26 Feb
1999
26 Feb
'99
4:58 p.m.
So what, if anything, should appear on the console when
you turn on a
Microvax that has no disks connected ? The little display on the back
seems to go from '6' to '7' and stay there, or perhaps to 'L'.
Which side
is up?
It should count down from 7 to 3 and wait there for console input, unless
the boot device has been specified -- then it continues counting down
as it accesses the boot disk. If it reaches zero, it will boot.
Also there are two knobs next to the console port, one
is clearly the
baud rate and the other has three positions, each position is identified
by a pictograph. The three pictures are
top - line connected to a triangle (arrow?)
middle - looks like a face in profile
bottom - a T inscribed in a circle.
The top one is the normal position. The middle one is for the boot dialog
regarding language and boot device. The bottom one is continuous test.
Then there is a paddle switch above that whose
positions are identified
with a circle and a dot inside the circle, and another position where the
dot is outside the circle. Which should it be?
This enables (dot in circle) or disables (dot outside circle) the halt
on break feature. Normal position is dot outside circle, you don't
want someone to halt a time-sharing system when other users are on it.
But if you're the only user (/owner), then you probably want to have
total control... unless you find you accidently hit BREAK too often... :-)
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
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