12 Oct
2000
12 Oct
'00
5:08 a.m.
Hi All!
Quick question. Does the Digital Alphastation 255 take a regular ( as in
PC type ) floppy disk drive? Is there a special DEC FD drive I need to
get? I have a part number for the FD from DEC but the part description
doesn't tell me anything and the purchase price for the item is about
what you would expect for a PC type floppy drive buying direct from a
manufacturer.
Any help is appreciated...
Thanks...
Mike N.
12 Oct
12 Oct
6:07 a.m.
New subject: VMS/VAX/Alpha questions...
This question isn't entirely ontopic (as my DEC 3000 model 300 isn't quite
10 years old) but it also pertains to my VAXstation 3100 & others, so it
should all blend pretty nicely...
How wacko did DEC go with their VAX machines and their newer (as in 150Mhz
Alpha) boxen WRT original DEC hardware? I have OpenVMS 7.1 for Vax, and
OpenVMS 7.21 for Alpha, and I have a chance to order some RZ25's from a
used vendor for $21 each (is that a good price?) which should be enough to
get a couple VAXen running, but I would like something bigger in (at least)
the DEC3000, as I can get some 2Gig drives for $59, and their 1Gig drives
are $29.00.
I do know about the VAXstation boot drive limitations of 1Gig... For the
price, I like the 1Giggers better, but they won't do me crap if the VAX
won't recognize 'em... ;-)
(I've got a few DEC drives laying around, so I've not tried any non-DEC
drives in my VAXen yet...)
Anyway, TIA for any help..
Roger "Merch" Merchberger
--
Roger "Merch" Merchberger --- sysadmin, Iceberg Computers
Recycling is good, right??? Ok, so I'll recycle an old .sig.
If at first you don't succeed, nuclear warhead
disarmament should *not* be your first career choice.
7:09 a.m.
New subject: VMS/VAX/Alpha questions...
This question isn't entirely ontopic (as my DEC
3000 model 300 isn't quite
10 years old) but it also pertains to my VAXstation 3100 & others, so it
should all blend pretty nicely...
How wacko did DEC go with their VAX machines and their newer (as in 150Mhz
Alpha) boxen WRT original DEC hardware? I have OpenVMS 7.1 for Vax, and
OpenVMS 7.21 for Alpha, and I have a chance to order some RZ25's from a
used vendor for $21 each (is that a good price?) which should be enough to
get a couple VAXen running, but I would like something bigger in (at least)
the DEC3000, as I can get some 2Gig drives for $59, and their 1Gig drives
are $29.00.
I do know about the VAXstation boot drive limitations of 1Gig... For the
price, I like the 1Giggers better, but they won't do me crap if the VAX
won't recognize 'em... ;-)
(I've got a few DEC drives laying around, so I've not tried any non-DEC
drives in my VAXen yet...)
I've run my DEC 3000/300LX on a pair of RZ25's, I've also run it on a
StorageWorks shelf of RZ28's. Taking a look at my main server that's using
a RZ28 as the system disk I'd say 2GB for a system disk and 2GB for a user
disk would be good for your 3000. I'm now using mostly RZ29's on my server
in a pair of storageworks shelves. The nice thing about staying with
RZ29's and smaller is the tapes to fit an entire disk on are fairly cheap,
I'm using a Exabyte 8500 in a small Jukebox.
On the 3100, even though you've got the 1GB boot limitation, data disks can
be larger.
Now what was the question?
Zane
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
| healyzh(a)aracnet.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast |
| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |
8:50 a.m.
New subject: VMS/VAX/Alpha questions...
Rumor has it that Zane H. Healy may have mentioned these words:
Now what was the question?
Lemme simplify: Does a VAX or older Alpha box *have* to have DEC drives
installed in them for OpenVMS to work or for the boxes to actually
recognize the drive (a la Compaq, Apple & the like) or can I slap in an IBM
2 gigger and have it work?
[ The largest drive I can find for sale (reasonably) from DEC is a 426Meg,
and I was hoping for bigger, but if a 2Gig IBM (read: non-DEC) drive won't
be recognized, it's not going to do me a hill of beans worth of good... ]
Does DEC say: "You'll run that RZ25 & *Be Happy About It*", or can I
run
non-DEC rommed hard drives just fine?
RZ or not RZ, *that* is the question. ;-)
Roger "Merch" Merchberger
--
Roger "Merch" Merchberger --- sysadmin, Iceberg Computers
Recycling is good, right??? Ok, so I'll recycle an old .sig.
