On Fri, 21 Dec 2001, Boatman on the River of Suck wrote: Done. I'll power him up & check him out before shipping. BTW, you probably already know it takes standard PS/2 SIMMs. Not included. Doc

On Sat, 22 Dec 2001, Cameron Kaiser wrote: Nice catch! Since you didn't mention extra-wide, I'm guessing that was an F-series 7025, or maybe one of the C-series. If it was about the size of a 2-drawer file-cabinet overall, then a 7013-series. The MCA RS6ks all had bright yellow resets, and keylocks. The best source I know for info is: http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/pseries/library/hardware_docs/ I don't know of a site with a comparative line-up, but the system docs above all have line-drawings of that model. Also setup, options and maintenace/repair info. Doc

On Mon, 24 Dec 2001, Cameron Kaiser wrote: That would be the 7013-560 or 7013-580. They're both dandy machines. They like lots o' ram, but the 560 is pretty fast, considering the era, and the 580 is downright zippy. Both are stump-pullers - you can load them beyond all reason. If I recall correctly, they are fairly straightforward boxen. My 550 and the 7012-355 I once had both required terminators to the external scsi interface. These are an oddball connector, not easy to come across. You do need the keys. If you can't get them, force or drill the lock on the REAR panel. That is a straight mechanical barrel, and controls physical access to the entire innards, including the front lock barrel. The serial ports on the 560 & I _think_ the 580 are standard 25-pin rs232; no probs there. There are a couple of 64M memory boards on ebay right now -- if you're ever going to juke them up, $25 USD each ain't bad. http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1313304861 He doesn't list the 560 as compatible, but I don't think that list can be right anyway. If I were going to bid, I'd ask the seller for the FRU P/N of the ram _card_, as well as the simms, and look it up in the service diagnostics manual. The machines are all listed in the memory compatibility section, with all boards & SIMMs they accept. Also whether they want 1, 2, or 4 card groups. I keep hearing that if you install >v4 AIX you can use a regular PS/2 keyboard. I've not gotten that to happen, but I may well have missed something. If your standard keyboard won't work, you need not only an IBM keyboard, but one of 2 or 3 specific models. The point being "Try real hard to end up with their original kbd & mouse". I think I have both models if you need specific FRU #s. That guy will boot from most any 8mm DAT drive, a very limited range of CD-ROM drives (Plextor is your friend) or from a remote server. Of course, you have to boot into service mode to set up remote boot.... I haven't tried on my 550, but I'm near positive AIX v5.x will still run. I know v4.3.3 will. BTW, 5.0 & 5.1 are significantly faster than 4.x on the slower machines. I've also heard that they are very ESD-sensitive in general. I wear a wrist-strap anyway, more out of superstition than anything else, so I dunno. I also have (I think) a full set of diagnostic disks for the 7013s. The binder they're in got a little damp during the November flood, but I think it was just damp, not direct wetting. And yes, Sridhar, I'll make you a copy too. I've had to drill the locks on a couple, so I can give details with that if you need, and I have some parts/pieces lying around. Including harddrive sleds, body parts, maybe a floppy drive & sled or two. Have fun! Doc

