test-drb December 2016

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

156 participants
199 discussions

Pine (was: Re: cctalk Digest, Vol 17, Issue 20)

by fred＠MISER.MISERNET.NET

> Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2015 21:41:53 -0500 (EST) > From: ethan at 757.org > Subject: Re: Could someone make this topic go away? > Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.1511192141030.32673 at users.757.org> > Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed > > Am I the only one left using Pine!? > > I get odd looks when I'm checking email from my cell phone. No you are not. I use (al)pine on my OpenVMS system here as well as my main Linux host. I have mail going back to 2004 here and since 1996 at another public access Unix host I use. It's great when I'm out of town and can ssh in from my phone and check the mail. :) Pine does most everything I need without having to worry about malware, phishing, etc ... the beauty of text. Fred

7 years, 2 months

Windows 1.0 For DEC Rainbow (mirror of Latrobe ftp anybody ?)

by shadoooo＠gmail.com

Hello, since the messages in May about the MS Windows 1.0 version for DEC Rainbow, I did some research to see if a version is effectively available. It seems that copies of this software are really difficult to find, but a complete copy was available on the latrobe ftp DEC Rainbow archive... which disappeared with all valuable data... Anybody has a copy of the content before the deletion? Anyway, I found a file-by-file copy of it, on this site: https://winworldpc.com/download/62DF4D23-B974-11E4-AC5A-5404A6F17893 For preservation reasons, it would be really better to have an original disk image. Any news about dumping the disks or an ftp archive where they are present? Thanks Andrea

7 years, 7 months

Supercomputers, fishing for information

by iamcamiel＠gmail.com

I'm making arrangements to have four (mini-)supercomputers from the 1980's shipped to me. In the mean time, I'm trying to find out what I can about these systems, so this is a fishing expedition. The systems are: * Convex C1-XP * Convex C1-XL * Intel iPSC/860 * Ardent Titan Pictures of these can be found on my website, at http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/collection/27-odd/76-four-supercomputers (click on the thumbnails to see a larger version) I'd like to get in touch with anyone who knows anything about these machines, as well as anyone who may have documentation, but I also have two specific questions: - Can anyone identify the tape drives shown in the pictures? I believe the one in the Intel iPSC/860 is an Exabyte 8mm one, but the ones used on the Convex and the Ardent are a mystery to me. - Does anyone know what the SRM (System Resource Manager) for the iPSC/860 physically looks like? Does it look like a PC, and does it say Intel on the front? Reason I'm asking is that I'm getting these out of an estate, and I need to tell them what to look for. Thanks, Camiel.

7 years, 8 months

LINCtape/DECtape Head Alignment

by michael.99.thompson＠gmail.com

The RICM is working on the skew adjustment on a TU56 tape drive on a PDP-12. We only see a 5mV signal from the head, so when we flip the tape over we will only see 1mV. This is below the capabilities of my 'scope. The DEC skew adjustment procedure talks about using a DEC amplifier to boost the head signal to several volts. We are planning to make an equivalent amplifier using a modern Op-amp. It would be really convenient to have one of the Amphenol 133-022-03 connectors from a G851 Relay module on our amplifier so it would plug directly into the head cable. Does anyone have a DEC G851 module that we could remove the connector from? -- Michael Thompson

7 years, 9 months

HP 9000/382 Questions

by pete＠petelancashire.com

Hello from a newbie to the list I've just acquired 2 HP 382's with expanders. Have not had the time to look inside them yet. End goal is to set one up as an instrument controller i.e. using the built in GPIB and potentially a 2nd GPIB card. One thing I do not have is a display, keyboard and mouse. A few question Is there a PS/2 or USB (yea long shot) adapter for the HPIL interface ? Does someone have a keyboard/mouse they a not beholding to, or know where there maybe one ? Once I get the opened up and take an inventory, anything I should look out for be trying to power one of them up ? Can one boot to a terminal on the RS-232 port. Until I find a kbd/mouse ? What would be optimum version of HP-UX to run on them ? -pete

7 years, 9 months

Logic Analyser Advice

by robert.jarratt＠ntlworld.com

I finally managed to pick up a logic analyser for a price I could justify. It is a HP1630G and it comes with a number of pods. However the pods do not seem to have the actual wires/probes. Is there a separate part number for these that I should look for. There seem to be quite a few items like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291753390848, are these likely to be suitable alternatives? Thanks Rob

