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

Crescent wrenches (was: Nomenclature (was: NEXT Color Printer find

by DAW＠yalepress3.unipress.yale.edu

! From: Lawrence Walker [mailto:lgwalker@mts.net] ! ! And then there is "Leatherman" the modern eqivalent of the ! "Swiss Army Knife" of which there is no eqivalent I know ! qualitywise altho the quality is declining as demand increases. ! ! Lawrence Well, about 3 years ago, I got the Buck Knives Co. version of the Leatherman, called the "BuckTool". (Duh, real creative name there...) http://www.buckknives.com/products/details.php?ID=64 Still strong, hasn't loosened up at all. Great thing to have around on your belt. Especially for emergency work on computers... The quality of that is at least as good as the Leatherman. IMHO the design, on the other hand, is definitely better. Especially when it is opend to the 'pliers' position... --- David A Woyciesjes --- C & IS Support Specialist --- Yale University Press --- mailto:david.woyciesjes@yale.edu --- (203) 432-0953 --- ICQ # - 905818

24 years, 5 months

1
0
0 0

Trailing-edge compute farm seeks gainful employment

by Golemancd＠aol.com

does anyone have anything to say about computers?

24 years, 5 months

4
4
0 0

Trailing-edge compute farm seeks gainful employment

by csmith＠amdocs.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Golemancd(a)aol.com [mailto:Golemancd@aol.com] > does anyone have anything to say about computers? Yes. They're generally digital these days, are they not? Regards, Chris Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); '

24 years, 5 months

1
0
0 0

11/53 - Qbus backplane question

by Adrian.Graham＠corporatemicrosystems.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Gooijen H [mailto:GOOI@oce.nl] > Sent: 04 January 2002 08:42 > To: 'classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org' > Subject: 11/53 - Qbus backplane question > > > I got in the 11/53 running Micro/RSX. > > The 11/53 has an H9278-A backplane. According to > Megan's fieldguide the first 3 slots are Q22/CD > and the last 5 slots are Q22. > What does that mean? If I remember rightly the CD slots have grant continuity, which means you can have half height boards in position 1/2 without needing grant continuity cards in position 3/4 to carry signals over to the next slot. Can't rememember the M code for the GC card ATM; my VAXen are 10 minutes away from here. -- Adrian Graham, Corporate Microsystems Ltd e: adrian.graham(a)corporatemicrosystems.com w: www.corporatemicrosystems.com w2: www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk (Online Computer Museum)

24 years, 5 months

2
1
0 0

Ultrix 4.4 and VaxStation 3100

by DAW＠yalepress3.unipress.yale.edu

Might be some confusion, so here's how the conversation went, at least the way I saw it..... (edited for ease of reading...) > (assuming X11 worked on the Vaxstation 3100 > under Ultrix - I assume it would.) > > ! AFAIK the SPX graphics was not supported, only the ! mono and GPX framebuffers. ! ! Jochen Kunz > So there is some chance of NetBSD/Xwindows running on my > b&w 3100m38? > > David A Woyciesjes ! From: Clint Wolff (VAX collector) ! ! The last I heard, NetBSD didn't support any sort of ! graphics console. Not even as a text only console... ! ! Clint > So, the monitor and keyboard hooked directly to > the back of the VAXStation > 3100 M38 is not a text only console? What kind of console > is it then? > > David A Woyciesjes ! From: Alex White ! ! It could either be mono, or 4- or 8-plane graphics IIRC. ! Designed to run ! DECwindows, there have apparently been two ports of X11 to it under ! NetBSD - see the thread called "x-server and security.tgz for NetBSD ! 1.5" at http://mail-index.netbsd.org/port-vax/2000/11/ for the rough ! info - if you know any more please tell us... That's what I thought. Well, what I was trying to say, and maybe not clearly, is my VAXStation has a black & white graphics. It's currently running NetBSD 1.5 right now, text only, no X11. I have seen it run DECWindows. That was before work sold it to me and wiped the drives... Grrr... About all I know at the moment, but hopefully soon I'll have time to contribute to the effort of creating an XServer for this puppy. :-) That's where my previous comment came from, the confusion of what kind of console is on it... --- David A Woyciesjes --- C & IS Support Specialist --- Yale University Press --- mailto:david.woyciesjes@yale.edu --- (203) 432-0953 --- ICQ # - 905818

24 years, 5 months

1
0
0 0

Any interest in 5.25 floppy drives or small scsi drives?

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

I've got some orders for some goodies and there's still some things left. Tell me what you want so I can see if I can accomodate you. -- Antique Computer Virtual Museum www.nothingtodo.org

24 years, 5 months

4
3
0 0

Some pointers needed on a 11/70

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Jan 2, 21:08, <quapla(a)xs4all.nl> wrote: > Besides some small mistakes (not all PS modules in place for the CPU, and > not having a powered memory box), we managed to get the machine partly > running, that is, the lights are reacting to the 2 knob settings, and some > data is displayed on the console. > > However, when depositing some data at address 1000, nothing happens, and > the parity and/or address error light goes on. Same when trying to see > the contents of any (low) address. So, I have a few questions: I'm sure there must be people on the list who know more about 11/70s than I do, but since no-one else has replied yet... Is the memory powered up and connected? At the right address (you must have some memory in the lowest 28KW to start up)? Is the cache working? There are various things done by the power-up bootstrap diagnostic routines to set up the cache and memory system; and there are ways to disable cache, Unibus map, certain errors, etc, by poking bits into control registers. And I think you probably want to set the console Address Select Switch to CONS(ole) PHYS(ical). > - I have heard about a system address register which sets the size of > the memory, where is this address located? 17177760 is the "lower size register". Set it to the address of the last addressable block of 32 words (ie offset by 6 bits). There's an upper size register as well, "reserved for future use", read-only, reads as zeros, at 17177762. > - At the back of the memory box, there are somw switches and 4 thumbwheel > switches. What is their purpose? I assume to set the base address of the memory in the box, but never having set one up, I don't know. > - Is the ROM boot address still 177560? or must it be 17777560 on the 11/70? Well, it would be 18 bits, since it's on the Unibus, in an M9301-YC or equivalent. But 177560 (or 777560) is the address of the console serial line. The bootstrap is at 765000. I'm not sure if you need to set the top four bits as well, as if I recall correctly, the Unibus is mapped to the top of physical memory. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