If at first you don't succeed, nuclear warhead
disarmament should *not* be your first career choice.
9:40 a.m.
New subject: VMS/VAX/Alpha questions...
Lemme simplify: Does a VAX or older Alpha box *have*
to have DEC drives
installed in them for OpenVMS to work or for the boxes to actually
recognize the drive (a la Compaq, Apple & the like) or can I slap in an IBM
2 gigger and have it work?
Ah, now there is a question we can work with :^) Let's see.... In the past
I've used non-DEC drives on my one AlphaStation 200 4/233 running OpenVMS,
the other is still using a non-DEC drive.
Currently the *only* non-DEC drive in my cluster (except those that came in
storageworks cannisters) is in a VAXstation 4000/VLC, and I've got major
problems with it at the moment as a bunch of the files have bad blocks :^(
[ The largest drive I can find for sale (reasonably)
from DEC is a 426Meg,
and I was hoping for bigger, but if a 2Gig IBM (read: non-DEC) drive won't
be recognized, it's not going to do me a hill of beans worth of good... ]
Does DEC say: "You'll run that RZ25 & *Be Happy About It*", or can I
run
non-DEC rommed hard drives just fine?
RZ or not RZ, *that* is the question. ;-)
The answer, is hopelessly vague. It depends. It might work, it might not
work. OpenVMS and the hardware are only tested with specific drives, as a
result the drives may or may not work. The good news is that OpenVMS V7.2
is a lot less touchy about this than say VAX/VMS V5.5.
So, you see the correct answer is, try it and find out. Which unfortunatly
isn't the one you want trust me I understand as I've looked into upgrading
my server to a U2W SCSI controller and Ultra160 drives. As a hobbyist I'm
not sure I want to risk buying drives that might not work.
Zane
12:37 p.m.
New subject: VMS/VAX/Alpha questions...
Roger Merchberger wrote:
Rumor has it that Zane H. Healy may have mentioned these words:
Unless you require huge capacity, I've found the Quantum Pro/Lightnings
730mb work great in my VLC and M60. And they can be had for fairly
attractive
prices on eBay.
A plus with the PRO series is they are among coolest running drives.
Big improvement over the scalding hot Barracuda I had been running in
the VLC.
Nick Oliviero
Now what was the question?
Lemme simplify: Does a VAX or older Alpha box *have* to have DEC drives
installed in them for OpenVMS to work or for the boxes to actually
recognize the drive (a la Compaq, Apple & the like) or can I slap in an IBM
2 gigger and have it work?
[ The largest drive I can find for sale (reasonably) from DEC is a 426Meg,
and I was hoping for bigger, but if a 2Gig IBM (read: non-DEC) drive won't
be recognized, it's not going to do me a hill of beans worth of good... ]
Does DEC say: "You'll run that RZ25 & *Be Happy About It*", or can I
run
non-DEC rommed hard drives just fine?
RZ or not RZ, *that* is the question. ;-)
9:59 a.m.
New subject: Obsolete tapes available
A few months back I purchased a few tapes for an old SCSI tape drive I
picked up. Unfortunately, when they arrived, they had no resemblence
to what I needed. They might be of some use to one of you...
They are:
3M DC 600A 60 mbyte cartridges
Factory sealed.
If anyone is interested, I've got ten of them.
Please contact me off-list at: <mailto:jrasite@eoni.com>
Now back to our regularly scheduled debates!
Thx
Jim Arnott
12:56 p.m.
New subject: Obsolete tapes available
Jim Arnott wrote:
A few months back I purchased a few tapes for an old
SCSI tape drive I
picked up. Unfortunately, when they arrived, they had no resemblence
to what I needed. They might be of some use to one of you...
3M DC 600A 60 mbyte cartridges Factory sealed.
If anyone is interested, I've got ten of them.
Jerome Fine replies:
In case anyone is interested, the DEC TK25 tape drive used these tapes.
DEC also sold them without the DC600A label as a TK25 tape, but probably
3M made most of them. I have many more, but will still be using them for
a while (maybe). If someone can use them, e-mail me in 6 months.
1:32 p.m.
New subject: Red Erasors, contacts, and gold revisited
Sorry to bring this one back up, but I was cruising the Classiccmp
archives and read the thread.
I liked the idea of dipping the erasor in alcohol. Nice bearing fluid and
would help reduce abrasion as well as acting as a solvent and carrier for
gunk.
