- test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org - classiccmp.org

by icardona＠gmail.com

Hi, some weeks ago I've purchased a System 37 in ebay. This unit was ebay in the year 2020 and the owner was made this video too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1CZKQtaoSo When I power up the displays shows a 1. Sometimes if I stop and start fast the display shows a 2, but in all the cases all the leds stills lighted. The voltages on the power supply are OK, and in general I the unit have a good look, I don't see corrosion or leakages from capacitors. Looking the SPU training PDF of Bitsavers/HPMuseum , looks that maybe is related with a ROM or the WCS. Somebody have more info about this error, or know if is possible get some schematics / service manual? Thanks a lot Iban

4 years, 3 months

3
3
0 0

Archiving otrona attache disks

by billdegnan＠gmail.com

Is there a simh for the otrona attache? I have some.disk images created with Dunfield's utility..if not I will try to read them by using the Zorba portable, which is pretty good with varied formats. Bill

4 years, 3 months

3
6
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unknown rack PSU ("PPI 1247-000-91 ADDS")

by jules.richardson99＠gmail.com

I found a vintage rackable linear PSU at a sale over the weekend, appears to be late '70s vintage going by date codes on some of the high-power components inside. Front panel is plain black with just a power switch and telltale lamp. Back has a ratings sticker which says "PPI 1247-000-91 ADDS". Outputs are +24V at 3A, +12V at 2A, +5V at 30A, -12V at 4A. Ring a bell with anyone? I'm familiar with ADDS in a terminal context, of course, but this lump is obviously for something larger - perhaps a "washing machine size" fixed/removable drive unit or similar, but I'm surprised there's not obvious branding on it if so. cheers Jules

4 years, 3 months

2
1
0 0

HP-UX on 9000/200 series

by plamenspam＠afterpeople.com

Hello, Does anyone have HP 9000/200 series running HP-UX instead of HP Basic ? The 5.1 image from hpmuseum.net can be booted only on 300 series with 68010. Best regards, Plamen

4 years, 3 months

4
4
0 0

IBM 1620 Simulation

by raywjewhurst＠gmail.com

Hello all, Long time lurker, extremely rare poster, I was reading the Wikipedia article on the IBM 1620 and became quite intrigued. I know that there is a simulator for it on SimH but I have never ran or simulated any card-driven machines before. I have all the documentation and the ibm1620.zip file >from bitsavers but I am not sure what to do next. I know I would like to try Monitor, Fortran-II and possibly GOTRAN but I have so many questions. I read the SimH documentation which gave me some understanding but I don't know exactly how the card decks work, how to install Monitor or how to boot Monitor once it is installed since I know you have to boot off a deck. My final question is, is there an easy to use card-driven machine to cut my teeth on? Also, any anecdotes on any of the old IBM computers would be both welcome and greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance Ray

4 years, 3 months

14
36
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Ultrix-11 Networking

by dj.taylor4＠comcast.net

Its been fun? working with Ultrix-11 and have had success with the help of the list.? Thanks.? The tape file from Bill Gunshannon will create a working system.? Yay! I'm at the point of trying to network the SIMH pdp11 Ultrix-11 system. I have a few observations: 1. The youtube video 'Ultrix-11' shows connecting to sunOS systems. OK, he did this by simply issuing a single ifconfig command.? That didn't work for me. 2. Instead, I used the netsetup script supplied with the system, and had to reboot to get networking up.? I did seem to come up OK. 3. The SIMH FAQ suggests using a 2nd ethernet port, I was able to do this.? The linux computer I am running SIMH on has 2 ports. 4. The Ultrix-11 telnet ftp are old, unsecure versions, how do you connect to a modern Linux machine?? The Linux machines refuse the connections. 5. I also looked at the tuhs archive.? The Fred build script that generates a tk50 bootable tape image didn't work for me.? I substituted a file for the tape device and it caused SIMH to Halt. Doug

4 years, 3 months

3
7
0 0

Speaking of emulators... I have a userland Venix/86 executive...

by imp＠bsdimp.com

I've written a Venix/86 userland emulator. It uses FreeBSD's vm86 to run binaries natively and intercepts traps for things like system calls. I finally have it to the point where it can run the compiler via cc (which forks and execs c0, copt, cpp, as, ld, etc). My plans to try to recreate the sources for the binaries for Venix/86 from V7 and other extant sources have taken a step forward. Don't know if I'll ever get there, but at least I don't need a working Rainbow and can run the compiler at ~4GHz rather than ~4MHz.... http://bsdimp.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-new-path-vm86-based-venix-emulator.html has my latest blog entry on it. The code lives in tools/vm86venix in my https://github.com/bsdimp/venix repo for those that want to take a look. It uses vm86 mode of 32-bit intel processors and traps all INT xx and other privileged instructions and provides appropriate emulation... And the compiled binary is smaller than the venix kernel (but it does less). Warner

4 years, 3 months

3
2
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CWVG

by mloewen＠cpumagic.scol.pa.us

Back in the 2007 time frame, Andrew Lynch had written a utility to read Vector Graphic hard-sectored diskettes on a Catweasel board. Called "CWVG", does anyone have a copy of the program? Mike Loewen mloewen at cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

4 years, 3 months

6
18
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RQDX3 firmware sources

by chd＠chdickman.com

Has anyone tried to compile the sources? succeeded? I'm not even going to try, but I think the actual low-level formatter code is missing. Was curious if anyone else noticed that too. -chuck

4 years, 3 months

3
4
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Call for manuals and maybe floppies: IBM 8100

by cube1＠charter.net

My next project once I finish my IBM 1410 FPGA implementation (so, a couple of years out, probably) would be to write an emulator for the boat anchor known as the IBM 8100. I had exposure to these things back in the 1980s. The project was not really a success: the DPPX operating system was way overkill for the underpowered machine, and wasn't reliable enough or capable enough to run them at remote locations with central administration. The machine had some fairly sophisticated features: Two groups of 64 sets of registers with 8 32 bit registers each Auto increment and auto decrement indexed addressing Address translation - but not paging A primitive form of I/O channel I have a set of install floppies for the DPPX operating system and some of the associated software (but, sadly, not COBOL or Assembler), imaged, and verified to contain what the labels say (via dd conv=ascii), but am short on information. (Of course, if someone else has floppies, all the better. I can image them - they are 8" DSDD, with the first track single density, kinda like an RX02). I do have the Principles of Operation GA23-0031 and the DASD devices (including floppy) Description GA23-0053 But in order to manage an emulator and actually install DPPX I would need just a bit more hardware info - or I would be flying blind to some degree as far as the operator panel I/O interaction.) Hardware Manuals: 8130 Processor Description GA27-3196 and/or 8140 Processor Description GA27-2880 (There was also an 8150, but I doubt the releases I have would run on it.) 8140 Processor Operators Guide GA27-3197 and GA27-2879 (Expanded front panel) 8101/8102 Storage / I/O Unit GA27-2882 Communications: Loop, Display, Printer: GA27-2883 (The "Loop" was a LAN like thing - kind of akin to the Apollo Domain ring, off of which one hung local terminals, such as the IBM 8775). Distributed Processing Programming Executive (DPPX) Manuals Installation Primer: G320-6048 Installation Guide: SC27-0401 IPO Planning Guide: GC20-1883 Assembler: SC27-0412 Assembler Messages: SC27-0416 (The machine also supported APL, PL/I, COBOL (which we used), FORTRAN... But I don't have floppies for those - heck, if the assembler wasn't standard (I doubt it was), I don't even have that, even though we had it at our installation, along with COBOL) DTMS (database, transaction mgmt.) Messages: SC26-3918 Customization Guide (SC26-3937) Application Development Guide (SC26-3938) Administration Guide (SC26-3939) Operation Guide (SC26-3940) Reference (SC26-3941) True story: The early releases of DPPX were just awful buggy. We ended up dedicating 3 conference rooms (with the dividers open) for a "warm room" for something like 3 months, housing our personnel and IBM personnel up from Texas. At one point one of the IBM'ers was overheard on a public phone in the hallway of our public building telling someone he was there "to help the hicks from Wisconsin". That got reported to our management and to IBM's management, and he was on the next flight back to Texas. ;) On the flip side, I was testing database recovery (it was my thing, back in the day - though we did not end up using the database / transaction manager). I found some bugs in the database log journal recovery process. I mentioned it to one of the IBM'ers in passing, also pointing out it wasn't urgent since we were not going to use DTMS anyway, at least not soon. He pretty much begged me to report it - and anything else I found wrong. Completely polar opposite attitude of the guy in the previous paragraph. JRJ

4 years, 3 months

3
4
0 0

Tandon Track 0 adjustment

by mloewen＠cpumagic.scol.pa.us

What's the recommended method for adjusting the track 0 switch and track 0 stop on a Tandon TM100-2, if you don't have an alignment disk? I do have a scope. Mike Loewen mloewen at cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

4 years, 3 months

2
2
0 0

CWVG

by deramp5113＠yahoo.com

I can archive your disk content if you end up needing some assistance. I have a few Vector Graphic machines with 100tpi Micropolis and Tandon 100-4M drives as well as Mod-I drives at 48tpi. I also have utilities to archive and recreate disks on these drives by exchanging the disk image with a PC via XMODEM (FLOP2PC and PC2FLOP). Note that these disk images can also be mounted and run under SIMH. Mike

4 years, 3 months

1
0
0 0

OMNIBUS board handle spacers

by chd＠chdickman.com

I just printed some board handles for a 32k OMNIBUS board (thanks Vince Slyngstad, et al.) I now notice that all the OMNIBUS boards have an extra 0.1in spacer between the board and the handle. UNIBUS and QBus boards and logic flip chips don't have the spacer. Anyone else notice this and understand why? The only thing I can see is that it might adjust for the over the top connectors used on a lot of OMNIBUS boards. -chuck

4 years, 3 months

1
0
0 0

Call for manuals and maybe floppies: IBM 8100

by sieler＠allegro.com

Re: "My next project once I finish my IBM 1410 FPGA implementation (so, a couple of years out, probably) would be to write an emulator for the boat anchor known as the IBM 8100. I had exposure to these things back in the 1980s." I encountered one, once. Probably 1979, in a small conference room in building 47U of Hewlett-Packard's Cupertino site. Sitting all alone in the room. I was looking at it, and an HP engineer came in and explained that they were waiting for IBM service to fix the memory board ... the board HP had removed to look at closely :)