On Mon, 24 Dec 2001, Cameron Kaiser wrote: Cool. Up & running off the bat.... Well.... Actually, I don't think that's the party line. the reality is more of a "don't ask, don't tell" thing. The OS has no license file, no CD or reg key or any of that crap, though, and I've never heard of IBM spanking a **private** user who borrowed a copy of AIX. The party line with 4.3.2 and 4.3.3 is that IBM would sell you a "non-commercial, educational" 2-user-licensed copy for the price of the media. $50 USD. 4-cd base set, 2-cd bonus pack, 2-cd docs, trial version of Oracle & Db2. I dunno if that's still in force for 5.1. However, trying to *order* that was one of the most Abbott&Costello routines I ever experienced. It's a pretty long story. Feel free to move on. I had bought a 7248-132 from MT Leasing, in Ohio. I called IBM sales & tols them I wanted to buy the non-commercial set of AIX. They passed me on to the AIX Sales Group. The following is as close to verbatim as I can recall: Them: Welcome to IBM's AIX Solutions Group. What company are you with? Me: No company. This is for me personally. Them: OK. What company does the RS/6000 belong to? Me: Me. I own it personally. <VERY long pause> Them: And how will we bill this? Me: MasterCard. Them: The total charges will be $950 plus state sales tax. Me: No. I said I wanted to order the non-commercial, educational version. Them: We don't do that. Me: Your website says that you do. Them: I never heard of such a thing. Me: The URL is <don't-have-the-link-anymore> <Even Longer Pause> Them: May I have your phone number? I have to verify this, and find out how to do it. We'll call you back as soon as possible. Two Days Later: Them: This is John with IBM's AIX Sales Group. You had inquired about the educational license for AIX version 4.3.3? Me: Hi. Yes, I did. Them: OK. We checked that out and it _is_ our policy. So you don't need anything from us. AIX installs with the 2-user license in place. Me: Well, I need the media. The URL I gave you states that you'll ship for the price of the media. Them: Hold on. <25 minute hold> Them: Mr. Shipley, can we reach you again at this number? Next Day: Them: This is John with IBM's AIX Sales Group. We have some more information concerning your request. Me: Cool. What'd you find out? Them: Well, that promo is valid, but it's only available to students and private users. I see you're in Austin; we already have a licensing agreement with University of Texas, so you shouldn't need anything from us. Me: This isn't for UT. Them: But your profile with us says you're a UT employee. Me: I am. But this is not connected to UT. This is for my private use. Them: But if you're using a UT computer, their AIX license is valid. Me: It's not a UT computer. It's my computer. Them: Yes, but it's assigned to you by the University of Texas, right? Me: No. This computer belongs solely to me. I own it. I *bought* it. For me. <Very Long Silence> Them: You personally **own** an RS/6000? Me: Yes. It's sitting on my kitchen table. Them: Um. Could I get the model number and serial number from you? <I give them the numbers> <5 minute hold> Them: OK, Mr. Shipley. So you're with ACME Construction, Dayton Ohio? Me: Huh!?@? Them: We have this computer registered to ACME Construct.... Me: NO! This is MY computer. I bought it from Midwest technology and Leasing, who are based in Ohio. I assume this is a unit retired from a lease, probably that construction company. But it is not theirs. It is mine. I can fax you copies of the invoice, the money order I paid with, and the shipping manifest if you like. Them: You _bought_ an RS/6000? For your _own_ use? Me-in-my-head: Hey! You're pretty quick, ain't ya? Me: Yes. And I'd like to put AIX version 4.3.3 on it. And I'd like for you to license that and ship it to me for the price of the media. Them: I don't think we do that. Me: I thought we already decided we DO do that. Them: But there couldn't be a maintenance contract or *anything*. Me: May I speak with your supervisor? Them: Can I have someone call you back? Four Hours Later: Them: Mr Shipley? This is Mr. Doe. I'm a manager with IBM's AIX Solutions Group. I understand you're having some trouble ordering software for your RS/6000? Me: Yes, I am. Thank you for calling. Them: I don't have your company listed here. What company are you with? Me: This is not for any company. This is for a 7248-132 that I own and would *like* to use personally. Them: Oh. $950 is a little expensive for a personal OS, isn't it? Me: Your website advertises a personal-use, non-commercial set of AIX v4.3.2 for the price of the media. Fifty dollars US. <Give URL yet again> <Wait 5 minutes> Them: Well. It appears that we do. May I have your mailing address? Me-in-my-head: YAY!!!! <Give them address> Them: And I'll transfer you to our Fulfillment Desk to arrange the billing and shipping. Billing: Mr Shipley! Hi! This is Anne with IBM Fulfillment. I have an order from the AIX guys for you? Me: Yes. Billing: And what company is this for? Me: No company. It's for me. Billing: Yes, but what company do we BILL this to? Me-in-my-head: AAAAGGGHH!!!!! A week later I get a 17-page contract from IBM in the mail, basically an expanded, slightly less restricted version of the standard software EULA, which states 3 times that this is strictly for non-commercial use, and no less than 4 (four) times that I understand completely that I get no software support, hardware support, nor maintenance contract from IBM for my $50 USD. I sign in four places and fax it to IBM, per instructions. Two weeks later, I get the whole AIX v4.3.2 distribution, complete with Bonus Pack, Update CD, and hard-copy documentation. Doc

On Tue, 25 Dec 2001, Robert Schaefer wrote: They changed their name, state & URL this year. They're ElaraSys now, and they're in Illinois. www.elarasys.com Not bad prices on RS/6000 and Sun stuff, relative to most of the resellers out there. We've bought 4 or 5 systems from them and some tape libraries & stuff. Decent guys. Doc

On Tue, 25 Dec 2001, Robert Schaefer wrote: Ack! That's new. OK, They USED to be decent guys.... A Unix shop doing a Flash-ridden website. Jeez. Doc

<snip> <snip> You might try: http://www.exquip.com/products/ibm/ Mike