24 years, 5 months

2
1
0 0

PS/2 Model 70

by steven_j_robertson＠hotmail.com

> >Well, scratch the idea of OS/2; my CD has a big scratch in it and is >unreadable. >-- >Eric Dittman In some cases it's possible to remove the scratch by polishing the CD. I've taken badly scratched CD's and removed the scratches with a buffing wheel, jewelers rouge, and a little patience. Just be careful not too overheat the CD or it may warp. The ones that I've done came out paper thin but, were readable. SteveRob _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

24 years, 5 months

2
1
0 0

Hazing (was Re: Crescent wrenches ...)

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> On 04-Jan-02, Gordon C. Zaft wrote: > > At 10:04 PM 1/3/2002 -0800, Ron Hudson wrote: > > > >> A true navy story from my Navy days. > > > > When I was a Navy civil servant, every engineer who went out on > > his first ship qualification trial would get hazed. Usually it was being > > sent to get batteries for the sound-powered phones.... > > My favorite was always sending someone for a bucket of > steam....that or a snipe punch. Stud stretchers are popular with the contruction crowd... New pages to Congress are given important messages to give to Senator Cornpone... And to get this back on-topic, at IBM, new hires were sent to see Dr. Herman Hollerith to get the final answers on important questions. -dq

24 years, 5 months

1
0
0 0

Trailing-edge compute farm seeks gainful employment

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> ps -- i am not a warez dood - dont own a cell phone - and have never > instant messaged anyone I confess to having used TALK/NTALK/YTALK under Solaris once or twice... and in the old days, using SEND TTY under TOPS-10 seemed really cool... now I see it a bit differently. -old fogey

24 years, 5 months

1
0
0 0

Compaq Deskpro286 - Documents or Help?

by tarsi＠binhost.com

Hi all geeks! I have two Compaq 286 machines that I am trying to put back together. Unfortunately, I'm having some issues reattaching the harddrives and floppy drives to the drive controller cards. I seem (stupidly) to have forgotten how they go when I unplugged them. I know, I know, it's dumb, but help a guy out anyway? :) I promise to be good the next time, honest. Anywho, if any of you have documentation that you can email to me, I would appreciate, or if you can explain how to reattach the cables from the harddrives and floppy drives to the card, I would most grateful. Configuration appears below. Personal email: tarsi(a)binhost.com Thanks, Tarsi --------------- Configuration: Compaq Deskpro286 Model 2550 Harddrive controller: WDC WD1002-WAH J1 is a 33 pin J2 is a 19 pin J3 is a 19 pin Floppy drive/Printer board, has one 33 pin floppy connector Standard(?) 5.25" floppy drive, 33 (34) pin cable. Seagate hard drive, one 19 pin cable, one 33 pin cable. My confusion is mostly whether J2 or J3 should be used with the harddrive, and what the difference is. Also, can I put dual harddrive in there? If so, how? Thanks a mil! -- ---------------------------------------------- Homepage: http://tarsi.binhost.com binHOST.com: http://www.binhost.com Forever Beyond: http://www.foreverbeyond.org ----------------------------------------------

24 years, 5 months

3
2
0 0

Man alive, I just can't resist

by Golemancd＠aol.com

well glenn the statement was not meant to be confined to computers. most people prabably including you have a richer life that just working with computers. sure i program. i know when to be precise, and when i dont need to be. i'm sure you do to. i look at the mail and see an ad for something and i know im not interested , so i dont worry about which store is sending this junk to me. [trash can time] when i program i concentrate on being precise. whats so hard to understand about that. being a programmer you must be pretty good concepts. this is a simple one Joe

24 years, 5 months

1
0
0 0

Toshiba T3200SX Question

by CLeyson＠aol.com

Just got myself a Toshiba T3200SX laptop. Reformatted the hard drive and put DOS 6.22 onto it. However, the CMOS backup battery has gone flat. Anybody know where the battery lives, and is it PCB mounted ? Best Regards Chris Leyson

24 years, 5 months

2
1
0 0

Man alive, I just can't resist

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

> From: Golemancd(a)aol.com > This is becoming a pretty silly thread because there can be > understanding > without proper grammer ; if we are being technical here. Every computer I ever met would gag on the above statement ;>) > Sure there is > meaning, > u just dont understand it. Well, I've seen lots of COBOL and BASIC programs which fit this description, but that doesn't mean it's okay. > I get your point. I do use a lot of shorthand and because this is a > hobby > i dont focus very much on my grammer. If u see me post then dont read it. > That is all that i have to say about this matter. > > joee > > P.S i hope the grammer helps you understand this. I have no idea what your involvement with computers is, but I'm certain it doesn't involve programming . . . Glen 0/0