Not all contacts are gilt which is one application for abrasives. The
hard disk MIO for my Atari 8-bit is an example. It's traces are unfinished
tin-colored things and they oxidize rapidly.
Some of you folks had solutions to check the oxidation such as silicone
grease. Could you amplify on this and especially what type of grease and
where to find it.
Thanks all.
Jeff
--
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jeffrey S. Worley
President
Complete Computer Services, Inc.
30 Greenwood Rd.
Asheville, NC 28803
828-277-5959
THETechnoid(a)home.com
-----------------------------------------------------------
6:17 a.m.
Hi All!
Quick question. Does the Digital Alphastation 255 take a regular ( as in
PC type ) floppy disk drive? Is there a special DEC FD drive I need to
get? I have a part number for the FD from DEC but the part description
doesn't tell me anything and the purchase price for the item is about
what you would expect for a PC type floppy drive buying direct from a
manufacturer.
Any help is appreciated...
Thanks...
Mike N.
Does it have a SCSI connector or a floppy connector? Do you have the old
floppy? For that matter why do you actually need the floppy, there might
be ways of getting around using it.
The AlphaStation 200 and 255 are supposed to be a lot alike, I just popped
the hood on one of my 200's and it's got a RX23L, which looks a lot like a
normal PC floppy drive to me. I'd say if you've got one laying around give
it a try.
Zane
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
| healyzh(a)aracnet.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast |
| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |
6:58 a.m.
Hi Zane,
This machine has "What looks like" a normal floppy cable. It is not SCSI. I
don't really _need_ a floppy but the machine has a big hole in the front where
a floppy went and someone removed it. They left the cable though. I would like
to mount a floppy here just in case it's needed and to close the hole. :^)
I tried the only old floppy I had laying around. The light stayed on on the
front. I don't know if that means it worked or it didn't. I didn't have time
to
do much else with it and I didn't have any OS media to try out. I only have VMS
for my VAXen and I don't have True64Unix. Don't mention WinNT for Alpha.
I guess I'll experiment some more...
Thanks for the reply!
Mike N.
"Zane H. Healy" wrote:
Hi All!
Quick question. Does the Digital Alphastation 255 take a regular ( as in
PC type ) floppy disk drive? Is there a special DEC FD drive I need to
get? I have a part number for the FD from DEC but the part description
doesn't tell me anything and the purchase price for the item is about
what you would expect for a PC type floppy drive buying direct from a
manufacturer.
Any help is appreciated...
Thanks...
Mike N.
Does it have a SCSI connector or a floppy connector? Do you have the old
floppy? For that matter why do you actually need the floppy, there might
be ways of getting around using it.
The AlphaStation 200 and 255 are supposed to be a lot alike, I just popped
the hood on one of my 200's and it's got a RX23L, which looks a lot like a
normal PC floppy drive to me. I'd say if you've got one laying around give
it a try.
Zane
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
| healyzh(a)aracnet.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast |
| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ | 
7:39 a.m.
I tried the only old floppy I had laying around. The
light stayed on on the
front. I don't know if that means it worked or it didn't.
When the light on the floppy drive stays on like that, it usually means the
cable is turned around. Try putting the cable on the other way (flip it
over). Red line on cable goes to Pin #1 on drive.
Tarsi
210
8:55 a.m.
Rumor has it that Tarsi may have mentioned these words:
Very good advice, but I would like to add: the drive shroud notches between
cable & floppy are not always compatible or correct - just because the
connector is keyed doesn't mean that that is the correct way to plug it
into the slot -- double check pin one on the cable and on the floppy drive
[read: look at the silk-screening on the interface PCB for a triangle, dot
or "Pin 1"] and *make sure* the red stripe is actually on Pin 1 of the drive.
Nice sharp Leatherman knife blades are just the right size & thickness for
hacking off that stupid little key when it's backwards - I do it 2 or 3
times a month, so it's not a rare occurance around here. ;-)
HTH,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger
--
Roger "Merch" Merchberger --- sysadmin, Iceberg Computers
Recycling is good, right??? Ok, so I'll recycle an old .sig.
If at first you don't succeed, nuclear warhead
disarmament should *not* be your first career choice.
I tried the only old floppy I had laying around.
The light stayed on on the
front. I don't know if that means it worked or it didn't.
When the light on the floppy drive stays on like that, it usually means the
cable is turned around. Try putting the cable on the other way (flip it
over). Red line on cable goes to Pin #1 on drive.
9:05 a.m.
Hi!