4 years, 3 months

1
0
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Punched card file wanted

by Flash688＠flying-disk.com

Now that I am finally getting my vintage computer accumulation in order, I need a punched card file cabinet. Does anyone know of one that might be available for purchase or trade? I am willing to pick up anywhere in the western US. In an ideal world, I would love to find one of the ones with a slanted front on each drawer that holds a single card for a label. I have an old wooden library catalog file cabinet (60 drawers) that I would be willing to trade, as well as some DEC Q-bus chassis. Any leads would be appreciated. Alan Frisbie

4 years, 3 months

4
5
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Anyone remember Kel-Am connectors?

by spacewar＠gmail.com

When I worked at Apparat around 1981, we used a lot of *male* IDC edge card connectors. I've almost never seen any since, and I couldn't remember the name of the vendor. I just found out that it was Kel-Am, but the internet knows almost nothing about them. Here's an example: https://www.elliottelectronicsupply.com/connectors/card-edge/male-card-edge… That photo doesn't show the Kel-Am logo, which is just a stylized "KEL-AM". There are some eBay auctions of the corresponding female connector (which other vendors did make), some of which show the logo. I wonder what happened to Kel-Am. Maybe they were acquired, maybe they went under. It would be nice to find a copy of their catalog. Speaking of which, it would also be nice to see some Robinson Nugent connector catalogs from the late 1970s and early 1980s. I am especially interested in seeing specs for their bottom-entry square-pin receptacles, which I think _might_ be the ones used on Apple /// memory boards.

4 years, 3 months

5
5
0 0

DEC DHU11 (M3105) wanted

by spacewar＠gmail.com

A friend and I are trying to get a PDP-11/70 running, and we'd like to get a DHU11 async mux board. Anyone have an extra? There's an Ebay listing claimed to be a DHU11, but that one is actually a Qbus M3104.

4 years, 3 months

1
0
0 0

Wilson Laboratories SX-530 disk exerciser

by Flash688＠flying-disk.com

Al Kossow <aek at bitsavers.org> wrote: > On 8/25/21 4:51 PM, Alan Frisbie via cctalk wrote: > > I recently acquired a Wilson Laboratories SX-530 disk exerciser > > for SMD interface disk drives.? Unfortunately, it did not come > > with a manual.? Does anyone out there have a copy they could > > make available?? Yes, Bitsavers was the first place I checked.? > it's up now under test equipment Thank you very much! I've already downloaded it. I really appreciate all the work you do to keep this information available. > do you happen to have any service manuals for century data > winchesters? i have a bunch of manuals for the removable drives No, I do not. The only Century Data manuals I have are for the T-302, which I believe you already have. Alan Frisbie

4 years, 3 months

1
0
0 0

Ultrix-11

by dennis.grevenstein＠gmail.com

Bill Gunshannon wrote: > > With 3.1 available why would you want to run 2.0? Someone mentioned > a 4.0. I don't remember there ever being anything after 3.1 (promised, > but never saw it delivered) Would be fun to look at. But I suspect > anything beginning with 4 is actually Ultrix-32 which I think went as > far as 4.5. That seems likely, because AFAIR Ultrix-11 never got past 3.X. In any way I would like to point out that Ultrix-11 and Ultrix-32 are completely different: Ultrix-11 based on V7 (+addons) and Ultrix-32 based on 4.2BSD (+addons). I actually still have Ultrix-32 3.1 running on a DECstation. It really is nothing like running Ultrix-11 3.1, which I did many years ago. Dennis

4 years, 3 months

10
18
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Extremely CISC instructions

by stepleton＠gmail.com

Hello, For the sake of illustration to folks who are not necessarily used to thinking about what computers do at the machine code level, I'm interested in collecting examples of single instructions for any CPU architecture that are unusually prolific in one way or another. This request is highly underconstrained, so I have to rely on peoples' good taste to determine what counts as "interesting" here. Perhaps a whole lot of different kinds of work or lots of different resources accessed is what I'm after. I expect these kinds of "busy" instructions were more common in architectures that are now less common, so perhaps this list is a good place to ask. For example, if we're thinking "number of times an item is retrieved from RAM", then any application of the x86 string instructions that could walk over memory for a while perhaps aren't so interesting. By contrast, by my count, the NS32000 series instruction "addw ext(4), ext(7)" requires at least five separate noncontiguous retrievals just to fetch the arguments into the ALU. (Note that I'm not differentiating between different sizes of data here: loading a 16-bit item and loading a 32-bit address both count as a "retrieval" in this example.) Instructions that are simply lengthy might be interesting, but not always: long literals or lots of redundant prefixes on x86 aren't that impressive, for example. Number of registers read or modified might be good too, but just saving or loading for the sake of subroutine calls (e.g. "movem.l r0-r7/a0-a6,-(sp)" on the 68k) seems pretty pedestrian. Other criteria may seem worthwhile; I trust peoples' judgement on this. Although I don't know it well, I suspect VAX will place well in one way or another. But to give an example of a candidate instruction that's prolific in a way I find more noteworthy, I'll go back to the NS32k and offer addw ext(4)+6[r1:w], ext(7)+12[r2:w] which in order to get its arguments (I think) requires the five retrievals already mentioned and adds two shifts and four additions to the bill. I think this statement reads: "Add the r1'th word counting from 6 bytes past the fourth address in the current module's link table to the r2'th word counting from 12 bytes past the seventh address in the current module's link table". That's a mouthful --- it takes a lot of work to describe what that one line does! Maybe that's what I'm hoping to share with people. I hope this is interesting to discuss, --Tom

4 years, 3 months

23
52
0 0

C.mmp OS

by mark.kahrs＠gmail.com

The answer to the question is Hydra I believe.

4 years, 3 months

5
6
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PDP-10 CLU language now available

by lars＠nocrew.org

Hello, I found files for Barnara Liskov's programming language CLU on PDP-10 backup tapes. MIT has made them available here: https://github.com/MITDDC/clu-1976-1989 See also: http://pmg.csail.mit.edu/CLU.html

4 years, 3 months

1
1
0 0

FTGH: Atari Portfolio HPC-004

by jbglaw＠lug-owl.de

Hi! I'm offering an Atari Portfolio HPC-004 along with a 64 KB Memory Card for the cost of shipping (located in Germany.) It boots / works (using batteries), but I'm missing its original wall wart. Is anybody interested? Thanks, Jan-Benedict --

4 years, 3 months

4
3
0 0

Prototype new Apple /// memory board

by spacewar＠gmail.com

I've been working on a new memory board for the Apple ///, using (somewhat) modern and still-in-production components, especially CMOS static RAM rather than DRAM. Last night I soldered the connectors, sockets, and passives of my first prototype: https://flickr.com/photos/_brouhaha_/albums/72157719738576267 I need to do some testing for shorts, etc. before I attempt to actually use it in an Apple ///. I expect that some debugging of the design will be required. The Apple /// design is _much_ more complex that the Apple II and IIe. I intended this board to provide 512KiB of RAM, but I've already determined that some design changes will be required for that, so this prototype will only support 256KiB. The early Apple /// design, as documented in US patents, would have supported up to 512KiB of RAM, but the actual shipped design reduced that to 256KiB. There was a third-party 512Kib emory board from "On Three", which required pulling various chips from the motherboard and running cables from those to the memory board. The SOS operating system, as shipped, only supported 256KiB. On Three modified the SOS bootloader to detect and use 512KiB. Some Apple /// application software also had trouble with 512KiB, and On Three patched some of those.

4 years, 3 months

3
2
0 0

Replica computers PDP 8/11/10

by bfranchuk＠jetnet.ab.ca

As reminder "Obsolescence Guaranteed" is building replica computers using simh with a pi all in a thin front panel. https://obsolescence.wixsite.com/obsolescence https://obsolescenceguaranteed.blogspot.com/2020/02/inevitaby-pidp-10.html PDP 8's and 11's are selling like hot cakes. Ben.

4 years, 3 months

1
0
0 0

Extremely CISC instructions

by guykd＠optusnet.com.au

>Hello, > >For the sake of illustration to folks who are not necessarily used to >thinking about what computers do at the machine code level, I'm interested >in collecting examples of single instructions for any CPU architecture that >are unusually prolific in one way or another. This request is highly >underconstrained, so I have to rely on peoples' good taste to determine >what counts as "interesting" here. This is perhaps outside even the vague bounds you were thinking of, but it probably wins the 'unusually prolific' prize by a gigabyte-mile. Behold, the hidden, secret and heinous X86 2-byte 'launch instruction' 0x0F, 0x3F. See this talk about the discovery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmTwlEh8L7g DEF CON 26 - Christopher Domas - GOD MODE UNLOCKED Hardware Backdoors in redacted x86 46:03 DEFCON Conference Oct 23, 2018 Complexity is increasing. Trust eroding. In the wake of Spectre and Meltdown, when it seems that things cannot get any darker for processor security, the last light goes out. This talk will demonstrate what everyone has long feared but never proven: there are hardware backdoors in some x86 processors, and they're buried deeper than we ever imagined possible. While this research specifically examines a third-party processor, we use this as a stepping stone to explore the feasibility of more widespread hardware backdoors. After which you will never trust your Intel-based PC, ever again. Guy

4 years, 3 months

2
1
0 0

Extremely CISC instructions

by seefriek＠gmail.com

The Hitachi SH4 has a set of pipelineable vector instructions that work on 4x4 and 4x1 length vectors (implemented as 2 sets of 16 FP registers). Nothing compared to MMX/SSE/AVX, but relatively complex.