24 years, 5 months

2
1
0 0

11/53 - Qbus backplane question

by Antonio.Carlini＠riverstonenet.com

Gooijen H wrote: >The 11/53 has an H9278-A backplane. According to >Megan's fieldguide the first 3 slots are Q22/CD >and the last 5 slots are Q22. >What does that mean? The slots each allow for four "fingers" on each card - a quad card uses all four and a dual card uses only two (there are some single cards too, but not many). The holes on the backplane slot for the fingers are labelled A,B,C,D from left to right from the side the cards plug into. Q22/CD slots have A/B wired as Q22 bus, C&D are just wired straight through. C/D are not used for Q-bus comms and are just for card-card communication. Q22/Q22 slots have Qbus on A&B and Qbus on C&D. It sounds like in your machine, the path followed by the Qbus is: slot-1: A/B slot-2: A/B slot-3: A/B slot-4: A/B slot-4: C/D slot-5: C/D slot-5: A/B slot-6: A/B etc. i.e. Qbus goes down A/B in slots 1,2,3,4 and then hops over to C/D on slot 4, drops vertically down to slot-5 C/D, moves back to slot-5 A/B ... repeat until you run out of slots. The manuals refer to this as a serpentine pattern. There is a diagram in some of the MicroVAX manuals on http://208.190.133.201/decimages/moremanuals.htm (I cannot remember exactly which ones but if you pick up the 630Z Owner's and Technical manuals, I'm 90% certain one of them has the diagram ... note that BA23 has 3 Q22/CD slots and BA123 has four Q22/CD slots ... the principle is the same though). The Q22/CD distinction matters in two cases that spring to mind. The first is that some Qbus signals need to be passed on to the next card correctly (interrupt and grant signals). An empty slot breaks the chain here. So if your first three slots have processor + memory and you put a TQK50 controller in slot 4 (A/B) and an RQDX3 in slot 5 (A/B), the chain is broken because slot 4 C/D and slot 5 C/D are empty - you need grant cards (or other Qbus cards) in there to let the RQDX3 work. Just to make this more fun, the RQDX3 will show up on the bus (it's CSRs are visible) it just won't work :-) The other reason it matters is that quad wide cards need to do the right thing depending on the kind of slot they are in. Most seem to arrive defaulted for a Q22/Q22 slot (which means they can go straight into a BA23/BA123 chassis with no additional jumpering etc). Putting one of these in a Q22/CD slot is usually no problem except that the card is passing on the C/D signals to the next card. This may or may not matter. For those cases where it does matter, cards provide a means of preventing this from happening. On the KDA50 there is a zero-ohm link (looks liek a resistor) that you remove. Of course, if you move a modified KDA50 from a Q22/CD slot to a Q22/Q22 slot you are in for some fun :-) Later series chassis (certainly the BA200 series, probably the BA400 series) were wired Q22/CD throughout. >At this moment, this is the configuration: >slot 1 rows 1-4: M7554-02 - 11/53-PLUS CPU >slot 2 rows 1-2: M3106 - 4-line async EIA MUX >slot 3 rows 1-2: M7546 - controller for TK50 >slot 4 rows 1-2: M7555 - RQDX3 > rows 3-4: ??? >All other slots and not mentioned row positions are empty. >In slot 4 rows 3-4 is a card with just one 8-pos DIP switch >three 16-pin DIL resistor chips and some decoupling caps. >At the top are two BERG connectors, one 40 pin and one 50 pin. >These two flatcables connected to an external unit, brandname >Dynafive. Inside that box are several "Dynafive" boards and >one board of "VGScientific". The rear of the box has several >BNC connectors with markings that pops 'video' stuff to mind. >Like H-sync, Green-in, Red-in, Green-out, etc. >This box and the 11/53 were connected to eachother. On the >disk in the 11/53 I found .RNO files that describe the VGS5000 >and how to use the application (something with spectral analysis). >So far for the system description. Many years agon, on a PDP-11/23, we had an external box (about the same size as the 11/23 cab - including RL02 and RX01) which was just a frame buffer (i.e. video card). Your peripheral may well be similar (but this is just a guess based on the fact that it seems to have video connectors!) >1) Can I remove that ??? card I guess yes. Obviously you loose a really cool peripheral! >2) Put a DELQA or DECNA at the same position? You can put a DELQA there. You can put a DEQNA there (which is what I guess you meant). But a DECNA is (IIRC) the really *rare* ethernet card for the Pro 300 series of machines. It won't fit and you'd destroy a cool card if you put that there :-) >I seem to remember that the RQDX3 must be the last device in >the backplane for some reason. It doesn't *have* to be. The reasons for putting cards in a particular order is described in one (or more?) of the Micronotes that you can find on the web (e.g. http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/computer-science/history/pdp-11/hardware /micronotes/numerical/ ) Basically, the RQDX3 will hog the bus given half a chance, but has enough buffering not to mind yielding the bus to other peripherals (within reason). The nearer (electrically) you are to the CPU, the higher your priority. So the RQDX3 (and KDA50) traditionally go furthest >from the CPU. >So, should the Ethernet card go in slot 4 rows 1-2 and should I >move the RQDX3 to slot 4 rows 3-4? That would be normal. It will probably work even if you don't move the RQDX3 though. It's worth mentioning that the RQDX*2*/RQDX*1* are brain-dead and do not pass on one of the signals (GRANT I think). This means that they *must* go at the end of the bus (nothing after them will ever be able to interrupt!) Antonio

24 years, 5 months

1
0
0 0

11/53 - Qbus backplane question

by GOOI＠oce.nl

I got in the 11/53 running Micro/RSX. The 11/53 has an H9278-A backplane. According to Megan's fieldguide the first 3 slots are Q22/CD and the last 5 slots are Q22. What does that mean? At this moment, this is the configuration: slot 1 rows 1-4: M7554-02 - 11/53-PLUS CPU slot 2 rows 1-2: M3106 - 4-line async EIA MUX slot 3 rows 1-2: M7546 - controller for TK50 slot 4 rows 1-2: M7555 - RQDX3 rows 3-4: ??? All other slots and not mentioned row positions are empty. In slot 4 rows 3-4 is a card with just one 8-pos DIP switch three 16-pin DIL resistor chips and some decoupling caps. At the top are two BERG connectors, one 40 pin and one 50 pin. These two flatcables connected to an external unit, brandname Dynafive. Inside that box are several "Dynafive" boards and one board of "VGScientific". The rear of the box has several BNC connectors with markings that pops 'video' stuff to mind. Like H-sync, Green-in, Red-in, Green-out, etc. This box and the 11/53 were connected to eachother. On the disk in the 11/53 I found .RNO files that describe the VGS5000 and how to use the application (something with spectral analysis). So far for the system description. Now my question. 1) Can I remove that ??? card 2) Put a DELQA or DECNA at the same position? I seem to remember that the RQDX3 must be the last device in the backplane for some reason. So, should the Ethernet card go in slot 4 rows 1-2 and should I move the RQDX3 to slot 4 rows 3-4? TIA, - Henk

