On Jul 29, 2016, at 8:30 PM, Zane Healy <healyzh at aracnet.com> wrote:
On Jul 29, 2016, at 6:08 PM, Douglas Taylor
<dj.taylor4 at comcast.net> wrote:
I just got a MicroVax II in the BA123 world box chassis. I has a TK50, RX50, RXDQ2, but
no DEQNA. I'd like to get it running an OS.
The DU disks don't work, but I have a couple of Qbus SCSI controllers that might come
in handy.
Can you use those SD to SCSI convertors in this type of configuration? Anyone have
experience with this?
What OS's can I use with this hardware? NetBSD? Are versions of VMS available? How
do you get an OS onto this system?
The all around best choice would be VAX/VMS v5.5-2. You can get Hobbyist licenses. The
OS was available as part of the Hobbyist program. If you add a SCSI adapter, you can
hopefully attach a CD. IIRC, it will run up to either v7.2 or 7.3, at least I know I had
v7.2 on a MicroVAX III (well, technically I still do, if it will boot).
Ultrix would also be available.
What I did though was I gave it a brain transplant, and converted mine to a PDP-11 once I
got a better VAX.
I need to invest in a couple of those SD adapters myself. I?d really like to put one on
one of my AlphaStation 200 4/233?s. Hopefully they?ll still work. It?s been years since
I?ve done anything with my DEC HW. :-(
I have booted both V7.3 and V5.5-2 off a 4GB SD with SCSI2SD V4.6 on a MicroVax II with
16 Mb. Note that DEQNA will not work (at all) on either version. You?ll need a
DELQA.
You should be able to build a system with an emulator and then copy the binary to an SD
card. i?ve taken images both ways without problems. Alternately if you get a DELQA, you
can netboot off of another Vaxen and build an bootable disk that way.
Jerry