4 years, 3 months

1
0
0 0

Multiprocessor Qbus PDP-11

by chd＠chdickman.com

There are indications in the KDJ11-B processor spec on bitsavers that the M8190 could be used in a multiprocessor configuration. For example, bit 10 of the Maintenance Register (17 777 750) is labeled "Multiprocessor Slave" and indicates that the bus arbitrator is disabled. There is also section 6.6, "Cache Multi-Processor Hooks", that describes cache features that allow multiprocessor operation. Would it be as simple as connecting to 11/83 qbus together? And adding the proper software. Anybody ever heard of such a thing? Chuck

4 years, 3 months

4
6
0 0

3d modelling software

by robert.jarratt＠ntlworld.com

I think I may need to get a small part 3d printed (some plastic board mounting guide rails from a PDP 11/24 H7140 PSU). What software is best for a novice? Preferably free! Thanks Rob

4 years, 3 months

10
12
0 0

3d modelling software

by shadoooo＠gmail.com

Hello Rob, FreeCAD is nice for modeling 3D shapes. For 3D printing, depending on the technology of 3D printer, you need to process original model to convert compact sections into hollow honeycomb structure, and add small plastic bars into empty volumes to support the model while it's printed. I'm not expert of this latter procedure and tools. Andrea Aug 23, 2021 19:07:55 cctech-request at classiccmp.org: > Send cctech mailing list submissions to > ? cctech at classiccmp.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > ? http://www.classiccmp.org/mailman/listinfo/cctech > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > ? cctech-request at classiccmp.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > ? cctech-owner at classiccmp.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of cctech digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > ?? 1. Tektronix XpressWare 8.1 (Cameron Kaiser) > ?? 2. Re: Tektronix XpressWare 8.1 (Doc Shipley) > ?? 3. Re: Ultrix-11 (Peter Allan) > ?? 4. Need Spectravideo SVI-328 parts.... (geneb) > ?? 5. 3d modelling software (Rob Jarratt) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2021 17:16:49 -0700 (PDT) > From: Cameron Kaiser <spectre at floodgap.com> > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Cc: Cameron Kaiser <spectre at floodgap.com> > Subject: Tektronix XpressWare 8.1 > Message-ID: <202108230016.17N0Gn3c16973864 at floodgap.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII > > Bitsavers has 6.3 (thank you Al) but I'm trying to push my luck and find > 8.1 for this XP421CH Xterm. Anyone know of where it can be found? > > -- > ------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ -- > ? Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com > -- FOOLS! I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL! ASK ME HOW! -- "Girl Genius" 8/29/07 -------- > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2021 21:08:21 -0500 > From: Doc Shipley <doc at vaxen.net> > To: Cameron Kaiser via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: Tektronix XpressWare 8.1 > Message-ID: <8c287f5c-4ad8-1002-570c-1c671c689494 at vaxen.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed > > On 8/22/21 19:16, Cameron Kaiser via cctalk wrote: >> Bitsavers has 6.3 (thank you Al) but I'm trying to push my luck and find >> 8.1 for this XP421CH Xterm. Anyone know of where it can be found? >> > > Well.... > > There's this: > > http://bio.gsi.de/DOCS/NCD/www.technogoths.demon.co.uk/tekxp400/node3.html > > and there's this: > > http://www.docsbox.net/V81106.tgz > > Please don't kill my server. > > ? It's been a long long time since I had the XP400D, and I don't think I > ever tried connecting from Windows, so you're kind of on your own.? Good > luck! > > > ? Doc > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2021 10:11:26 +0100 > From: Peter Allan <petermallan at gmail.com> > To: Warner Losh <imp at bsdimp.com> > Cc: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" > ? <cctalk at classiccmp.org>, Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> > Subject: Re: Ultrix-11 > Message-ID: > ? <CAJCrz55x935vV+O2=eoRyb2ythgQmRVGXx6HGZZFi8rjdv0TEA at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > Thanks Warner and Ethan. That is very helpful. > > I had not realised that the partition sizes were REALLY hard wired - as in > set in the code. That explains why there is no option to set the size at > installation time. > > I will redo the installation with that in mind. > > Cheers > > Peter > > On Fri, 20 Aug 2021 at 22:03, Warner Losh <imp at bsdimp.com> wrote: > >> >> >> On Fri, Aug 20, 2021, 2:26 PM Peter Allan via cctalk < >> cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: >> >>> The idea of using an RA81 drive as it is bigger sounds like a simple >>> solution, but does it actually give a larger /usr partition? Even though >>> an >>> RD54 drive is not huge, most of it is not taken up by the root partition >>> plus the /usr partition, but is available for use as (on the video at >>> least) /user1. >>> >>> I will give it a try after the weekend and see what happens. >>> >> >> I was going to try tonight. The dksizes.c table suggests that it is 10MB >> instead of 8.5MB on the RD54. Yet someone else said it was smaller, so I >> wanted to check.... >> >> Warner >> >> >> Cheers >>> >>> Peter Allan >>> >>> On Fri, 20 Aug 2021 at 17:38, Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>>> On Fri, Aug 20, 2021 at 11:50 AM Peter Allan via cctalk >>>> <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: >>>>> I just installed Ultrix-11 3.1 using the ultrix31.tap file from >>>>> https://pdp-11.org.ru/files.pl?lang=en >>>>> which is the location from the comments in Stephen's Machine Room >>> video >>>> on >>>>> YouTube that I think started this thread. >>>>> >>>>> It installed just fine, but just like the video, I ran out of space on >>>> /usr. >>>> >>>> /usr was usually tight back in the day. >>>> >>>>> How can I make a larger /usr partition? Is it possible to do this at >>>>> installation time? There did not seem to be an option for this. Can >>> it be >>>>> done by using an additional disk? That would seem likely, but not >>> what a >>>>> system manager back in the 70's or 80's would expect to need to do, >>>>> especially as there is a relatively large amount of space left to >>> create >>>>> /user1. >>>> >>>> In the 70s and early 80s, it was not at all uncommon to have multiple >>>> disk drives mounted to add up to enough space, especially to put user >>>> files on their own device to keep them from competing with free space >>>> in the system areas.? Also, older, smaller disks were often cheaper >>>> than the newest/largest disk drives, or systems would be put together >>>> from repurposed hardware rather than purchasing new.? For a single >>>> data point, my employer bought a new RA81 in 1984.? For 424MB it was >>>> $24,000.? Most machines had a _lot_ less disk in those days.? Our main >>>> UNIX machine was an old 11/750 (2MB RAM) with 2x RK07 (28MB each).? It >>>> was quite a jump when I put Ultrix 1.1 on an 11/730 w/RB80.? The CPU >>>> was 30% slower, but it had 5MB of RAM and a 121MB disk, so as a >>>> machine that spent most of its time with a single user (me), it was >>>> fine. >>>> >>>> When disks were routinely 1-30MB (RK05... RK07 or RP03), it was >>>> totally common to have 2-3 disks on a machine. >>>> >>>> All that said, I looked over this install write-up and it seems to >>>> assume you have one disk and it slices and dices with default sizes... >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> http://ftp.fibranet.cat/UnixArchive/Distributions/DEC/Fred-Ultrix3/setup-3.… >>>> >>>> I've installed older versions of UNIX where you had to explicitly set >>>> up disks and partitions (where you _could_ resize partitions).? Prior >>>> to restoring the contents from tape.? That didn't appear to be as easy >>>> with this installer script. >>>> >>>>> I noted the options for installing software using soft links to other >>>>> locations. Was that the preferred method when installing additional >>>>> software? >>>> >>>> That was done, as was mounting an entire second disk for /usr.? One of >>>> the challenges is making sure you have enough tools accessible on the >>>> boot device to bring the machine up far enough to mount the additional >>>> devices.? This is part of why there are system tools in /bin, >>>> /usr/bin, etc.? You could depend on the contents of /bin being there >>>> before /usr was mounted.? Also, traditionally, programs in /bin were >>>> statically linked so that you didn't have to have specific libraries >>>> available at the time. >>>> >>>> The simplest solution, of course, is just get a bigger disk, but where >>>> that wasn't possible (which was most of the time), people did use soft >>>> links or multiple spindles to aggregate enough space to get by. >>>> >>>> Back in the day, I struggled to get enough disk space to install >>>> 2.9BSD on an 11/24.? Two RK07s would have been a luxury.? I had an >>>> RL02 (10MB) and I think maybe an RL01.? I could get the initial >>>> restore to work but I didn't have enough space to rebuild my kernel. >>>> >>>> -ethan >>>> >>> >> > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2021 07:57:44 -0700 (PDT) > From: geneb <geneb at deltasoft.com> > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Subject: Need Spectravideo SVI-328 parts.... > Message-ID: > ? <alpine.LRH.2.21.2108230756300.23222 at sidewinder.deltasoft.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=US-ASCII > > > I've got a very nice SV-328 that's had the sad misfortune of having the > "K" key rather violently removed. (https://i.imgur.com/IxBIQTj.jpg) > > Can someone point me to where I could obtain a replacement key top and > post? > > Thanks! > > g. > > > -- > Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007 > http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind. > http://www.diy-cockpits.org/coll - Go Collimated or Go Home. > Some people collect things for a hobby.? Geeks collect hobbies. > > ScarletDME - The red hot Data Management Environment > A Multi-Value database for the masses, not the classes. > http://scarlet.deltasoft.com - Get it _today_! > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2021 17:29:08 +0100 > From: "Rob Jarratt" <robert.jarratt at ntlworld.com> > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" > ? <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: 3d modelling software > Message-ID: <00b401d7983b$ff929d50$feb7d7f0$(a)ntlworld.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > I think I may need to get a small part 3d printed (some plastic board > mounting guide rails from a PDP 11/24 H7140 PSU). What software is best for > a novice? Preferably free! > > > > Thanks > > > > Rob > > > > End of cctech Digest, Vol 83, Issue 23 > **************************************

4 years, 3 months

4
3
0 0

3d modelling software

by commodorejohn＠gmail.com

The quick-'n-easy solution I found when I needed to model some parts for a keyboard was https://www.tinkercad.com/ - needs a modern-ish web browser and a modestly beefy system tho.

