13 Oct
2002
13 Oct
'02
7:56 p.m.
"Scarletdown" <SecretaryBird(a)SoftHome.net> wrote:
I might just build a very minimalist 386 or 486 system
from spare parts
I have lying about here, set it up with FreeDOS or MINIX, and make that
the console. [...]
Actually the easiest way to build a 386-based terminal is with MSDOS
(or DRDOS) and kermit. Kermit supports most serial cards and even some
ethernet cards (so you can telnet over TCP/IP). There is even
DOS-based software for mouse support (so you can cut & paste text).
Kermit or DOS can take care of most input and output conversions so
you can talk to almost any system that support telnet or async serial.
BTW since most IDE disk have a spin down feature, you can spin down the disk
just after you load kermit, so you don't even have to listen to the hard
disk. Many systems of that era didn't have PSU fans, so spinning down
the disk made the system totally quiet.
**vp