24 years, 5 months

2
1
0 0

Trailing-edge compute farm seeks gainful employment

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> > sometimes i forget that computer folks r technical people. > > i come from the arts where the only thing that is needed is > > understanding. > > i am on stage sometimes and all the musicians do is > > just nod or look at each other and everyone understands them. > > Yes, but they try to use established conventions for note pitches, > time signatures, keys, chord structures and all the other syntax of > musical language...you'd have to in my band anyway ;-) So, Stan, give us a nice twelve-BARR ClassicCmp Blues standard... ;) -dq

24 years, 5 months

3
2
0 0

DEC bus driver/receiver chips (really VT78 docs)

by Antonio.Carlini＠riverstonenet.com

David Gesswein wrote: >I plan to have this all done in 25 years so you should be all set :-). I'm OK with that timescale ! >If you know the UK people need a particular portion of it let me know. I >don't have the time to scan it all in the near term. Email me the >request directly, with the list traffic I might miss it. Actually I only know of one other in the UK, but I expect there are a few more lurking in dark corners. Antonio

24 years, 5 months

1
0
0 0

PS/2 Model 70

by dittman＠dittman.net

> I found a couple of 2MB PS/2 SIMMs that I had stashed away and > put them in my PS/2 Model 70, so I now have 8MB of RAM. I haven't > cracked the password on the Xenix386 installation, but thought from > the discussion that OS/2 would be a better operating system to play > with anyway. I have OS/2 2.1. Would that be a good choice? If so, > is there a way to make floppies from the installation CD? I haven't > messed with OS/2 for a long time. Well, scratch the idea of OS/2; my CD has a big scratch in it and is unreadable. -- Eric Dittman dittman(a)dittman.net Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/

24 years, 5 months

1
0
0 0

MCA SCSI 11H3600

by dittman＠dittman.net

I have an MCA SCSI adapter with IBM FRU 11H3600. All I've been able to find out is this is for either an RS/6000 or a PS/2, depending on the firmware. I can't find the reference disk on IBM's web or ftp site, and I can't find any way to tell which firmware is loaded without the reference disk. Can anyone help point me to the file? -- Eric Dittman dittman(a)dittman.net Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/

24 years, 5 months

3
6
0 0

OT- Job Seeking

by rhudson＠cnonline.net

Hi, I was laid off last november and I am still looking for work. I am a novell network administrator, and help desk support person. I have some hardware experience as well. If the place where you work is hiring my sort of person, please let me know. I am also looking for any short term 'warm body' type job in the San Jose, Sunnyvale, MT. View area. Thanks! Sorry for the off topic....

24 years, 5 months

2
2
0 0

Trailing-edge compute farm seeks gainful employment

by csmith＠amdocs.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Lawrence Walker [mailto:lgwalker@mts.net] > And actually force people to learn how to spell without the > use of a spell- > checker. I remember how aghast I was when I learned my sons school Well, in defense of poor spelling, there are more important things -- such as content -- especially on a friendly list such as this. After all, tripe is tripe, no matter how correct the spelling. :) > allowed the use of calculators in math exams. Right On, Fred. ... and in defense of calculators, it's certainly more important for one to learn the theoretical core of mathematics so that it can be applied to Real Life than to waste time calculating things which are practically useless. The actual calculation is generally a mundane, but necessary step. Provided that you know how it's supposed to work, you can always arrive at the correct answer given some amount of time, with or without a calculator. Please don't take this as a defense of the public school system, which doesn't truthfully teach anything. > I was going to > reply to this would-be hacker's input but brushed it off as > more juvenal crap. I was tempted to respond too, but -- and this is the whole problem with the message -- there was nothing to which one could respond. He may as well have said "test message -- please ignore." Regards, Chris Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); '

24 years, 5 months

2
1
0 0

Trailing-edge compute farm seeks gainful employment

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> >Ahh -- so what _do_ you call a guy who hangs around with a bunch of > >musicians? > > A drummer of course (as an ex-percusionist, I heard this joke almost > daily) :-) What a relief- I've always heard that "singer" was the punch line... -dq p.s. Would Everyone Here Kindly Step to the Rear And let a TENOR lead the way...

24 years, 5 months

3
2
0 0

Trailing-edge compute farm seeks gainful employment

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

> From: Golemancd(a)aol.com > i agree u shouldnt try and read it > ps notice no capitals and not punctuation If thumbing your nose at this group makes you feel better it might be to your advantage to find out why. Personally, I'm curious as to why anyone would intentionally make their postings harder to understand than they have to be. > doesnt matter anyway If our understanding your meaning doesn't matter, why post? > sometimes i forget that computer folks r technical people. > i come from the arts where the only thing that is needed is > understanding. Hmm, I always thought most "art" forms required a modicum of technical ability. > i am on stage sometimes and all the musicians do is > just nod or look at each other and everyone understands them. What you are referring to is called a "cue." A cue is not a spontaneous, mystical form of communication. It is something which is worked out in advance, during rehearsal, and it is expected by the recipient. An example would be a look from a guitarist to a keyboardist which carries the meaning, "I'm done with my variable-length solo, so you may now begin your solo." This may or may not be actually spoken of in rehearsal, but it is still an agreed-upon, precise form of communication which is worked out in advance of the actual performance. As for "understanding," precision in communication fosters better understanding. This has been the entire point of the "Centronics/Crescent wrench" thread. > will try and and be more precise. i guess here that is needed. I think most people here would be happy if you just were a little less sloppy in your presentation, so that we can get a better idea of what you're trying to say. And if we don't like what you're saying we can always call you an ASS and be done with it ;>) Glen 0/0