7 years, 9 months

Rack-mounting a TU56

by ard.p850ug1＠gmail.com

I have been given an H960 rack :-). I intend to use it for my PDP8/e system (currently piled up, not connected), which consists of the : PDP8/e processor, Full of cards, memory extension, EAE, 32KW core, boot diode matrix ROM, RK8e, RD8e, RX8e, PC8e, etc. PC04 paper tape punch/reader (acutally, I converted a PC05, but that doesn't matter here) RK05 (well, there's an RK8e in the backplane and I have a spare RK05 so I might as well use it) RX01 TU56 (single drive version, ths is not a TU55 as some have suggested!). Various PSUs and step-down transformer for the TU56 and PC04 I think I have the right slide rails for the first 4 units too... Anyway, does anyone have experience of rack-mounting a TU56? It clearly doesn't go on slide rails, it bolts directly to the rack (hinge down the front panel for access). I have the manuals from Bitsavers, they imply there is some kind of spacer block that goes under the TU56. Does anyone know what that is exactly so I can attempt to make one if it is needed. -tony

7 years, 9 months

Paper tape carriers and paper tape

by jwsmail＠jwsss.com

I don't know if anyone here has the interest or capability to do it, but creating a replica of the blue tape trays with the clear overlay that one could sell for a few bucks with some random fanfold copies of DEC or other diagnostics would be nice. Perhaps if there were a ready source of replicas with a perpetual listing or 10 to overwhelm the auctions with 100 and 300 dollar auctions for the genuine originals the originals would be listed and sold for a reasonable amount. I'm sure there there are things going to people with no idea what they have which would have been nice to image and save. I would think someone with vacuum molding and some skill with plastics could do the trays. not sure about the source of tapes to sell with them, maybe that does justify some extra expense. People with working readers and libraries of tapes might like them as well. thanks Jim

7 years, 10 months

FW: Y Combinator is restoring one of Alan Kay's Xerox Alto machines

by curiousmarc3＠gmail.com

Video of session 6 is up: https://youtu.be/b7yVhMT7tr4 Found our first bad IC. Probably not our last one. On 9/3/16 11:08 PM, curiousmarc3 at gmail.com wrote: Episode 5, still does not boot, but we are starting to follow long why: https://youtu.be/Wr7vDZpniNIr Marc On Jul 31, 2016, at 6:12 PM, CuriousMarc <mailto:curiousmarc3 at gmail.com> <curiousmarc3 at gmail.com> wrote: Next Episode: https://youtu.be/EDw8U1a6s78 http://www.righto.com/2016/07/restoring-y-combinators-xerox-alto-day_31.html Marc From: Curious Marc [mailto:curiousmarc3 at gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2016 2:01 AM To: Curious Marc; cctalk at classiccmp.org Subject: Re: Y Combinator is restoring one of Alan Kay's Xerox Alto machines Ken's in-depth blog post to go with the previous video http://www.righto.com/2016/07/restoring-y-combinators-xerox-alto-day_11.html On Jul 5, 2016, at 2:46 PM, Curious Marc <mailto:curiousmarc3 at gmail.com> <curiousmarc3 at gmail.com> wrote: Video from yesterday?s work on the Diablo cartridge disc: https://youtu.be/PR5LkQugBE0 Should be up in a few minutes. We were tickled pink to have official representation from PARC (former Xerox Parc) at the session. Marc Ken?s new post on the monitor repair to go with my previous video. http://www.righto.com/2016/07/restoring-y-combinators-xerox-alto-day.html Al Kossow got us a new CRT tube, so we are probably going to try that this week-end. Marc Latest entry from Ken Shirriff, trying out BCPL (ancestor of C). On the emulator, not yet on the real machine: http://www.righto.com/2016/06/hello-world-in-bcpl-language-on-xerox.html Marc There are only two entries right now: http://www.righto.com/2016/06/y-combinators-xerox-alto-restoring.html http://www.righto.com/2016/06/restoring-y-combinators-xerox-alto-day.html Marc

7 years, 10 months

Wanted: AT&T 3B2 systems & software

by lists＠loomcom.com

(n.b.: Sorry for the "wanted" spam from me. I think this is the last one for a while!) I have access to a friend's AT&T 3B2 Model 400 for exploratory and reverse-engineering work, but I would really like to get a system of my own. To that end, if you have an AT&T 3B2 you'd like to part with, please drop me a line. Happy to pay fair market prices, or consider some trades if you prefer that (I have a lot of DEC Qbus stuff) I'm also still looking for more documentation. I especially wish I had schematics, and any docs related to writing drivers. Anything that would be useful in documenting the 3B2 internals would be lovely. Thanks! -Seth

7 years, 10 months

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test-drb December 2016