15 Jan
2002
15 Jan
'02
10:14 a.m.
See below...
On Wed, 2002-01-16 at 00:22, Ethan Dicks wrote:
Yes, but only newer ones, nothing with a tu58.
No, no tapes up to now.
My console tape reads:
BE-T173I-ME
TU58:34 VAX 11725/739 CONSOLE
(c) 1982,84
an was cut Jun21/84.
Unfortunately i do not know the exact VMS version installed on my
machine, because the only time got it booting i was so exited that
i spoiled my notes. Very un-scientific, i know.
But i think it is VMS 3.2, IIRC. Or 3.6, that's the label on my
"standalon backup"-tape.
--- "Clint Wolff (VAX collector)"
<vaxman(a)qwest.net> wrote:
[snip]
PS If you do get a dump, I'd appreciate a
copy. I'm archiving all the
TU58s I can find to CD-Rs...
That's one way to do it. You could also mount the "mini-DOS" computer in
the 11/730 where you extracted the TU-58 from (depending on which style
of VAX you have, it might or might not be easy. If I were going to do
this (and I just might someday), I'd consider a Linux-based TU-58
emulator, and stick a tiny 486 in the base of the rack with a serial
cable going into the VAX (11/730 or 11/750), a spare serial cable
going to either a port on the VAX or a terminal server or the like, as
well as an ethernet connection to my LAN, so I could run a shell to
monitor the TU-58 tape images - manipulate file names, create "blanks"
for writing, that sort of thing. I'd also consider attaching a 4x20 LCD
display to the parallel port or a spare serial port, a-la LCDproc, with
a menu and a switch or two for easy "tape swapping". An old and slow
laptop might also be a good option. Don't need much horsepower to
flood a 38400 bps cable with bytes.
That's more or less what i have in mind. Especially since i now have a
spare old Compaq Contura, nice and small.
> > BUT: How do i get the contents of the microcode tape of the tape, into
[snip]
> I mean, i
have
> a original DEC tape, with serial number and all. I might even come up
> with a license document, if i search long enough...
Do you have access to another VAX? I used to cut console tapes all the
time for our 11/730 (k-panda when it was in the UUCP maps) - I still
have it (and the tapes).
The tape from DEC was sub-optimized. I wrote a quick DCL script to
write the files in optimal order and sped up boot time to under 3
minutes. It was not an original idea, but it did work *great* (the
microprocessor in the TU-58 caches the directory AFAIK, so if you ask
for the next sequential file on the tape, it doesn't have to seek back
to the front to locate it - you just spin the tape to read it).
Oh, yes, the original tape is just bloated. But under 3 Minutes? That
sounds impressing.
> Any help would be greatly welcomed. This old
lady is just to beautifull
> to use it as an electric heater only...
Did you ever get a tape for your machine (this is an old message, after
all)? If not, this past weekend, I happened to run across the box with
my old console tapes (which is why I'm writing now). Let me know the
numbers off of your tape (since there are different revs of the stuff
on the tape, and something on there might or might not be VMS-version
dependent).
If you ever did get things running, I know it's possible to build new
tapes from a running machine. I'd have to find my program on a backup
tape; I know I don't have it handy, and that 11/730 is in storage.
Hmm, yes, i think i even have some documentation about this. I'll have
to look.
-ethan
Again: Any help would be more than appreciated!
And, tell me what i can do for you!
cheers
ms
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