a $700 license.
I think the last version to run on the 700 series was 10.20, but I may be
mistaken. eBay often has media for 11.0, but the price is astronomical.
You might also consider a Debian linux install. I've loaded my 715/100
up with Sarge (Debian 3.1) and it runs great, if a little slow. Rock
solid and stable, and all the 715 hardware is supported. Not sure about
the 735s.
-Jeff
jba at sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org
On Dec 12 2005, 18:34, Wolfe, Julian wrote:
> I was wondering if someone here could burn me copies of the latest
> (KDF11-BP?) roms for the M8189. They include the ability to boot
>from MSCP
> and TK50, and I could really use this ability on my 11/23+
>
> Currently my system has the original roms on 2716s (the part on the
chips is
> NM2716Q), and it's a real pain entering in the boot strap every time.
You do realise that all the later (EP)ROMs (which are actually for a
microPDP-11/23, though it's the same CPU board) are 8Kx8 not 2Kx8 and
moreover they're an unusual type (MCM68766) that has 24 pins, not 28
pins like most 8Kx8 EPROMs?
If you can get suitable EPROMs, you need to move the link that connects
J23-J24 so it connects J22-J23 instead.
All microPDP-11/23 bootroms include an MSCP bootstrap. You only need
the latest ones (-BJ) if you really need to boot a TK50 (not just
read/write it). Do you do that often? Otherwise -BE or -BF are good
and common enough that you might find a set.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Network Manager
University of York
Hello!
I was wondering if someone here could burn me copies of the latest
(KDF11-BP?) roms for the M8189. They include the ability to boot from MSCP
and TK50, and I could really use this ability on my 11/23+
Currently my system has the original roms on 2716s (the part on the chips is
NM2716Q), and it's a real pain entering in the boot strap every time.
Can anyone help me out?
Thanks
Julian
>
>Subject: Re: Old MS-DOS & WIN Software
> From: Wouter <cctech at retro.co.za>
> Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 14:42:36 +0200
> To: cctech at classiccmp.org
>
>Hi all
>
>>Mind you if somebody came up with a better OS when the 386's came out,
>>would we have windows today?
>
>It's called "Linux". And yea, we still have Windoze... :-)
>
>W
At the time of the 386 there was:
CCPM, at least three *nix, OS/2 and DOS. Winders was what, version 1.0?
The problem is not that we have windows, thats Apples fault. ;) It's how
we arrived at it.
Funny with I hear of new OS or a port of an older one the first two questions
are can it does it run X and can it network. Networking is not the big deal
it used to be and you see everything doing it even minimal machines. Windowing
however is never trivial, like a fungus it grows and it eats ram, cpu and
everything in sight.
I was happy for years running DOS with Norton Commander (midnight commander
for the linux user). What I didn't get with windows (V3.1, W9x) was a real
multitasking OS. Why? Because DOS wasn't a multitasking OS. There lies the
problem.
Allison
On Dec 12 2005, 18:01, Allison wrote:
> uVAX-II and 11/73B need/require over the top. 11/23B (and 11/73A)
> is strictly Q22. I happen to have the earlier non-pmi 11/73.
> And of course the uVAXII.
11/73 doesn't need over-the-top and has no provision for it. As an
11/73 it's supposed to be used with normal QBus memory, but all will
work with PMI memory (a la 11/83, in fact they're the same board).
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Network Manager
University of York