4 years, 3 months

1
0
0 0

Need Spectravideo SVI-328 parts....

by geneb＠deltasoft.com

I've got a very nice SV-328 that's had the sad misfortune of having the "K" key rather violently removed. (https://i.imgur.com/IxBIQTj.jpg) Can someone point me to where I could obtain a replacement key top and post? Thanks! g. -- Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007 http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind. http://www.diy-cockpits.org/coll - Go Collimated or Go Home. Some people collect things for a hobby. Geeks collect hobbies. ScarletDME - The red hot Data Management Environment A Multi-Value database for the masses, not the classes. http://scarlet.deltasoft.com - Get it _today_!

4 years, 3 months

1
0
0 0

Ultrix-11

by petermallan＠gmail.com

I just installed Ultrix-11 3.1 using the ultrix31.tap file from https://pdp-11.org.ru/files.pl?lang=en which is the location from the comments in Stephen's Machine Room video on YouTube that I think started this thread. It installed just fine, but just like the video, I ran out of space on /usr. How can I make a larger /usr partition? Is it possible to do this at installation time? There did not seem to be an option for this. Can it be done by using an additional disk? That would seem likely, but not what a system manager back in the 70's or 80's would expect to need to do, especially as there is a relatively large amount of space left to create /user1. I noted the options for installing software using soft links to other locations. Was that the preferred method when installing additional software? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers Peter Allan

4 years, 3 months

6
14
0 0

Tektronix XpressWare 8.1

by spectre＠floodgap.com

Bitsavers has 6.3 (thank you Al) but I'm trying to push my luck and find 8.1 for this XP421CH Xterm. Anyone know of where it can be found? -- ------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ -- Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com -- FOOLS! I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL! ASK ME HOW! -- "Girl Genius" 8/29/07 --------

4 years, 3 months

2
1
0 0

Replicating IBM SLT/MST card interconnect

by stepleton＠gmail.com

Hi cctalk, I'm looking to replicate the 24-contact connector system that IBM used on SLT and MST cards for many years. Has anyone done this before? The best photos of this connector that I can find online are on this page: http://techandtrouble.blogspot.com/2014/04/happy-50th-system360-pt5-anatomy… I haven't searched Bitsavers documentation extensively for IBM specifications, but I've seen some details around page 54 of this document: http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/logic/SY22-2798-2_LogicBlocks_AutomatedLog… I'm interested in reproducing both polarities of this connector: plug and socket. Also, even though the most familiar use of this connector is for board-to-board interconnect, I'm most interested in wire-to-board interconnect. IBM used this method for DC power connectors in its 5100, 5110, and 5120 computers. Here are images of this specific connector: http://stepleton.com/connector/ taken as still images from a YouTube video on the IBM 5120 by Jerry Walker ( https://www.youtube.com/c/JerryWalker-JMPrecision/videos). I've designed and built a device that monitors DC power supply voltages for overvoltage and undervoltage excursions and cuts off all power rails if any voltage goes out of spec. I hope to use it to protect my own IBM 5100 from major power supply faults like the one CuriousMarc encountered with his 9825T: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-eN93L6yX8 In order to put my device between my 5100's power supply and the logic card backplane, I need to recreate a plug and a socket so that I can fashion a cable that goes out to my device. If anyone has created dependable modern versions of these connectors, would you mind sharing any pointers? Thanks for any help, --Tom

4 years, 3 months

1
1
0 0

DEC UNIBUS and use of cassette

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Bill Degnan > Was there a UNIBUS storage system that used a cassette player as the > storage device .., rigged to send receive signals via a serial card > connection. Yes and no. There is the TA11 Magnetic Tape Cassette System, which used the TU60 Dual DECasette Transport (I need to create a page for that in the CHWiki), but it uses a special controller card, the TA11 Magnetic Tape Cassette controller: https://gunkies.org/wiki/TA11_Magnetic_Tape_Cassette_controller There is a small cheap tape system which used a stock serial interface to talk to the computer, the TU58, but those used DECtpe-II cartridges, not standard casettes. Noel

4 years, 3 months

5
4
0 0

DEC ME11 Memory Expansion on eBay

by steven＠malikoff.com

I just saw there is an ME11 Memory Expansion unit on eBay (not mine), stamped 'M11'. https://www.ebay.com/itm/114941479208 Until seeing this one I had not heard of any other units out there apart from the one I recovered (ex-BHP steelworks) a few years ago. Mine was connected by a flexprint cable to a rebadged PDP-11/15. If anyone here ends up with it, I have an OpenSCAD model of the Mazak bracket p/n 1211221 that holds the regular 5-1/4" DEC fascia panel onto the front of the H-909 cabinet this unit uses. This is the same cabinet as the slimline PDP-11/05 and to be honest when I found the ME11 that's what I thought it was, and that the console and CPU boards were missing. I then found the fascia panel with the original brackets close by, and it fitted exactly. I've printed a few from PET and they work as well as the originals (including the threaded hole), so I could do a few more for whoever gets the eBay one should they want them. I am slowly scanning the ME11 print set too as I've not found any online copy out there so far. Steve.

4 years, 3 months

3
3
0 0

VENIX DISKS

by billdegnan＠gmail.com

Warner https://www.vintagecomputer.net/temp/venix/ ...contains photos of the disks I have relating to VENIX for the Rainbow. Bill

4 years, 3 months

1
0
0 0

John Nash

by count.arthur.strong.666＠gmail.com

Hi all! The book about John Nash ("Beautiful Mind'")[1] mentioned that he wrote computer programs: "Edward G. Nilges, a programmer who worked in Princeton University?s computer center from 1987 to 1992, recalled that Nash ?acted frightened and silent? at first. In Nilges?s last year or two in Princeton, however, Nash was asking him questions about the Internet and about programs he was working on. Nilges was impressed: ?Nash?s computer programs were startlingly elegant.?" Has anybody seen them? Are they available somewhere for downloading? Wondering... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Beautiful_Mind_(book)

4 years, 3 months

1
0
0 0

Ian Hirschsohn - DISSPLA, Superset Inc. and sad news

by jfoust＠threedee.com

At 12:56 AM 7/31/2021, Randy Dawson via cctalk wrote: >As some here know, I collect some dusty deck fortran graphics. We have MOVIE.BYU up and running! (Thanks Douglas Taylor and Emanuel Steibler). Once I was in the business of making 3D file format translators, and I still have code that runs under Windows that can read and write Movie.BYU format. - John

4 years, 3 months

2
1
0 0

DEC UNIBUS and use of cassette

by billdegnan＠gmail.com

Was there a UNIBUS storage system that used a cassette player as the storage device (like an old Panasonic or RadioShack cassette player), rigged to send receive signals via a serial card connection. I.e. the system would have one serial card for the terminal and another serial card on a different port for the cassette player? It might have to load as if it was a high-speed papertape but it in theory would work. Bill

4 years, 3 months

1
0
0 0

ISO: DEC H317-B (DH11) bulkhead panel

by derschjo＠gmail.com

Hi all -- Recently picked up a DH11-AD and now I just need to track down an appropriate bulkhead panel to go with it. Originally this would have been the H317-B, I'm not sure if there were others that are directly compatible, but if anyone has one lying around drop me a line! Thanks! - Josh

4 years, 3 months

1
0
0 0

Multiprocessor Qbus PDP-11

by Flash688＠flying-disk.com

Charles Dickman <chd at chdickman.com> wrote: > There are indications in the KDJ11-B processor spec on bitsavers that > the M8190 could be used in a multiprocessor configuration. For > example, bit 10 of the Maintenance Register (17 777 750) is labeled > "Multiprocessor Slave" and indicates that the bus arbitrator is > disabled. There is also section 6.6, "Cache Multi-Processor Hooks", > that describes cache features that allow multiprocessor operation. > >Would it be as simple as connecting to 11/83 qbus together? And adding > the proper software. > > Anybody ever heard of such a thing? Such a system was put together and tested at DEC with the RSX group (who did the PDP-11/74 multiprocessor work). I'm told that while it worked, it wasn't terrible successful, and the project was abandoned. I was given a gift of one of the CPU modules that was used in the test and I might still have it around here. I can't recall for certain, but I think the module required some ECOs to make it work in a multi-processor configuration. The person to ask about this, Brian McCarthy, is unfortunately no longer with us. :-( Alan Frisbie

4 years, 3 months

3
2
0 0

Ultrix-11

by dj.taylor4＠comcast.net

I ran into a YouTube video, that it is 5 years old, titled "Ultrix-11 3.1 on an emulated PDP-11/73" and I found it very interesting. It shows installation of Ultrix-11 under SIMH.? The fellow steps through the installation process and appears to be quite knowable. I wanted to replicate it but couldn't locate the *.tap file used in the video that was an image of the bootable TK50 distribution. Bitsavers and tuhs.org have Ultrix-11 files, but not the bootable tape image. Anyone know where the tape image is located? Doug

4 years, 3 months

13
29
0 0

CDC drive needs a home! (FTGH!)

by geneb＠deltasoft.com

I have a CDC 9427H drive ( https://i.imgur.com/Wn87MRb.jpg ) that is absolutely desparate for a new home. It's quite likely over 80lbs, so shipping would be problematic. I'm in Graham, WA. It's free, it's lonely, and it's desparate for your gentle touch. Please won't you think of the disk drives? g. -- Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007 http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind. http://www.diy-cockpits.org/coll - Go Collimated or Go Home. Some people collect things for a hobby. Geeks collect hobbies. ScarletDME - The red hot Data Management Environment A Multi-Value database for the masses, not the classes. http://scarlet.deltasoft.com - Get it _today_!

