test-drb June 2015

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

165 participants
285 discussions

First VAX-11/730 VMS Boot! (was: Re: VAX-11/730 %BOOT-F-Unexpected Machine Check)

by cctalk＠beyondthepale.ie

> > Using a version 58 console tape image provided to me by one list member, and > massaged into a usable state by another list member, I just booted > OpenVMS 7.3 off the R80 drive on my VAX-11/730 for the first time since > buying the machine. Woohoo! > Excellent! > > For some reason, I was unable to do that with the version 57 images that I > downloaded off the net. Maybe there's something wrong with the VMB.EXE on > those images? It always complained of not being able to find the boot file > when I tried using it. > Once you get logged in to VMS, I think it should be possible to use EXCHANGE to poke around the console tape images on the file level. It might be possible to find the reason for the problem that way? > > I never got a login prompt, but perhaps that's because I booted with the > write protect switch on? > VMS would try to write to the pagefile at some point but I think it would write a message (likely many messages!) on the console if that failed rather than sit there doing nothing. It probably hasn't hit the pagefile yet. > > It appeared to be trying to create or join a > VAXcluster for a while, then said something about loading MSCP disk server. > Before you do anything, make sure the ethernet network is properly connected or terminated appropriately. If configured to form a cluster, VMS will normally wait for a short period for the other cluster member(s) to appear on the cluster interconnect (usually the ethernet network) before continuing to boot. Try leaving it for a few minutes and you may then get something like: "VAXCluster state transition completed. Initialization continuing". Or you might not. In a cluster, each node contributes a number of votes to the cluster. None if the nodes will do anything until a cluster quorum is present (more than half the number of votes usually present in the cluster). If the machine just sits there indefinately after loading the MSCP disk server, you probably don't have enough cluster votes to proceed and the best thing to do is perform a conversational boot which usually involves setting the least significant bit of register R5 to 1 before booting. How exactly to do this varies from processor to processor and I don't know how to do it for an 11/730. When you manage to do this and try booting again, you should get a "SYSBOOT>" prompt and you could: SHOW VAXCLUSTER SHOW VOTES SHOW EXPECTED_VOTES SET VAXCLUSTER 0 SET WRITESYSPARAMS 0 CONTINUE to confirm that the issue is with cluster votes, turn off clustering and proceed with the boot process. > I have plenty more experimentation ahead, including seeing what's on that > RL02 pack labeled something like "VMS53SYS" (if I recall correctly). > > My attempts to boot up the v5.3 standalone backup tape images I downloaded > still haven't succeeded. As suggested, I'll see if standalone backup might > be on another partition next time I work on the machine. I'd like to try > backing up both the R80 and the RL02 to tape if I can. > Not exactly a partition, more of use one of a number of different root directories in the same partition to start searching for files from. > > Eventually, I'd like to run an older version of VMS than 7.3 on it. > Preferably, something contemporary to when the 11/730 was still sold, or > at least from before any sane 730 users upgraded to newer and faster VAXen. > Of course, that assumes I can procure suitable installation media, or usable > images with which to create it. > I would suggest V5.5-2. This is likely newer than when the 11/730 was sold but I suspect that many an 11/730 would have been upgraded to this version while in service and ended their days on that version. It was regarded as a good stable place to be with few unaddressed issues and it would be increasingly difficult to get useful items such as a stable TCP/IP stack running on versions earlier than V5.5-2. Regards, Peter Coghlan.

9 years

Collectors pay big money for old tech

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Sean Caron > it's a shame if the financial barrier to entry to the hobby is keeping > potentially interested & enthusiastic people away... I understand and agree (very much!) with your concern, but I don't think it's going to be an issue: for every $1M Apple I, there are a zillion other old computers you can't even give away. (I know, I have recently tried! :-) So unless people are deterred by being unable to afford the very coolest and in-demand items, I think we're safe. Noel

9 years

Looking for the Tek 465 of Logic Analysers

by seefriek＠gmail.com

Thanks for the input everyone. In summary, I got recommendations for: - HP 16500C (lesser a 16500B, but not a 16500A) (mainframe) - HP 16700/16900/17500 (mainframe, bigger-faster-stronger, still pretty expensive, can use 16500 cards) - HP 166x or 167x (portable, modern, look for hard drive) - HP 165x (portable, older, only buy cheap, look for hard drive) - HP 1630D, 1630G or 1631 (old, HPIB and HPIL interfaces, no special software needed, but you apparently need be able to control it with an external HPIB controller to get the most out of it) - Tek 1240 - Gould Biomation K100D (software in rom, HPIB interface, assuming you need HPIB literacy to use effectively) - Tek DAS9200 (be careful to get the right pods (several variations), etc) - Tek TLA710/TLA720 (PC attached, Linux capable) General advice offered: - Look for hard drives or no special software required for longest life. Floppies required == bad. - Make really sure you get probes, and the right probes, for your kit. They're often not available separately for non-st00pid money. - There's a crazy array of ancillary features to consider: o-scope functions, processor assemblers/disassemblers, pattern generators, specialized inputs/outputs, timebases, embedded Unix machines, etc. Know what you might need. So I've got a lot of manuals to read, but the 16500C sure looks like a ton of bang per US$. You can even get an expansion chassis (10 additional slots) if you need to go to ludicrous speed on the number of probes/features. KJ