24 years, 5 months

1
0
0 0

Any AMIGA users?

by csmith＠amdocs.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) [mailto:cisin@xenosoft.com] > IRRELEVANT. > The discussion was how to make an Amiga disk using a PC. > It can not be done with the stock PC hardware. > Somebody said that it could be done with the stock PC, by using Linux. > THAT IS WRONG. Well, you don't have to shout. :) That statement would obviously be incorrect. (I admit that I missed this assertion the first time around) It can _possibly_ be done with a modified peesee, and it can probably be done with a couple of other machines unmodified (but still using linux and the normal floppy drivers). > The "standard linux floppy disk driver" will operate the > Catweasel card? > (It is NOT a floppy disk controller in terms of BIOS level > interaction.) I was under the impression that it would drive a catweasel card. I was not aware that the card was significantly different than other (normal peesee) floppy interfaces, though, so perhaps I got the wrong idea from somewhere. On the other hand, the linux "floppy driver" is, as I understand it, actually a collection of drivers, and the same code-base may actually be used to handle all manner of strange disk/drive setups. > Or > The "standard linux floppy disk driver" will do stuff that is > impossible > with the PC hardware, without needing the Catweasel? Obviously not. :) Well, not if you're running linux on "PC hardware." If you're running linux on, for instance, a Macintosh, it will read and write 400 and 800k mac disks, which is impossible on "PC hardware." ;) (Let's not get into that again, though...) > It WOULD be possible to write a floppy disk driver for Linux > that could > make use of the Catweasel. But it has, apparently NOT been done, and > therefore suggestions of USING that are inappropriate. True enough, and as I said, I've heard of no special catweasel driver; just that linux would operate the catweasel controller. Since I don't have a catweasel, I can't really verify that. > > Or ... one could write an amiga filesystem for linux. I actually > > wonder why this hasn't been done. > For use with linux on an Amiga? No, for use with hard disks, SCSI removable media, and the like, which could likely be transported without trouble. > Or are you trying to say that writing an amiga filesystem for > Linux, would > permit a PC running Linux to read and write Amiga disksettes without > special hardware? Well, for all I know, Amiga may have had a 1.44MB format which could work, but that's just a guess, based on the fact that Apple's works fine. > Could you also write one for NorthStar-DOS? (hard-sectored) Given a hard sectored drive, I would guess... (Or what about putting a soft-sector drive in the NorthStar?) It's a pretty normal format otherwise, right? > How about one for Apple-DOS? (GCR) That's more difficult. > How about one that reads 8" diskettes in a 5.25" drive? > (Maybe trimming > the edges, and not being able to read some outer tracks :-) Actually you might be able to get by with it in a high density drive, given some way of attaching the disk to the "spindle" of the drive, and provided that you didn't really want to keep the disk anyway (or possibly the drive!), and if you were willing to write mind-numbingly useless special-purpose software. Otherwise, I hear that CompatiCard will drive an 8" floppy ;) Regards, Chris Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); '

24 years, 5 months

2
1
0 0

Crescent wrenches (was: Nomenclature (was: NEXT Color Printerfind

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

> From: Douglas Quebbeman <dhquebbeman(a)theestopinalgroup.com> > Heh. Mexican speed wrench... Funny, I've always heard it referred to as a *Kentucky* speed wrench ;>) Glen 0/0

24 years, 5 months

1
0
0 0

Connectors (was: NEXT Color Printer find

by CLeyson＠aol.com

In a message dated 31/12/01 Tony Duell writes >> Most of the engineers I work with have never heard of Amphenol or Cannon, >Then I would suggest you're working with engineers who are not > particularly knowledgable about practical electronics. If they're (say) > mechanical engineers or civil engineers, then no problem. If they claim > to tbe electronic engineers I'd probably dispute that claim. I agree, last year they couldn't even build a set of LED Christmas tree lights without blowing them up, never heard of constant current drive !!! I'm not talking about graduates straight out of college but people who've been in industry for a few years. In the engineering department I work in there is only ONE other true practical engineer who lays out his own PCBs, is keen to learn about new and emerging technologies etc. He is, like myself, mostly self taught, and has a passion for this stuff - a rare breed these days. But there we are - pay peanuts and get monkies. > Far too many courses (in all aspects of science and engineering) miss out > the simple practical stuff. Without which the complicated stuff is essentially > useless.. Agreed, I believe any so called engineer should have a practical "hands on" experience in both hardware and software, after all if they don't understand the basics they are of little use. >> On the subject of D-sub connectors I've sometimes come across some with >> metric threaded jackscrews instead of the usual UNF thread, or is it UNC ? > I thought it was 4-40 UNC.... Thanks Tony, wasn't sure of the thread. > FWIW, the stnadard for HPIB jackscrews is M3.5 (metric). I've had to make > such parts on occasions. One HP manual I was reading recently said that > the instrument used metric screws on the connectors, and that a > conversion kit (presumably consisting of 2 jackscrews) was available for > converting older HPIB cables. So I assume that the original HPIB used UNC > jackscrews (probably 6-32). One day I will have to do a search for the original IEEE-488 standard just to see what they specify. I suspect that jackscrew threads are not part of the standard. Chris

24 years, 6 months

13
18
0 0

Pro380 question

by healyzh＠aracnet.com

> Since I've got a nice Pro380 with a few options, such as the > decna adapter, what would be the most flexible setup for this > machine? I'd really like to work with this machine but am not too > impressed with POS. > > Jeff You've got a DECNA for it? Wow! Lucky bum! I'd say your best choice for an OS would be RT-11 with the free TCP/IP stack. In fact I think that's about the only way you'll be able to use the DECNA interface. Zane

