Well, with Dave's help we got the DSM-11 disk to boot on SIMH. Oddly
enough SIMH seems to read a raw RQDX1/2 disk pretty well.
sim> attach rq0 dsm.dsk
sim> set cpu 11/73,1m
Disabling RK
Disabling HK
Disabling TM
sim> boot rq0
Booting DSM-11...
DSM-11 Version 3.0A
Now running the baseline system.
<DKHER>:1 G ^STU
Exit
DSM-11 Version 3.0A Device #1 UCI:
Exit
DSM-11 Version 3.0A Device #1 UCI: ?
<NOUCI>:0
Exit
The problem is I don't remember how to use it anymore. Is there a PDF of
the DSM-11 manual anywhere? I think this was a clean install, but I'd
like to check it for data before putting it into archives.
Also which archive would be best for it?
CZ
I recently ran into an archive of various Pro 300 items, mostly from DECUS I believe. That includes a full P/OS 3.2 distribution including (!) DECnet/Pro if I saw that right.
It's at ftp://ftp.update.uu.se/pub/professional/
What makes things somewhat painful is that it's LHA compressed Teledisk images, which is an ancient DOS based floppy imaging tool. The instructions say to run Teledisk on a DOS system with a 5.25 inch floppy drive to write the images to RX50 floppies, which can then be used.
If you don't have DOS handy, or would rather get floppy image files for use with Xhomer, this can work but it's a bit painful.
I found there's a simpler way.
1. Decompress the LHA files. On a Mac, the unarchiver (I think that comes with the OS?) handles that format. On other operating systems, I assume it's equally straightforward to find a tool that handles this. You now have a pile of *.TD0 files, which are the TeleDisk format files.
2. From http://www.seasip.info/Unix/LibDsk/ install LibDsk 1.5 (not 1.4).
3. Use the dsktrans tool you got from step 2 to convert each *.TD0 file to a raw image, like this:
dsktrans -otype raw PRO177/177-21.TD0 proinstallv32.dsk
"raw" format means a straight sector dump in physical order; this is the format expected by xHomer.
If for any reason you want a logical order image, for example to give to the SIMH "rq" device that emulates an RQDXn controller, you'll need a tool that reorders things. I have one in my RSTS file system tool "flx" (V3 in Python, not the earlier 2.6 in C), "rx50.py". I can supply more details if needed.
paul
I have a few of these A990 boxes. They are complete with memory,
internal disk & DAT, & any 1000 interface you could possibly need. They
are the smaller 14-slot Micro boxes so a small footprint. I'm doing a
few of them for $1,300.00 each.. If anyone wants one, let me know. The
ebay link is below and feel free to ask me any questions about them.
www.ebay.com/itm/383752338096
<www.ebay.com/itm/383752338096>
Thanks
Jesse
Cypress Tech
People,
I'm trying to wrap my head around cc:Mail version numbers.
Various products such as Mobile and Gateways have their own separate
series of numbers, but the main products seem to be as follows.
Release Database Appeared in
1? ? ?
2? 6? ?
3? 6? ?
4? 6 ?
5 6 1995
6 8 1996
7? 8 ?
8 8 1997
I saw someplace that I cannot find now that DB6 is from 1989.
Can anybody fill in the missing numbers?
So for example, there is a package on Ebay right now
https://www.ebay.com/itm/LOTUS-ccMAIL-in-original-box-diskettes-manuals-Win…
that seems to say `Release 2.01' and 1993. How does that compute?
/Tomas
On 2021-01-20 19:00, "Ali" <cctalk at ibm51xx.net> wrote:
> Message: 14
> Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:38:21 -0800
> From: "Ali" <cctalk at ibm51xx.net>
> To: "'General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts'"
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: RE: Looking for old Compaq software - COMPAQ System Manager
> Facility
> Message-ID: <00d501d6ef07$9cd2ab70$d6780250$@net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>> For a workaround:
>>
>> This way You get a fixed brightness and somewhat working computer.
>> Now You can wait for a replacement pot and play with the computer.
> So turns out the pot itself is good after further testing. Of course now the
> question is why won't the brightness adjust on the machine?
>
> -Ali
Something supposed to be connected to the pot is not connected anymore?
I am guessing
a) the connection to the wiper is broken somewhere, or the circuitry
connected to it is broken, or
b) the ground end of the pot has a broken connection to ground
/Jonas
I just completed a set of tests of David's MFM emulator on my Pro 380.
Summary: everything works right. Very impressive device. My compliments to David for an amazing piece of engineering.
Details:
1. I built and tested it (rev C board) per the instructions and all that worked nicely. A few minor points in the instructions, quickly clarified by David and already updated on the web page. I used an old 2 MB BeagleBone Black (the kind that was shipped some years ago with the abandoned Angstrom distribution), that fits just fine.
2. I read the three drives I have, one RD51, two RD52 (Quantum). All worked fine. They were identified by the analysis tool as "Elektronika_85" which makes sense since that's a Pro clone.
3. On the RD52, the last cylinder cannot be read. The reason is that the DEC standard formatting tool does not format the last cylinder except on the RD50. I'm not sure why; the comments say it is "reserved for the FCT" but I don't know what that is. In any case, ignore those errors; the OS does not use that cylinder so nothing bad happens.
4. In spite of what the XHomer documentation says, Pro disks have 16 sectors per track, not 17. It may well be that the drive is physically capable of holding 17 sectors per track if you have an RQDXn controller, but the Pro format is definitely 16 sectors. And 4:1 interleaved to account for the performance issues of programmed I/O rather than DMA.
5. I set up auto-start of emulation mode using one of the files created by the disk reader. That works fine, the OS boots, identifies the drive type correctly, and runs happily.
6. I also tested creating a new empty RD52 image (i.e., 512 cylinders, 8 heads), and running a P/OS 3.0 install to that emulated disk. That works also; as Chris Zach suggested, the installer includes a low level formatter tool and invokes that automatically when it detects it is needed.
7. Poweroff data saving works nicely. I can watch the BBB keep running after I turn Pro power off, then after 5-10 seconds the BBB power light also goes off.
8. I looked at the extracted data files created by step 2: they are good block level data images of the disks.
A note on testing and drive copying: at first I tried to do this using a spare Pro power supply. That does not work because that supply requires a substantial minimum current. Even with a real drive plugged in alongside the emulator, the current draw is too small and the supply shuts down almost immediately. Instead, I temporarily connected an old small PC-type power supply I had lying around (rated at 50 watts according to the label); that was plenty for the emulator and also good enough to power it along with the drive to be read.
paul
For a workaround:
1. Solder any same size pot with suitable long wires to the location (if possible)
2. Adjust the brightness to Your liking
3. Remove the pot
4. Measure the resistance
5. Solder a measured value resistor where the pot was.
This way You get a fixed brightness and somewhat working computer.
Now You can wait for a replacement pot and play with the computer.
BR Matti
Hello All,
I am looking for an old piece of Compaq SW. It is used to communicate with a
Server Manager/R (or sometimes also known as System Manager) board. This was
Compaq's first attempt at a lights-out management (LOM) board. If anyone has
a copy and can share I would appreciate it! Thank you.
-Ali
Hello All,
I am looking for an EOL/no longer manufactured pot. It is a Clarostat
CM46895-3 and used to adjust the back light/brightness on a Compaq Portable
486c (pictures are here:
http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?78057-Compa-Portable-486c-can-not-
adjust-screen-brightness). Because of the fit and finish issues it needs to
be this particular pot. If someone has one in their parts bin please drop me
a line.
TIA!
-Ali