9 years

TRS80, other than model 1

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

Fred and others - I stand corrected these are probably model 12 or maybe model 16... did they network the Xenix ones? maybe that is why there are many of them. I recall one large RS printer was with the group? Guess I should have looked closer last time I was in that area. on another topic we need trs 80 model 100 to give the college to go in the tools of the journalist display need not work just look nice.. reporters used these for field reporting . If you think about it many things are 'a tool of the journalist" gosh! we endowed them with candle stick phones, some various other old phones, old pens, old typewritters, studio and portable video cameras, video recorders in many sizes and formats ... the list goes on! Ed# _www.smecc.org_ (http://www.smecc.org) In a message dated 6/13/2015 9:06:14 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, cisin at xenosoft.com writes: >> something totally off topic from the 8S machines there are some >> trs80 radio shack things that are huge like the MODEL 2 was but these were >> later and had a 3 number designator ? there are many as I remember one >> will be kept another kept for offsite displays but the others will >> goooooooo........ > I don't remember anything beyond the II/12/16 series, but no one tells > me anything. In addition to the model 1, . . . The model 1 line was converted from a "component" system to a single box. For those not familiar, it resembled a Northstar Dimension. Keyboard, screen, two 5.25" floppies in a terminal like case. That was the model 3. Default disk format was double density. Since the WD 179x controller could not write a truly exact model 1 format single density disk (did not support certain data address marks), there were some kludges and changes in TRS-DOS, so there were minor glitches in the "upgrade path". Radio Shack eventually cut a deal to market L-DOS as TRS-DOS 6. ("And Randy Cook is now finally collecting royalties!") Soon, the model 4 was made available - same basic machine with 80x24 video (V 51x16), green screen, a few missing keys provided, and ability to remap the ROM from the memory map. Finally, CP/M was available without memory remapping hardware, nor software kludge of having TPA not in low RAM. The college got a whole lab full of model 3's converted into model 4's, at a price per each that was only slightly more than buying new model 4's. Model 4P was luggable version, vaguely resembling early Compaq. Model 2 wasn't what I would call "huge", but such is relative. It was completely unrelated to model 1, other than name, and naming it's OS (mutually incompatible with model 1/3) "TRS-DOS". But, CP/M was also available. It had an 8" drive, and "huge" external case if you wanted more than one. Radio Shack came out with a 68000 CPU board! and Xenix It could be used instead of the Z80 CPU, or have BOTH! (12 and 16) In terms of "huge", there were a few other machines that rarely, if ever, actually made it to market, such as the "Tandy 10", built into a desk, and sold exclusively through "Radio Shack Computer Center"s. -- Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com

9 years

VK 170 CA card M7142

by jwsmail＠jwsss.com

I have a friend with some of these who would like to get a full set of data on this card. He has the handbook writeup with the jumper settings and some other info. Would like full disclosure, schematics, engineering info, etc. This board is a Q bus card which has keyboard interface, and display RS-170 video out. Generates an 80 x 25 display with refresh memory supplying the information. Also includes an EIA RS-423 serial interface. These are in systems which integrate small PDP 11 type systems to form terminals, etc. Thanks Jim

9 years

PDP-8/S

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

well it is amazing what people that want meth will do... they remind me of the creatures mutated in I AM LEGEND but that is why Will needs to add a good alarm system on his building and get 2 friends... the pitbulls named byteemintheass and snapoffurballs if they in case the alarm system fails. In a message dated 6/13/2015 9:25:27 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, cisin at xenosoft.com writes: On Sat, 13 Jun 2015, John Wilson wrote: > Re theft: yeah there's no way a random house burglar would bother Are the middle of the night, in the rain, in the gutter, catalytic converter thefts actually worth it? Besides theft issues, there can be additional reasons for anonymity. consider the possibilities of unwanted contact. Does Homeland Insecurity care what you are doing with it? Zoning board? Ex-wife? electric rates of domestic V industrial "Do you have permits for the rewiring?" "Can I bring my friends over to see it?" "Are your licenses paid up for all of OUR software?" spammers harvesting the list? "Will you make me a copy of the software? I'll pay for the media" "Sell me the handle from the switch. I'll even pay for the postage!" "Buy mine!" "Buy my uncle's Dell computers, they're just as old" "Loan it to us to shoot a movie. We'll even pay its fair value for any damage in the car crashes and explosions" If I had one, I'd brag about it.

9 years

TRS80, other than model 1

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

yea osborne was 50 or 51... In a message dated 6/13/2015 9:33:00 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, cisin at xenosoft.com writes: > Soon, the model 4 was made available - same basic machine with 80x24 video (V > 51x16), ooops. 64 characters per line on the 1. Maybe it was Osborne 1 with 51?

9 years

TVGA8900C disks

by sales＠elecplus.com

Sorry, I deleted the posts from earlier from someone looking for TVGA software. I have at least the TVGA 8900C Disk 2 Utilities disk, on 5.25" floppy. Disk 1 will probably turn up soon. Is this what was wanted? Cindy Croxton Electronics Plus 1613 Water Street Kerrville, TX 78028 830-370-3239 cell sales at elecplus.com AOL IM elcpls

9 years

PDP-8/S

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

Al if you can run him down and find s/n's that would be great... what are the s/n's at CHM on their units? Ed# In a message dated 6/12/2015 2:25:30 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, aek at bitsavers.org writes: On 6/10/15 12:11 PM, Michael Thompson wrote: >> I know of 17 PDP-8/S systems, including four at the RICM. > Last I heard, John Bordynuik still had one or two of them, but I haven't spoken to him in years.

9 years

PDP-8/S

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Fred Cisin > If somebody were to try to make a "complete" list, it would make sense > to provide variable levels of anonymity > ... > Prob'ly some people would be more willing to discuss what they have IFF > they aren't opening themselves to theft risk, and/or a deluge of "I'd > like to buy". Let me second that. Particularly as the value of these things goes up, security will be a real issue for people. As I like to say, the _good_ thing about the Internet is that it brings the world to your doorstep; and the _bad_ thing about the Internet is that it brings the world to your doorstep... Noel

9 years

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test-drb June 2015