4 years, 3 months

4
6
0 0

Linearizing PDF scans

by jdbryan＠acm.org

Is it still useful to linearize PDFs? I've been scanning and PDFing manuals for 16 years, and I've been linearizing them regularly. My understanding is that this made them accessible on a page-by-page basis in Web browsers without requiring a complete file download first. But given the increase in typical bandwidth in 16 years, I wonder if this is still useful. It is an extra step, and it does make the files somewhat larger. Recommendations? Does linearizing confer any advantage locally once the entire file is downloaded? Thanks. -- Dave

4 years, 4 months

9
13
0 0

Lecture: The Whirlwind I, 2021-08-14, 19:00

by stueberahoo＠yahoo.de

Hi all, you're invited to the Update computer club[0] public lecture series "Updateringar"[1]! When: 2021-08-14, 19:00 CEST Where: https://bbb.cryptoparty.se/b/upd-0mo-m2u-aq8 The Whirlwind I The Whirlwind was a computer of the first generation built at the servomechanisms lab at MIT. It was the first computer designed to be a highly reliable part of a system, and to be controlled in real time, rather than be a programmable calculator for scientific research. Its interactive nature directly started a tradition of computer engineering at MIT which includes the TX-0, TX-2 and DEC's PDP line of minicomputers. Its role in a simulated air defense system led to the development of the AN/FSQ-7 computer, the center piece of the SAGE system. In my talk I will give the historical context in which Whirlwind was designed and built, explain its architecture and block diagrams, go into how it was built and how it evolved over its lifetime, and of course show some simple demos in my emulator. Those who want to stick around for a bit longer are encouraged to join me in a little hands-on hacking session where we look at some original code, but also write our own to get a feeling for what programming the Whirlwind is like. Angelo Papenhoff (Humboldt University of Berlin) The lecture is free and open to everyone. Upcoming: 2021-09-11, 19:00: The evolution of TECO and EMACS ? hands-on demo. Lars Brinkhoff (ICtech) Hope to see you there, Anke [0] http://www.update.uu.se/index_eng.html [1] https://www.update.uu.se/wiki/doku.php/projekt:updateringar

4 years, 4 months

2
1
0 0

Linearizing PDF scans

by jdbryan＠acm.org

On Monday, August 16, 2021 at 14:20, Wayne Sudol wrote: > Out of curiosity, is there a reason you do not use Acrobat for > creating pdfs? Primarily because I have not purchased a license for Acrobat. Also, when I started scanning manuals ten years ago, Al Kossow recommended tumble, which worked well. And with source available, I've been able to extend it to give me finer control over some aspects of PDF production. -- Dave

4 years, 4 months

3
2
0 0

Linearizing PDF scans

by lproven＠gmail.com

On Mon, 16 Aug 2021 at 23:21, Wayne Sudol via cctech <cctech at classiccmp.org> wrote: > > Out of curiosity, is there a reason you do not use Acrobat for creating > pdfs? I have been making PDFs for at least 20 years now, probably more. AFAIK I have _never_ used Acrobat to create them. I print from LibreOffice to its PDF generator, or I use any random Mac OS X app as under that OS all apps can output PDF -- PDF is the native rendering format of Mac OS X. I do not normally use Windows but I believe that most modern Win10 apps can save as PDF. I mostly use Linux and there is no Acrobat for Linux. The reader app was discontinued years ago and no longer works on most modern distros. With considerable effort I have managed to start it inside a Docker container but it's complex and difficult; normally I just use Xviewer or Okular. You ask as if Acrobat were the normal or default way to make PDF files. I don't think that's been true for decades now. P.S. Please bottom-post on mailing lists. Thunderbird, for instance, runs on all major OSes and talks to Hotmail/Outlook.com just fine. -- Liam Proven ? Profile: https://about.me/liamproven Email: lproven at cix.co.uk ? gMail/gTalk/gHangouts: lproven at gmail.com Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/Flickr: lproven ? Skype: liamproven UK: +44 7939-087884 ? ?R (+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal): +420 702 829 053

4 years, 4 months

1
0
0 0

Kennett Classic Computing Event Sept 25th

by billdegnan＠gmail.com

Tickets and News Here: https://www.kennettclassic.com/2nd-annual-kennett-classic-announced/ Located across the street from Kennett Classic's museum at the Garage Community Center in downtown Kennett Square, PA (btwn Philadelphia and Baltimore). Classic Computing Workshop Hack-a-thon If a day of vintage computer hacking sounds like fun, register to claim a workspace for your vintage computing project. The Kennett Square area has a lot of new hobbyists that would really benefit from the tutelage of experienced CCTalk members interested in sharing their knowledge. Exhibitors Show Their Stuff Exhibitors wanted! This is your chance to show off your favorite restoration project or your prized retro computer to the public. We have had many visitors to Kennett Classic this year who expressed interest in attending this event and are eager to experience how antique computers once operated. An Evening of Chiptunes and Computer Music This year for Kennett Classic?s evening entertainment we have three talented chiptune / waveform synthesizer music performers/bands. Thanks for your support of this event. Bill Degnan vintagecomputer.net kennettclassic.com

4 years, 4 months

1
0
0 0

DEC Rainbow Ethernet Hardware

by imp＠bsdimp.com

Greetings I'm looking for any and all information I can find on the DEC Rainbow ethernet cards. I know for sure that two exist, both plugged into the communications slot that most rainbows have filled with a hard disk controller. DEC made one, and Univation made the other. Univation also advertised a ARCnet card, but I found that only in one issue of Digital Review and the next issue moved up to Ethernet. So far all I've been able to find is DECnet DOS/Rainbow 1.0 which might have drivers for the former on it. I've seen no trace of the latter. Also, is there a convenient way to extract teledisk disks these days to something like an image file on Linux/FreeBSD? MAME almost can do this (I can read it in with the Rainbow emulator and diskcopy to a flat file that I can then examine), but I was hoping there was a tar-like tool to do the deed. Warner

4 years, 4 months

1
0
0 0

Linearizing PDF scans

by jdbryan＠acm.org

On Monday, August 16, 2021 at 22:46, Wayne S wrote: > I asked because i was curious if what you wanted to do could not be > done in Acrobat. Never having used Acrobat, I cannot say. -- Dave

4 years, 4 months

1
0
0 0

IBM PC diagnostics disks

by rsmilward＠frontier.com

I have these 5-1/4" diagnostics disks but no need for them. If you're interested, I'll send them to you for the cost of the postage from Durham, NC. * Diagnostics for IBM Personal Computer AT, ver. 2.03 copyright 1981, 1986 maroon disk label, p/n 6183111 * Advanced Diagnostics, ver. 2.20, copyright 1981, 1986 dark blue label, p/n 6139804 They are in excellent physical condition. Sorry, I don't have the manuals. (I used to work for a ComputerLand store in '81-'82 and probably acquired them there.) They might be available for download somewhere, but these are the physical, displayable versions. **Richard

4 years, 4 months

4
5
0 0

WTB: Amiga 3000 front/floppy

by ethan＠757.org

Scored an A3000. Prior owner cut a hole where the floppy goes and mounted a PC floppy in there. Looking for an original front plate and the matching floppy drive to restore machine to original look. - Ethan

4 years, 4 months

2
2
0 0

30 yrs. ago

by c.murray.mccullough＠gmail.com

30 years ago this month the IBM PC debuted at $1565. Some say this began the era of mass-computing and it is now what classiccmp.org <cctalk at classiccmp.org> is all about! For those interested in the OS world LINUX is 30 years old. Time has passed but this is what classic computing is all about. Happy computing. Murray ?

4 years, 4 months

8
7
0 0

VT101 free to good home, pick up in w. Oregon

by invi＠vivaldi.net

It was sitting in the trash. No keyboard, no power cord. Case was open and some of the bundles of wires inside are disconnected, so I doubt it's in working condition. I'm not much of a hardware collector, so I was hoping to put it in the hands of someone who would like it.

4 years, 4 months

1
1
0 0

30 yrs. ago

by c.murray.mccullough＠gmail.com

My apologies. ? It was 40 years ago that the IBM PC became a retail computer this month. Murray ?

4 years, 4 months

1
0
0 0

How do CRT's age?

by healyzh＠avanthar.com

Odd question, how well do CRT?s age? Just the CRT, if what I think exists, is actually there, they?ve never been in Oscilloscopes. Zane

4 years, 4 months

3
3
0 0

ISO Laserjet I/II/III firmware

by charlesmorris800＠centurytel.net

On 8/13/21 7:00 PM, cctalk-request at classiccmp.org wrote: > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2021 13:10:43 -0400 > From: Ethan Dicks<ethan.dicks at gmail.com> > To: Al Kossow<aek at bitsavers.org>, "General Discussion: On-Topic and > Off-Topic Posts"<cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: ISO Laserjet I/II/III firmware > Message-ID: > <CAALmimnjndcx5G0mPoP7sPb-c+Aocibms_RfCDQFW7aA5bPs3A at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > On Thu, Aug 12, 2021 at 10:48 AM Al Kossow via cctalk > <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: >> I suspect interest in emulating them will die out once they get past the 68000 models. > I may still have a II, and I definitely still have at least one > (functional) III and a 4Si > > I still use my 4M/L all the time - Postscript + LocalTalk + IEEE1284. > It's a great little printer. > > -ethan I have a IIp+ that I got for $2 at a hamfest around 15 years ago... I have repaired it several times (most recently, visibly bad electrolytics in the switching PS startup circuit). In fact that's the second time the power supply has failed - the first time was years ago and I just replaced the board. Now it's crinkling the bottom of pages... there used to be a kit to fix that. I love those old "bricks". Although mine is like my grandfather's axe (new head and new handle but it's still my grandpa's axe) :) The trick nowadays is finding toner cartridges that weren't just refilled, but actually rebuilt (with a new wiper blade). -Charles

4 years, 4 months

1
0
0 0

Early '80s Motorola Semiconductor Reference - anyone?

by bear＠typewritten.org

Anyone have an early ?80s Motorola semiconductor reference manual? I am attempting to repair a Boschert power supply from ~1983 that is full of Motorola parts marked as 1027 (DO-42ish), 1077 (TO-3ish), 1078 (DO-5ish), etc. It would be extremely helpful to know their specifications, or ideally how to cross-ref them to ?standard? parts. ok bear.

4 years, 4 months

7
12
0 0

ISO Laserjet I/II/III firmware

by aek＠bitsavers.org

There has been some work going on emulating early Laserwriters in MAME and I was wondering if anyone still has boards or firmware dumps from Laserjets. It seems most have been scrapped. "nobody collects printers"

4 years, 4 months

15
32
0 0

howto bitsavers BASIC-11 v2 disk image under simh

by fritzm＠fritzm.org

Hi folks, Could anybody spare a clue or some suggestions on how to access the contents of: http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/bits/DEC/pdp11/floppyimages/rx02/BASIC-1… under simh? I haven't had any luck mounting the contained BASIC.DSK e.g. on simh RY under RT-11. Looking through a dump of the image, there seems to be an "RT11A" signature. Tried putr under dosbox as well, but it seems to hang mounting the image. Suggestions appreciated! --FritzM.