24 years, 6 months

3
3
0 0

Pro380 question

by healyzh＠aracnet.com

> The DECNA isn't too useful outside of a DECnet then? Does > RT-11 support the RD-52? I know that the docs for Venix state that > there's a problem with using Venix and the RD-52 together. How hard > is it to get the RX-50 disks of RT-11 and to straighten out all the > licensing issues? Can you get DECnet for POS? Good luck getting it for RT-11, and even if you do, I don't know if it would support the DECNA. RT-11 shouldn't have any problem with RD52's. As for the RX50's of RT-11 and licensing issues, that's the tricky part. You probably don't want to know what a license costs. Zane

24 years, 6 months

2
1
0 0

Intel iPDS Archives accomplished

by dmabry＠mich.com

Well, I just wanted to thank you all for suggesting Teledisk and prodding me into setting up a system that will let me archive my iPDS (Intel Personal Development System) diskettes. As background, this computer uses a 96tpi, double sided 5.25" diskette drive. That amounts to approximately 640k of storage, without my calculating it exactly. Teledisk 2.12 works on that format using a 1.2M HD drive, and it seems to work perfectly. I made a system diskette image and recreated a workable diskette from the image. For me, finding a system with a 5.25" drive was the challenge. I realized in this process that I didn't have any at my house, but I had several old Zenith SupersPort, SupersPort 286, and SupersPort SX laptops. They can access an external drive and I had some Zenith external drives. Unfortunately Zenith never marketed anything but a 48tpi (360k Bytes) drive. Tonight I was able to figure out the jumpering for that drive and put a 1.2M HD drive into that package and make it work with Teledisk. In a former life I had used Teledisk and forgotten how useful it was. Anyway, the point of this post is to offer anyone who would like them images of system diskettes for the Intel iPDS. I have CP/M 2.2 straight >from Intel, CP/M 2.2 with my enhanced BIOS, ISIS-PDS (Intel's operating system), and many ISIS applications (like the EPROM software, IPPS). I would be happy to e-mail anyone the Teledisk images from anything that I have for that machine. Just ask me privately for what you'd like. I think I even have a CP/M Plus that I implemented for that system. All you would need is Teledisk and a system with a 1.2M HD drive to recreate bootable diskettes for the iPDS. And to Sellam, I know I told you I'd mail you diskettes. This is to ask if you'd prefer images. You'll get them faster. ;-) -- Dave Mabry dmabry(a)mich.com Dossin Museum Underwater Research Team NACD #2093

24 years, 6 months

1
0
0 0

Can a Mac create an AMIGA system disk?

by healyzh＠aracnet.com

> If a PC cannot, can a mac do it? I've got a performa or quadra just waiting > to do something here. No. However, a PC with a Catweasel board can. Zane

24 years, 6 months

2
2
0 0

Any AMIGA users?

by csmith＠amdocs.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Ben Franchuk [mailto:bfranchuk@jetnet.ab.ca] > OK what was the AMIGA that ran both AMIGA and PC software ... (286 + > 68000 ) > cpu cards on a PC style box. Did that have a special software to write > PC disks? > I saw one once - but it was sure slow! That was the 2000, I think. Slow or not, I've been after one for a while, myself. :) Well, actually any amiga that's newer than my 1000... ;) Regards, Chris Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); '

24 years, 6 months

6
7
0 0

Any AMIGA users?

by csmith＠amdocs.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) [mailto:cisin@xenosoft.com] > Certainly the PC hardware, regardless of OS or other software > can NOT do > Amiga. > Can the Linux catweasel drivers actually use the catweasel as its disk > controller for the file system? Or is this an issue that the > catweasel > software (that does NOT work at a filesystem level) can also RUN under > linux? Right, but remember that linux won't run only on peesees. :) Linux on a power-mac (or amiga!) will likely produce bit-for-bit copies of amiga disks just fine. Also, I think it's the standard linux floppy disk driver, which is pretty flexible, and not a special "catweasel" driver, so it would be handled just the same as a standard floppy setup. So I guess you could write ext2 filesystems to 880k floppies if you want ;) Or ... one could write an amiga filesystem for linux. I actually wonder why this hasn't been done. > Has anybody, anywhere, EVER gotten a catweasel to work as a > controller to > do file system level operations? After this discussion, I'm tempted to get one and try. Too bad I can't afford it just now. Regards, Chris Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); '

24 years, 6 months

5
4
0 0

Can a Mac create an AMIGA system disk?

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

If a PC cannot, can a mac do it? I've got a performa or quadra just waiting to do something here. -- Antique Computer Virtual Museum/home of command central south www.nothingtodo.org

24 years, 6 months

1
0
0 0

SUN monitor cables

by darek-ss＠wp.pl

> Someone the other day made reference to old-style and late- >model SUN 13w3 >monitor cables. What's the difference between the two? Hi, I think there that the difference is in SYNC signals. The old one had only composite SYNC and the new probbaly could provide also V and H SYNC Look to: http://www.hut.fi/Misc/Electronics/faq/vga2rgb/interfacing.html#v ga_13w3 Darek ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Tylko Nowy Kontakt umo?liwia rozmowy przez inne komunikatory internetowe! Poznaj 100 mln nowych znajomych! Instalujesz? Kliknij! < http://kontakt.wp.pl >

24 years, 6 months

1
0
0 0

Any AMIGA users?