Yes, I'm aware of that. This cable, however, can only go into the drive one way.
It has a ridge which keeps it from going in wrong. It fits into the slot at the
bottom of the floppy. Also, I did verify that the pin 1 on the cable was the pin
1 on the FD.
Thanks...
Mike N.
Tarsi wrote:
I tried the
only old floppy I had laying around. The light stayed on on the
front. I don't know if that means it worked or it didn't.
When the light on the floppy drive stays on like that, it usually means the
cable is turned around. Try putting the cable on the other way (flip it
over). Red line on cable goes to Pin #1 on drive.
Tarsi
210
8:33 a.m.
This machine has "What looks like" a normal
floppy cable. It is not SCSI. I
don't really _need_ a floppy but the machine has a big hole in the front where
a floppy went and someone removed it. They left the cable though. I would like
to mount a floppy here just in case it's needed and to close the hole. :^)
OK, that's a good reason :^)
I tried the only old floppy I had laying around. The
light stayed on on the
front. I don't know if that means it worked or it didn't. I didn't have time
to
do much else with it and I didn't have any OS media to try out. I only have VMS
for my VAXen and I don't have True64Unix. Don't mention WinNT for Alpha.
I've *NEVER* used the floppy on any of my Alpha's running VMS, only on the
two running OpenBSD, and I've since learned the trick of having a external
SCSI Hard Drive that I just use in place of the floppy. I've got one system
that has run Tru64 and NT also, but I've never had a need for the floppy
(the only reason it's run NT is NT actually handles a GUI on a 96MB system
(always check what memory costs before buying a Alpha) better than OpenVMS,
and way better than Tru64, that system is now running VMS without DECwindows
installed and is my server).
I guess I'll experiment some more...
Since it sounds like you're most concerned about cosmetics I'd just leave
the floppy disconnected and keep your eye out for a cheap RX23L.
Zane
9:37 a.m.
Hi Zane,
That's probably the best approach. :^)
Thanks!
Mike N.
(always check what memory costs before buying a Alpha)
better than OpenVMS,
and way better than Tru64, that system is now running VMS without DECwindows
installed and is my server).
I think I might spend the money and get the True64Unix software for this box. It's a
little steep in price but I've wanted a True64Unix box for awhile. I will however get
the Alpha VMS CD from the Hobbyist program just in case I get a wild hair. By the
way, is the Compaq True64Unix offer the same as others, you pay for the media and
shipping and the license is free? If so...anyone interested in making a copy of their
T64U for the cost of media and shipping? It can't be as much as Compaq wants.
I guess
I'll experiment some more...
Since it sounds like you're most concerned about cosmetics I'd just leave
the floppy disconnected and keep your eye out for a cheap RX23L.
Zane
10:42 a.m.
I think I might spend the money and get the True64Unix
software for this box. It's a
little steep in price but I've wanted a True64Unix box for awhile. I will however
get
the Alpha VMS CD from the Hobbyist program just in case I get a wild hair. By the
way, is the Compaq True64Unix offer the same as others, you pay for the media and
shipping and the license is free? If so...anyone interested in making a copy of their
T64U for the cost of media and shipping? It can't be as much as Compaq wants.
IIRC (it's been almost a year), the Tru64 Hobbyist program is such that you
order the *kit* from Compaq. I believe the kit includes the firmware CD,
Tru64 V5.0, one or two CD's of other software and permanent Hobbyist license
PAK's.
Beware, I found that it was painful to run Netscape on a Tru64 system with
96MB. Tru64 seems to be even more of a memory pig than OpenVMS.
Zane
16 Oct
16 Oct
1:35 a.m.
Hi All!
Hi!
Quick question. Does the Digital Alphastation 255 take
a regular ( as in
PC type ) floppy disk drive? Is there a special DEC FD drive I need to
get? I have a part number for the FD from DEC but the part description
doesn't tell me anything and the purchase price for the item is about
what you would expect for a PC type floppy drive buying direct from a
manufacturer.
Every PC-Floppy drive should work. It's a normal FD Controller. Normally
there are DEC Floppy drives in it, but others should work as well.
--
Best Regards,
Freddy
=====================================================================
Frederik Meerwaldt ICQ: 83045387 Homepage: http://www.freddym.org
Bavaria/Germany OpenVMS and Unix Howtos and much more
FREEBSD, NETBSD, OPENBSD, TRU64, OPENVMS, ULTRIX, BEOS, LINUX
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days inactive
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17 comments
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