4 years, 4 months

3
6
0 0

DQ11 prints needed

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Jay Jaeger > BTW, I have only the sales brochure for the DM11, near as I can tell. > 114X-00871-1715/J . If you want me to drag the box of sales lit from > the garage, and scan it, me know - could do it next week. No major need for it; I found the DM11-AA Tech Manual in my PDP-11 fiche set. So I doubt the brochure would answer any of the remaining questions; we'd probably need the Engineering Drawings for that. But there's so little on the DM11, it might be interesting to see the brochure. The big issue with the TM is that it has the same erroneous diagram for i) the boards in the DM11-A, and ii) their locations in the backplane, as the one in DEC-11-HDMBA-A-D, "DM11-BB modem control option manual", on pg. 1-5. The diagram there lists: M7245 Transmitter E M7244 Transmitter D M7245 Receiver M7242 Control C M7241 Control B M7240 Control A So two 'M7245's, with different functions listed! And no M7243... The DEC "Spare Module Handbook" shows: M7243 "DM11 transmitter D" M7244 "DM11 transmitter E" M7245 "DM11 receiver" so the M7245 probably _is_ the receiver; but this list shows that the 'transmitter E' card is the M7244, not the M7243 (as would be if the top line >from the module diagram had a typo '5' for '3'. Hence my observation that it would probably take takethe ED tostraighten thins out. But as I said recently, no real need; the thing is a total canine, and I doubt very much that there are any left in the world. Noel

4 years, 4 months

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MTI MXV22M

by glitch＠glitchwrks.com

Does anyone have experience running the MTI MXV22M? It's a dual-height QBus card that emulates RX02 but uses a 5.25" 96 TPI drive. I've got a small heap of them and we're trying to get them going. When trying to format diskettes using the process documented in the manual, the drive selects for maybe a second then deselects, and we get a drive not ready error. The controller isn't using the ready line, as the SA-460 for which it is designed doesn't supply it. No traces physically connect to pin 34. Since we're close to out of ideas, we've also plugged in a pair of Shugart SA-800s, on the idea that maybe the MXV22M is close enough to the MXV22 to show some signs of life. It doesn't give a drive not ready error, and it will step the heads like it's really formatting, but never loads the heads. Happy for any input on this one! Thanks, Jonathan

4 years, 4 months

3
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CPU Tests

by david＠thecoolbears.org

My KA655 CPU is freezing during the power up sequence, after test number 04: KA655-B V5.3, VMB 2.7 Performing normal system tests. 40..39..38..37..36..35..34..33..32..31..30..29..28..27..26..25.. 24..23..22..21..20..19..18..17..16..15..14..13..12..11..10..09.. 08..07..06..05..04.. Any suggestions as to what might be wrong?

4 years, 4 months

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Atari 800 to C64

by kl＠2k.ca

https://redd.it/p24fo8 Turns ur 800 in a c64. Cool

4 years, 4 months

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Xerox 820/II 8/16 Prom/Eproms ( Masters ) on e-bay

by Mark＠Misty.com

Hi, I'm not prepared to lay out $200 for these Xerox ROMs, but if I do manage to get them, I'll read and share them. I did not know there were 5.0 ROMs for the 820-II, but it appears there were, and they are included. https://www.ebay.com/itm/184980603844 Mark -- Mark G. Thomas <Mark at Misty.com>, KC3DRE

4 years, 4 months

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Xerox 820/II 8/16 Prom/Eproms ( Masters ) on e-bay

by Mark＠Misty.com

Hi, I'm not prepared to lay out $200 for these Xerox ROMs, but if I do manage to get them, I'll read and share them. I did not know there were 5.0 ROMs for the 820-II, but it appears there were, and they are included. https://www.ebay.com/itm/184980603844 Mark -- Mark G. Thomas <Mark at Misty.com>, KC3DRE

4 years, 4 months

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DQ11 prints needed

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Jay Jaeger > ROTFL - especially given the earlier case, and since Noel knows about > you folks quite well.. The joke's actually on you: DQ11_RevL_Engineering_Drawings_Aug75.pdf 2021-08-09 14:05 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I'd actually looked in http://bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/unibus earlier that morning (before I sent my request), and by chance I still had that browser window open. I suppose I could have done a screen-shot... > From: Al Kossow >> You aren't by any chance sitting any DM11-AA manuals, are you? :-) > probably. there are still quite a few drawings to go through That was mostly a joke. I mean, there are no DM11-AA documents of any kind online, so it would be interesting to get some (there are still a few un-answered questions); but there's a good DM11 entry in "pdp11 peripherals and interfacing handbook", 1972 edition, that enabled me to produce a decent entry: https://gunkies.org/wiki/DM11_asynchronous_serial_line_interface which is probably more than good enough - the interface is actually a dog, I doubt any still exist. Noel

4 years, 4 months

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PC floppy disk sets avaialble free

by mike_t_norris＠hotmail.com

Hello, During a clear out I found the following floppy disk sets, I am not sure if they are of any use to anyone: Pathworks V5.1 (35 disks) plus LAN Mgr Setup - these are copies not originals Mastering Windows Programming with Borland C++4 (Sams - don't have the book though!) Borland SQL Link for Windows for Interbase 3.3 (3 disk) Paradox for Windows V 4.5 (2 disk) Paradox for Windows Object Converters for Forms (1 disk) Turbo C++ for Windows 3.1 (7 disks) Proto Gen V2.2 (1 disk) Adaptec 7800 Family Manager Set for Win NT 3.5 or Win 95/98 (3 disks) CDs - Adaptec EZ-SCSI Deluxe Edition V5 Easy CD Creator & DirectCD All are untried and I have no means to read them, but have been stored in a clean environment, some still in their original wrapping, free except for the cost of postage (I am in the UK). Regards Mike Norris

4 years, 4 months

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DQ11 prints needed

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Al Kossow > Date: Mon Aug 9 14:05:07 CDT 2021 Wow! That was _amazing_ speed, to get that uploaded so quickly (even if you had already scanned it in), considering I only posted my request at 14:32 EDT! Thank you very, very much: that allowed me to complete the DQ11 page on the CHWiki: https://gunkies.org/wiki/DQ11_NPR_Synchronous_Line_Interface The MM was unclear on many points (including the backplanes; the MM says, in 2.3.1.2, "double-system unit", making it sound like the option version uses a 9-slot backplane, but it's actually two 4-slot units). You aren't by any chance sitting any DM11-AA manuals, are you? :-) (The weirdest interface I've ever seen; the shift registers are kept in main memory, resulting in many DMA cycles _per character_.) Noel

4 years, 4 months

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DQ11 prints needed

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

Anyone have a set of DQ11 prints? The DQ11 MM is missing some important info, which is apparently only on the prints. Noel

4 years, 4 months

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r.stricklin: regarding SysV/68 and SysV/88 tapes

by matti.nummi＠hotmail.fi

I have tried to reach You Raymond. Presumably You have following tape images: Sys V/68 Graphic Services Extension R3V6 XW02.10(IR06) Sys V/88 R3.2V1.2C BOS Obj UZ88.01 We are trying to build a X environment with some success already for Motorola MVME unix computers. These tapes could help. Can You comment on this (privately). BR Matti Nummi matti dot-char nummi at-char hotmail dot-char fi

4 years, 4 months

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Bell vs gray. The Telephone wars and invention.of telephone etc. History chan. tonight check your TV schedule.

by couryhouse＠aol.com

Bell vs gray. The Telephone wars and invention.of telephone etc. History chan. tonight check your TV schedule. Sent from the all new AOL app for Android

4 years, 4 months

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Help reading a 9 track tape

by len＠shustek.com

> On Aug 5, 2021, at 8:39 AM, Jay Jaeger via cctech <cctech at classiccmp.org> wrote: > I know Paul well (we were contemporaries at U. WI). He does not do that very often. He did not indicate any issue with a fire at the building that contains his collection when I last spoke with him. > > He does not actually read "blocks". He reads the tape in an *analog* fashion, and then processes the results with software. That is how he recovered the IBM 1410 system tapes and diagnostics, for example. > > To be honest, I doubt that this content would be such that he would be likely to volunteer. Some years ago, inspired by Paul Pierce's earlier program in Java, I wrote similar software in C to decode the analog waveforms from tapes in a variety of formats: 7-track NRZI, 9-track NRZI, PE, and 6250 BPI GCR, and 6-track NRZI for Whirlwind. https://github.com/LenShustek/readtape As a one-time physics major, I *am* interested in the Schoonschip content. I've offered to James Liu to give it a go if he can't get someone like Chuck to read it in a more straightforward fashion.