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Jan 3, 13:12, Christopher Smith wrote: > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) [mailto:cisin@xenosoft.com] > > The "standard linux floppy disk driver" will operate the > > Catweasel card? > > (It is NOT a floppy disk controller in terms of BIOS level > > interaction.) > > I was under the impression that it would drive a catweasel card. I was not aware that the card was significantly different than other (normal peesee) floppy interfaces, though, so perhaps I got the wrong idea from somewhere. As far as I was able to determine, when I looked into this in the autumn, the only support for the Catweasel under Linux is via a special driver called cwfloppy, NOT the normal floppy driver. This works with Amiga disks (and has limited MS-DOS support) only, and only for the ISA version on x86 and Alpha machines. Quote from the Catweasel page, ISA version section: 'Writing to disks is only possible under Linux at the moment. The drivers are not designed to be easy-to-use. Instead, they are tools "for-freaks-only". You can read disk images from the formats listed above, and single files can be copied from Amiga, PC and C-64 disks.' If you look at the driver homepage, it doesn't even mention C-64 or disk images. There are some additional utilities to allow it to do things with TRS80 disks, though. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

24 years, 6 months

1
0
0 0

Dilog DQ614 diagnostics program first tests

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Jan 3, 8:53, Ethan Dicks wrote: > Personally, I plan to pick something that is _not_ a drop-in replacement > for a DEC drive - I can format all sorts of stuff on an RQDX3, but it's > nice to stick to the right models when you can to make drive geometry > tables in the OS and/or drivers match. Sensible idea. And RQDX1/RQDX2 need the "right" drives; they do bizarre tests to see what they have connected (like stepping to illegal tracks) and won't work unless the drive matches something hardcoded into the RQDX "microcode". > Have you formatted this drive on another controller and scanned for > bad blocks? I know the RQDX3 has a "standard" way of handling them > (well... standard for the RQDX line), so I'm not sure there's a > "factory BBL" to reference Not on MFM/ST412-type drives, no. > or if there is, that the DQ614 does reference > it, but I would see if the drive passes a low-level format on something > else, perhaps a WD1003 in an old 486 that still has the format option > in the BIOS menu. You could also try it on a WX-1 with its BIOS > formatter (accessed through debug, typically). The DQ614P program should include several controller and drive exercises and tests, and a bad block (actually a bad track) utility. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

24 years, 6 months

1
0
0 0

IMSAI HyperCube (Was: Re: Trailing-edge compute farm seeks gainfu l employment)

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> ObTopic: > http://www.scientificamerican.com/2001/0801issue/0801hargrove.html > Another Hybercube. Does anyone remeber that IMSAI seems to have been the first to do this, using the 8080? -dq

24 years, 6 months

3
3
0 0

Employment wanted...

by bills＠adrenaline.com

Sorry to spam the list, but the times demand... I'm a software engineer with 20 years professional experience. BS in computer science from the University of Maryland, College Park. Seeking embedded development work in the Washington, DC metro area. I know most 8-bit micros, several PICs, x86 and PPC-860/PPC-821. I think I have a reasonable command of real-time programming issues. Contact me off-list if you can help. Again, sorry... this came out of the blue. I figured my current employer would last until March. Thanks, Bill Sudbrink wh.sudbrink(a)verizon.net

24 years, 6 months

1
0
0 0

Trailing-edge compute farm seeks gainful employment

by Golemancd＠aol.com

i agree about the os but i dont agree on the attempt part dont attempt it. do it. a computer is not that complex of a machine at least a pc. an os is all theory and vision. u can think up an entire os away from any pc. u could then just go in and code the entire thing. the hard part is thinking up what it is that u want and how it has to work. the coding and so forth is the easy part. this is the exact project i am working on now joee

24 years, 6 months

8
8
0 0

Trailing-edge compute farm seeks gainful employment

by DAW＠yalepress3.unipress.yale.edu

! -----Original Message----- ! From: Dave McGuire [mailto:mcguire@neurotica.com] ! ! ! On January 4, ysgdhio wrote: ! > > Insert drummer joke here. ! > ! > Q: How do you know when there's a drummer at your door? ! > A: The knocking keeps getting faster. ! ! AHEM. B-| ! ! -Dave, drummer ! ! -- ! Dave McGuire "Hey, who's that behind the band?" "Him? Yeah, he's thier drummer." "Oh. I thought they only let musicians in here..." --- David A Woyciesjes *** 5 string bass player *** --- C & IS Support Specialist --- Yale University Press --- mailto:david.woyciesjes@yale.edu --- (203) 432-0953 --- ICQ # - 905818

24 years, 6 months

1
0
0 0

Trailing-edge compute farm seeks gainful employment

by mythtech＠Mac.com

>Ahh -- so what _do_ you call a guy who hangs around with a bunch of >musicians? A drummer of course (as an ex-percusionist, I heard this joke almost daily) :-) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

24 years, 6 months

2
1
0 0

Trailing-edge compute farm seeks gainful employment

by csmith＠amdocs.com

Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); ' > -----Original Message----- > From: John Foust [mailto:jfoust@threedee.com] > And keep in mind that the musicians only *think* they're > communicating. :-) Insert drummer joke here. Ahh -- so what _do_ you call a guy who hangs around with a bunch of musicians? Regards, Chris