4 years, 4 months

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VCF west is happening this weekend

by dkelvey＠hotmail.com

It will be at the CHM. The museum is still closed but VCF will be happening. To be consistent with current Santa Clara covid conditions, bring your mask. see: https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/ I hope to see you all there. Dwight Vintage Computer Festival West 2021 ? Vintage Computer Federation - VCF<https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/> Updated 2021-05-23. VCF West is for everyone! Computer geeks, families/children, students, collectors, IT professionals, curious onlookers? VCF West 2021 vcfed.org

4 years, 4 months

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Help reading a 9 track tape

by jimliu＠umich.edu

Thanks for feedback and offers to assist. I received the tape from one of the maintainers of Schoonship at CERN, and it was probably made around 1978 at SLAC. For some background, Tini Veltman developed Schoonship in the 1960's at CERN on the CDC 6600. My understanding is that he more or less insisted on coding in assembly since he thought FORTRAN or other high level languages would just get in the way and slow things down. The code was maintained by Veltman and Strubbe well into the 1970's, but its future was held back by being so closely tied to CDC hardware. In the mid 1970's, Strubbe began a conversion of Schoonschip to IBM S/360 and S/370. It was sort of a curious technique, as far as I gathered. The idea was to first translate CDC COMPASS source to an intermediate PL/I like language. But then, instead of using the IBM PL/I compiler, a bunch of macros were developed to implement the PL/I like language in IBM assembly. This conversion was never fully completed for reasons unknown to me. Later on, when Tini joined the University of Michigan (that's where I'm located), he realized that Schoonschip needed to be updated. But the update was ... instead of CDC assembly he decided on m68k assembly. (At this time, in the early 1980's, C probably would have been the natural language of choice.) Moreover, he insisted on developing his own toolchain (assembler, linker, etc). This was before my time at Michigan, but basically he ported Schoonschip to just about all the m68k machines of that era (Sun, Atari, Amiga, Mac, NeXT, and others I am not familiar with). We have a pretty good collection of m68k code (http://www-personal.umich.edu/~williams/Vsys/index.html), but nothing earlier. Getting back to the tape, I'm pretty sure it has Strubbe's PL/I like code as it is an archive of the PL/I conversion. It may also have CDC source, but that is less obvious until we can see the contents. The CDC source is historically the most relevant, and I am hoping it exists on the tape. - jim -- James T. Liu, Professor of Physics 3409 Randall Laboratory, 450 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1040 Tel: 734 763-4314 Fax: 734 763-2213 Email: jimliu at umich.edu

4 years, 4 months

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XENIX for Tandy 2000

by binarydinosaurs＠gmail.com

Hi folks, Does anyone happen to have any links for XENIX on a Tandy 2000? Cheers, -- Adrian Graham Owner of Binary Dinosaurs, the UK's biggest private home computer collection? t: @binarydinosaurs f: facebook.com/binarydinosaurs w: www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk

4 years, 4 months

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FTGH for pickup in So Cal v3: Power Macs, DuoDock, Compaq 486, ...

by spectre＠floodgap.com

A number of the prior systems were picked up or other arrangements made, and a couple more pulled from storage to make room. As before, these are FREE TO A GOOD HOME but you have to come PICK UP from various locations in the Riverside-San Bernardino, CA region. Contact me privately if interested. These remaining machines and peripherals will go to the scrapper on August 14 if not otherwise claimed. NOT WORKING: Network General Sniffer (Compaq 486 portable). Should "just work" with a new power supply, but I don't have any time to deal with it anymore and Wireshark has made it generally obsolete for what I used to use it for. NOT WORKING: Macintosh DuoDock, with key. Doesn't feed; this is usually a capacitor problem. A bit yellowed but otherwise physically intact. I use a different dock with my 2300 so I don't really need this either. PARTIALLY WORKING: 500MHz iBook G3 laptop (snow, not colour) M6497 with tray loader optical drive and power supply. Does boot OS X, but needs a new LCD backlight (mini VGA port works and you can see the display in bright light) and battery is of course toast. Otherwise physically intact except that ex-bro-in-law put grotty stickers on it. PARTIALLY WORKING: Sawtooth Power Mac G4 450MHz. No RAM, no video card, no hard disk. Used to be my file server but had issues with one of the PCI slots. Has optical drive and ZIP with matching Apple bezels. Does power on, but obviously without RAM or a video card (AGP) will not pass POST. Add your own USB keyboard and mouse. Various other items: Apple II Super Serial card with DB-25 670-0020-? (uses 6551 ACIA) and Apple IIe 80 column 64K memory expansion 607-0103-K. Can't test them but both look intact. Kurta Penmouse. Serial and PS/2 connectors. Seems to have a power supply jack (9V) but I don't have the power supply and I don't know if it needs it. Can't test it, no drivers, physically intact. Sun model 411 SCSI CD-ROM. Requires caddy. Won't mount discs, might need a recap. UMAX Astra 2100U flatbed USB scanner with power supply. Powers on. Works with classic Mac OS but probably most systems. No driver disc. Pair of Telular SX5 GSM terminals. These were the server room's backup communication system. They work, but no GSM network to connect to anymore. Might be fun if you set one up. Real serial ports! Real GSM modem! Full kits with power supply. Visual UpTime Select T1 CSU/DSU. Has a Cisco V.35 cable connected and jacks for Ethernet, serial, DSX-1 and T1. Powers on, obviously goes right into Red Alarm since there's no network. You telco nerds will love it. Samsung 17" SyncMaster CRT. Works fine, great shape, just too big to keep around anymore. -- ------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ -- Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com -- Never say never again. -----------------------------------------------------

4 years, 4 months

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For Sale: FANUC A860 papertape reader with DOSTEK BTR (adapter)

by billdegnan＠gmail.com

FANUC A860-0056-T020 Papertape Reader and DOSTEK 440A BTR https://www.ebay.com/itm/274883740917 Ebay listing includes my project notes. Hopefully someone here will want it. Bill

4 years, 4 months

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Compilers and languages (Was: Help reading a 9 track tape

by cclist＠sydex.com

On 8/3/21 1:12 PM, Paul Koning wrote: > > >> On Aug 3, 2021, at 3:28 PM, Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote: >> >> ... >> One of my favorite 6000 bits of code was the register save and restore >> routines (not using CEJ). It was a favorite interview question for >> those job seekers claiming to be proficient in COMPASS. > > ALL the registers, right? I remember seeing that problem description. And later I saw the code, don't remember it but now I know how it is done. Yup, the trick is getting the first 18 bit register saved. Not obvious since normal stores are done through the (A6,X6 and A7,X7) registers. The trick is using RJ instructions to store an indication of each bit of a B-register. After you get one register saved this way, the rest falls out like a stacked deck in Solitaire. --Chuck

4 years, 4 months

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Europe-based restorer of old mechanical keyboards?

by lproven＠gmail.com

I am not a collector exactly -- I just salvaged a bunch when they were being sent to recycling. My Model Ms are going strong, no bolt mod needed, but I also have 2 Apple Extended II and an Extended I and both, sadly, need some attention. I am almost devoid of electronics skills. Does anyone know of anywhere in Europe that does this kind of repair/refurb work? I do not want to do intercontinental shipping... -- Liam Proven ? Profile: https://about.me/liamproven Email: lproven at cix.co.uk ? gMail/gTalk/gHangouts: lproven at gmail.com Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/Flickr: lproven ? Skype: liamproven UK: +44 7939-087884 ? ?R (+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal): +420 702 829 053

4 years, 4 months

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Skew vs. interleave

by mhs.stein＠gmail.com

There's a small discussion on S100computers about the terms 'skew' and 'interleave'. In CP/M documentation 'skew' refers to what's usually called interleave these days, i.e. offsetting sectors on a track to compensate for the fact that by the time the computer has processed a given sector the next one has already passed by, so that the computer has to wait an entire revolution for it to pass by the head again; in other documentation as in Chuck's 22disk for example this is also called 'interleave'. However, in later documentation the meaning of 'skew' seems to have changed to refer to the offset of sectors between adjacent tracks to compensate for the time required to step the head. Can anyone (Fred, Chuck?) shed some light on this apparent double meaning of 'skew'? And if skew was used to describe sector interleave then what was the offsetting of sectors between tracks called? Inquiring minds need to know ;-) m

4 years, 4 months

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For sale: FANUC Tape Reader and Adapter

by billdegnan＠gmail.com

I put my FANUC tape reader for sale on Ebay, if anyone might be interested:

4 years, 4 months

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Branching the thread away from Compaq deskpro boards: "What We Have Lost"

by lproven＠gmail.com

This was a talk at a recent Chaos Computer Club congress: https://media.ccc.de/v/rc3-525180-what_have_we_lost#t=1707 ? We have ended up in a world where UNIX and Windows have taken over, and most people have never experienced anything else. Over the years, though, many other system designs have come and gone, and some of those systems have had neat ideas that were nevertheless not enough to achieve commercial success. We will take you on a tour of a variety of those systems, talking about what makes them special. In particular, we'll discuss IBM i, with emphasis on the Single Level Store, TIMI, and block terminals Interlisp, the Lisp Machine with the interface of Smalltalk OpenGenera, with a unique approach to UI design TRON, Japan's ambitious OS standard More may be added as time permits. ? It talks about Lisp Machine OSes, which interest me, but I especially liked that there's a demo of Interlisp as well as the better-known Symbolics OpenGenera. Unlike Genera, Interlisp is now FOSS and there is an effort afoot to port it to modern OSes and hardware and revive it as a Lisp IDE. There's also a not-very-inspiring but all too rare demo of IBM i. It's not pretty but this descendant of OS/400 is the last living single-level store in active maintenance and production. But the big thing that made me link to this after the discussion of DOS/V, Chinese Windows 3.2 and Japanese DR-DOS and DR GEM, was the demo of the final version of Japan's TRON OS. Most people have never heard of TRON but it was extraordinarily widely-used, embedded in billions of consumer electronics products. Well, there was also a desktop-PC version, with its own very rich object-oriented GUI, and this talk contains the only demo of it I've ever seen. -- Liam Proven ? Profile: https://about.me/liamproven Email: lproven at cix.co.uk ? gMail/gTalk/gHangouts: lproven at gmail.com Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/Flickr: lproven ? Skype: liamproven UK: +44 7939-087884 ? ?R (+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal): +420 702 829 053

4 years, 4 months

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Reading MT/ST tapes

by len＠shustek.com

>Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2021 18:37:17 -0500 >From: Cory Heisterkamp <coryheisterkamp at gmail.com> > This is a bit of a long shot, but is anyone aware of a successful > method to read IBM Selectric MT/ST tapes? > A museum in Australia has a box of them and are interested in the contents. At the Computer History Museum we sometimes use a software technique to recover data from the analog waveforms on mag tapes. https://github.com/LenShustek/readtape I'd like to try that on MT/ST tapes. Does anyone have a couple of MT/ST tape cartridges with data that I can experiment with?