24 years, 6 months

2
1
0 0

Dilog DQ614 diagnostics program first tests

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Jan 3, 11:51, Sergio Pedraja Cabo wrote: > I did the first tests with the DQ614P.SAV program and my Dilog DQ614 > MFM controller board. This board simulates up to four RL01/02 units > in one PDP-11 using one or two MFM hard disks. I am using: > [...] > * One Dilog DQ614 Revision S > * One Quantum MFM Hard Disk Q540 (Aka. RD52-A) > * RT-11 v.4 > * I assume the vector addresses of the unit is 174400 and 160. That should be correct, unless you have a non-standard PAL at U55 on the DQ614. > The software used is the DQ614P.SAV diagnostics program Revision 0, > and one DL.SYS driver that came with the DQ614P program. Why? Why don't you use the DL driver that came with the OS? The device drivers are OS-version-specific, and the driver I put up beside the formatter is for RT-11 5.04, which is different to RT-11 4.0. > Well, the program starts ok. There is no apparently problem with the > OS environment. It works with its DL.SYS module, with the own DL.SYS > module of the RT11 V.4, and without it too. > > The program startup and asks me if I'm working with a C.R.T (I assume > it speaks about a terminal). Yes, as Ethan said that just means a VDU as opposed to a printing terminal -- it affects how it treats the delete key, and in this case also affects whether it clears the screen; if you answer "N" to the CRT question, it won't print current cylinder addresses becasue the printout would consume a lot of paper. > Later the program asks me about the > access vector for the controller. By default it uses 174400 and 160 > values. I assume them too. The next step is to select one MFM hard disk. > My disk is the 73, one Quantum Q540. If the drive you want to use is not in the list, instead of typing a number >from the list, type "E". You'll then be prompted to enter number of heads, number of cylinders, RWCC (which the manual says isn't used), cylinder at whivch to start precompensation (also not used), and to pick a step rate >from a list. > Inmediately, the program permits > me to select how much DL disks I want to emulate. I can emulate two > RL02 and two RL01. The program asks me: "Are you sure ?". My answer is > yes. The process begins... and some seconds later, the program send me > a message telling: "UNEXPECTED RESPONSE IN ADDRESS 00000160 (sometimes > is the address 00000000). I've tried to change the cable selection, > the address selection, etc... In this case, the message tells me that > the unit can't be accessed. Sounds like you have the correct address and vector but something is generating spurious interrupts. Is there another RL controller in the system? Or something with a misconfigured vector? > Like a final indication, the Q540 hard disk have 5 jumpers named > DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 and ^. Actually is selected the DS1. That should be right. Make sure you have the 20-pin cable on J2, not J3. Does the drive have a terminator? > What is wrong ? I suspect that the program must be the same revision > than the board (Revision "O" the program, revision "S" the board). I don't think so. The program came with a Rev.K board. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

24 years, 6 months

1
0
0 0

Nomenclature (was: Crescent wrenches

by DAW＠yalepress3.unipress.yale.edu

I use(d) that one. I believe it's short for 'diagonal cutters'. --- David A Woyciesjes --- C & IS Support Specialist --- Yale University Press --- mailto:david.woyciesjes@yale.edu --- (203) 432-0953 --- ICQ # - 905818 ! -----Original Message----- ! From: John Allain [mailto:allain@panix.com] ! ! ! Old Boss of mine called the larger triangular headed ! snippers (sim.: Xelite wire cutter) "Dykes". Any word ! on this... word. Is this a correct term? ! ! John A. !

24 years, 6 months

1
0
0 0

Connectors (was: NEXT Color Printer find

by DAW＠yalepress3.unipress.yale.edu

! -----Original Message----- ! From: ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk [mailto:ard@p850ug1.demon.co.uk] ! Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2002 10:05 PM ! To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org ! Subject: Re: Connectors (was: NEXT Color Printer find ! ! ! > ! > ! > ! > > Mainly because people think it's just like a larger ! > > version of the DIY electric drill. ! > > right cutting angles on it) then the workpiece spins ! > > round and removes their fingers... ! > ! > ! > They can rip off a scalp too if you get long hair wrapped up ! > in them. ! ! That applies to lathes and milling machines too. It not a property of ! drill presses only, so it's not a reason why they're ! particularly dangerous. ! ! Anybody who has long hair (or loose clothing) near machine ! tools deserves ! all they get IMHO... ! ! -tony Well, anyone who doesn't pull thier long hair back under a good hat, that is. :) --- David A Woyciesjes --- C & IS Support Specialist --- Yale University Press --- mailto:david.woyciesjes@yale.edu --- (203) 432-0953 --- ICQ # - 905818

24 years, 6 months

1
0
0 0

New art-form requires no precision (Was: Trailing-edge compute fa rm seeks gainful employment)

by csmith＠amdocs.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Golemancd(a)aol.com [mailto:Golemancd@aol.com] > sometimes i forget that computer folks r technical people. > i come from the arts where the only thing that is needed is > understanding. > i am on stage sometimes and all the musicians do is > just nod or look at each other and everyone understands them. > will try and and be more precise. i guess here that is needed. Ok, this will be slightly OT: Do you draw -- paint -- play music? What "arts" are these where precision is not needed? Being an artist and musician, myself, I would really like to know. Regards, Chris Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); '

24 years, 6 months

1
0
0 0

Kaypro PC?

by csmith＠amdocs.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Robert Schaefer [mailto:rschaefe@gcfn.org] > I'm looking for info on one of these. I's some kind of XT > clone, with an > eight-bit passive backplane and an upgraded V20 on a CPU > card. It runs > MSDOS, and > currently boots into dosshell. A little googling turns up > numerous resumes > containing Kaypro PC, and a number of old classiccmp posts > regarding them, > but no real info. kaypro.com seems to be down ATM. I'd > especially like to > know what the switch and pushbutton on the back of the CPU > card do. IIRC > it's not a reset button, but I might be mis-remembering. Well, I have one of these. It was given to me a week ago. I have both the computer itself, and a kaypro monitor (in original box ;). No documentation or anything. Let me know if you find out anything interesting. I haven't tried powering it on yet. Chris Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); '

24 years, 6 months

1
0
0 0

Happy Holidays!

by vcf＠vintage.org

Happy Holidays! *<:) Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org * Old computing resources for business and academia at www.VintageTech.com *

24 years, 6 months

14
18
0 0

Trailing-edge compute farm seeks gainful employment

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On January 4, ysgdhio wrote: > > Insert drummer joke here. > > Q: How do you know when there's a drummer at your door? > A: The knocking keeps getting faster. AHEM. B-| -Dave, drummer -- Dave McGuire St. Petersburg, FL "Less talk. More synthohol." --Lt. Worf

24 years, 6 months

1
0
0 0

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

test-drb