4 years, 4 months

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Unidentified IBM Module / Package

by coryheisterkamp＠gmail.com

Does anyone recognize these IBM modules? My gut says late 50?s based on the transistor packages and font. Perhaps for a contract or military system? Thanks- Cory https://www.dropbox.com/s/izitf1lmjqwcbuo/IBM1.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/dq8macaubrechkz/IBM2.jpg?dl=0

4 years, 4 months

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Help reading a 9 track tape

by jimliu＠umich.edu

Hi, I have been lurking for a few years, but thought I'd finally speak up as I just received a 9 track tape purportedly containing the source code to Schoonschip (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schoonschip). This is a 2400' reel recorded at 1600 bpi based on the labels, and a cursory examination suggests that it is still in pretty good shape (although I am not sure how it was stored over the years). Here is a picture of the tape: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JgY8QdVDchxubUz39jYn86gEczSvFhcZ/view?usp=… We no longer have any equipment that can read the tape, so I was wondering if anyone may be willing to help or if anyone had suggestions on where to go to get it read. Thanks! - jim -- James T. Liu, Professor of Physics 3409 Randall Laboratory, 450 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1040 Tel: 734 763-4314 Fax: 734 763-2213 Email: jimliu at umich.edu

4 years, 4 months

5
5
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Ian Hirschsohn - DISSPLA, Superset Inc. and sad news

by rdawson16＠hotmail.com

As some here know, I collect some dusty deck fortran graphics. We have MOVIE.BYU up and running! (Thanks Douglas Taylor and Emanuel Steibler). Ian built AMD 2901 bit slice hardware to run his graphics, it was called SuperSet, and was very quick for the 1980s. Architecture was 48 bit, A=B op C, similar to DSPs. Compiler processed fortran to this 48 bit 2900 hardware (he wrote the compiler too). Small package, a dormitory size refrigerator with all I/O to drive plotters and graphics terminals. I went to look him up today, as he is not far from me in LA, San Diego, and a fellow R/C flier, and chat about the old Superset days, we did SIGGRAPH many times together. Well, he is dead I find out, killed last year in Mexico is what the news says, buried in a well with his wife. They went often, many times a year. Randy

4 years, 4 months

2
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Reading MT/ST Tapes

by coryheisterkamp＠gmail.com

This is a bit of a long shot, but is anyone aware of a successful method to read IBM Selectric MT/ST tapes? A museum in Australia has a box of them and are interested in the contents. I'm fairly involved in the global Selectric community and while 1 or 2 MT/ST?s exist, they?re non-functional. I know IBM offered a 2495 Tape Reader for the IBM 360, which could be a starting point with modification, but I suspect those are even scarcer than the MT/ST itself. Even the encoding format appears to be a bit of a secret. Recording is character-by-character, tape spacing controlled by sprocket holes along one edge. https://obsoletemedia.org/ibm-mtst/ <https://obsoletemedia.org/ibm-mtst/?fbclid=IwAR28c5ej69AlF0os1PcykpHCh0Q_yz…> Thanks- Cory

4 years, 4 months

11
23
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LSSM quick update

by mloewen＠cpumagic.scol.pa.us

The A/C is in and running! Tomorrow and Sunday we reassemble the exhibit floor and clean up the mess, just in time for the 60-person group tour on Monday. -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA Thanks to all who contributed to the new A/C!

4 years, 4 months

2
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Reading MT/ST Tapes

by cisin＠xenosoft.com

Yep. And, it was not appreciated when I suggested an interim release between the MT/ST emulator and "Full-ST" to be called "Half Full ST" On Fri, 30 Jul 2021, grif615 at mindspring.com wrote: > Scope Creep.. no telling how many projects died in stalled development. > > On Jul 30, 2021 16:36, Fred Cisin via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > wrote: > > On Fri, 30 Jul 2021, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: > > Not really--it's very old technology, (1964), of limited > capacity (about > > 20 KB per tape), was a hideously expensive way to buy a > typewriter > > (about USD$7000 in 1964, or about USD$61,000 today), used > almost > > exclusively in large corporate offices to create form > letters and > > documents. In other words, it was not intended as an > archival medium. > > The effort required in preparing a document was > considerable (one used > > the mini-keypad for various functions). For a memo, it was > easiest to > > use the typewriter as a typewriter. > > There are more interesting things to look at. > > Well, form letters are "important". > But, once microcomputer word processing matured, they could > be done easily > and much better. > > An acquaintance was working on creating an emulation of the > MT/ST, as a > way for those who were familiar with the MT/ST and/or > actually liked it, > to be able to continue unchanged on a microcomputer. > > But, then he started adding features. Besides delaying the > completion > until it was no longer relevant, it was suggested that he > change the name > from "MT/ST" (pronounced "empty ST") to "FULL ST".

4 years, 4 months

2
2
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Rich Alderson on-list?

by rich.cini＠gmail.com

Is RichA still on-list? If so, could you drop me a note off-list. Thanks! Rich -- Rich Cini http://cini.classiccmp.org http://altair32.classiccmp.org

4 years, 4 months

3
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VCF - west?

by cisin＠xenosoft.com

I heard a rumor that VCF is going to happen again! But, I have seen NO MENTION of that on this mailing list. Is it happening? Will everybody be there? It is now relatively short notice, and between that, not having a station wagon or van, and health issues, I won't be able to pack up and bring a suitable mass of stuff to peddle on consignment. -- Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com

4 years, 4 months

3
3
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Wanted: Windows Driver for Lexar PC Card Reader

by r_a_feldman＠hotmail.com

Does anyone have the Windows (preferably Windows 10) drivers for the Lexar Media GS-UFD-20SA-TP PC card reader? I found a driver online, lexar_card_34806.zip at admirestore.top, but Malwarebytes gives a warning about the download site, so I am hesitant to download that driver. I want to get my old Lexar PC card reader working again so I can read some cards that I used with my Poqet PQ-181. Bob

4 years, 4 months

1
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Mounting ULTRIX CDROMs on Linux

by a.carlini＠ntlworld.com

I'm running Linux Mint (an ubuntu derivative) and I want to mount ULTRIX CDROM discs to see what I can see. (I'm eventually going to image these, but I presume that will "just work" with dd or ddrescue). They are supposed to be UFS format (according to the net) and that usually means you have to tell mount exactly which option to use (as not all UFS implementations are compatible). I've tried (all the options I can find) and failed: $ sudo mount -t ufs? -o ufstype=44bsd /dev/sr1 /tmp/mount mount: /tmp/mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sr1, missing codepage or helper program, or other error. The CDROM would appear to be readable 9and I've tried a few anyway): $ sudo file -s /dev/sr1 /dev/sr1: Unix Fast File system [v1] (little-endian), last mounted on /UPS_MOUNT_TAR_SOURCE, last written at Wed Sep 28 16:27:45 1994, clean flag 30, number of blocks 243648, number of data blocks 233295, number of cylinder groups 38, block size 8192, fragment size 1024, minimum percentage of free blocks 10, rotational delay 0ms, disk rotational speed 60rps, TIME optimization A later Digital Unix CDROM behaves the same way with mount and reports this with file: $ sudo file -s /dev/sr1 /dev/sr1: Unix Fast File system [v1] (little-endian), last mounted on /kits/tmp/gendisk17665/mnt, last written at Wed Nov 20 13:38:02 1996, clean flag 3, number of blocks 151168, number of data blocks 150383, number of cylinder groups 24, block size 8192, fragment size 1024, minimum percentage of free blocks 0, rotational delay 0ms, disk rotational speed 60rps, SPACE optimization I also have a few OSF/1 CDROMs, which I assume are also the same format. Any ideas? I can't be the first person to try to do this ... Antonio -- Antonio Carlini antonio at acarlini.com

4 years, 4 months

7
15
0 0

RP/M2 by Micro Methods Inc

by dave＠661.org

I found a copy of RP/M2 for the IBM PC by Micro Methods Inc. with manual and some floppies, 8" and 5.25". According to the manual, this was a CP/M compatible operating system. Doing a web search doesn't tell me anything more than a couple offhand comments. Does anyone here know anything interesting about this? -- David Griffith dave at 661.org A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?

4 years, 4 months

2
1
0 0

Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from the late 1990s

by kevin_anderson_dbq＠yahoo.com

For a time I had quite a few Compaq Deskpro towers that had acquired (for free) from my employer after they updated to a newer HP Compaq model. These Compaq Deskpros were the white-boxed variety with Pentium III the like processors that date to the later part of the 1990s and into the 2000s. They interested me because they were able to work with the flavors of Linux that were becoming plentiful and useful at the time (like Mandrake, etc.) Anyway, the desktops themselves are gone, as well as the PC keyboards and the monitors that went with them, with this paragraph just setting the scene.... But at the same time I also acquired (pulled) from these same computers and their siblings a whole bunch of wired Ethernet network cards, one or two video cards, a whole bunch of the IDE/PATA 5.25-inch desktop CD drives, and a whole bunch(!) of 10- and 20-GByte IDE/PATA 5.25-inch desktop hard drives. I believe the vintage makes them all PCI cards for the network and video cards. For some reason I must have had it in my head that I would all need these extra cards (and more) to keep these boxes (and other desktops) going into the future when the apocalypse came <grin> ! Now I have no need for any of these parts. I don't want to chuck them to a recycler either, but it is tempting just to get the stuff out of the house (as I need to seriously downsize prior to retirement). Is there a market for any of this that is worth pursing, or is this all too generic and plentiful to worry about? Giving shipping and that, I am not sure how much of this I'd care to deal with this through resale (eBay or privately) versus just dropping it all at the electronics recycling shop (which fortunately I have locally). Just starting to sort this out...I've been meaning to send this e-mail for awhile now. Your collective thoughts? I know most of this is too new for most of your interests... Kevin Anderson, Dubuque, Iowa

4 years, 4 months

20
65
0 0

Floppy capacity.

by cctalk＠gtaylor.tnetconsulting.net

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has contributed to the recent threads related to floppy disk capacity. I have found the threads to be very insightful and have saved things off for re-reading when I update my personal notes on the subject. Thank you! -- Grant. . . . unix || die

4 years, 4 months

1
0
0 0

OpenVMS Alpha V7.3-2

by mark.darvill＠mac.com

Hi, A plea, does anyone have a copy of OpenVMS Alpha V7.3-2? I have looked at all my archives and only have it for VAX. An upgrade would also work as I have V7.3. If someone has a copy in VMS so-called ISO format that would be great. Just got a Personal Workstation 500au fully working and would prefer to keep it on V7 VMS. Many thanks, Mark

4 years, 4 months

1
0
0 0

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