24 Mar
2000
24 Mar
'00
12:33 p.m.
Does anyone have any pointers to sites on the web which cover Altos
machines? I've done a search on Yahoo and a couple of other places and
turned up nothing.
I'm particularly interested in information on the Unix systems they were
making around 1990 - we had one at work, an i386 in a tower case. Not PC
compatible IIRC, possibly called an "Altos III" or something similar.
While I'm on the subject, would anyone in the UK have one of these they want
rid of?
TTFN - Pete.
--
Hardware & Software Engineer. Sound Engineer.
Collector of Arcade Machines, Games Consoles & Obsolete Computers (esp DEC)
peter.pachla(a)wintermute.org.uk | www.wintermute.org.uk
--
24 Mar
24 Mar
4:18 p.m.
I have an ALTOS model 586, non-functioning with a DC600 or some similar size
tape cartridge drive. Do you knonw anyting about that thing? It appears to
be a multiuser/server unit of some sort, as it supports a number of serial
ports. I bought this thing about a year ago because one of the folks on
this list asked me to He later changed his mind and the thrift store where
I got it wouldn't even take it back because it was not PC or MAC gear.
Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Pachla <peter.pachla(a)wintermute.org.uk>
To: Classic Computer <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Friday, March 24, 2000 7:33 PM
Subject: Altos machines
Does anyone have any pointers to sites on the web
which cover Altos
machines? I've done a search on Yahoo and a couple of other places and
turned up nothing.
I'm particularly interested in information on the Unix systems they were
making around 1990 - we had one at work, an i386 in a tower case. Not PC
compatible IIRC, possibly called an "Altos III" or something similar.
While I'm on the subject, would anyone in the UK have one of these they
want
rid of?
TTFN - Pete.
--
Hardware & Software Engineer. Sound Engineer.
Collector of Arcade Machines, Games Consoles & Obsolete Computers (esp
DEC)
peter.pachla(a)wintermute.org.uk | www.wintermute.org.uk
--
26 Mar
26 Mar
7:57 a.m.
Hi Dick,
I have an ALTOS model 586, non-functioning with a
DC600 or
some similar size tape cartridge drive. Do you knonw anyting
about that thing?
Sorry, but no.
All I recall of Altos was that they made a fair few Z80 based machines in
the early '80s and that i386 based Xenix box we had at work.
....It appears to be a multiuser/server unit of some
sort, as
it supports a number of serial ports. I bought this thing
about a year ago because one of the folks on this list asked
me to He later changed his mind and the thrift store where I
got it wouldn't even take it back because it was not PC or MAC
gear.
Sounds interesting, it's a shame you're the other side of the planet....
What does it look like? I've just recalled that I did once see an Altos box
at a radio rally (my then girlfriend made me leave it) which was similar in
size to a PC tower case. The thing was a HORRIBLE shade of brown, I think
had both a floppy and a tape drive, and had seperate "busy" indicators for
each of the internal hard drives.
TTFN - Pete.
--
Hardware & Software Engineer. Sound Engineer.
Collector of Arcade Machines, Games Consoles & Obsolete Computers (esp DEC)
peter.pachla(a)wintermute.org.uk | www.wintermute.org.uk
--
9:22 a.m.
This pair of boxes is nominally the same size, somewhat narrower than
"rack-width" and about 7" tall. They're plastic boxes with a beige
(could
be influenced by many years' cigarrette smoke) exterior and black (probably
... I haven't looked closely at them for some time.) front.
They're quite weighty. By that I mean absolutely too heavy to ship across
the planet.
regards,
Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Pachla <peter.pachla(a)wintermute.org.uk>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2000 2:57 PM
Subject: Re: Altos machines
Hi Dick,
box
I have an ALTOS model 586, non-functioning with a
DC600 or
some similar size tape cartridge drive. Do you knonw anyting
about that thing?
Sorry, but no.
All I recall of Altos was that they made a fair few Z80 based machines in
the early '80s and that i386 based Xenix box we had at work.
....It appears to be a multiuser/server unit of
some sort, as
it supports a number of serial ports. I bought this thing
about a year ago because one of the folks on this list asked
me to He later changed his mind and the thrift store where I
got it wouldn't even take it back because it was not PC or MAC
gear.
Sounds interesting, it's a shame you're the other side of the planet....
What does it look like? I've just recalled that I did once see an Altos at a radio rally (my then girlfriend made me leave it)
which was similar
in
size to a PC tower case. The thing was a HORRIBLE
shade of brown, I think
had both a floppy and a tape drive, and had seperate "busy" indicators for
each of the internal hard drives.
TTFN - Pete.
--
Hardware & Software Engineer. Sound Engineer.
Collector of Arcade Machines, Games Consoles & Obsolete Computers (esp
DEC)
peter.pachla(a)wintermute.org.uk | www.wintermute.org.uk
--
2:12 p.m.
Hi,
....somewhat narrower than "rack-width" and
about 7" tall.
They're plastic boxes with a beige....
No, this thing was designed as a deskside tower - looked DARN heavy too.
I was going to snap it up, the guy only wanted 5 pounds for it. Then my
girlfriend got involved....
They're quite weighty. By that I mean absolutely
too heavy
to ship across the planet.
Of that I have no doubt! :-)
TTFN - Pete.
--
Hardware & Software Engineer. Sound Engineer.
Collector of Arcade Machines, Games Consoles & Obsolete Computers (esp DEC)
peter.pachla(a)wintermute.org.uk | www.wintermute.org.uk
--
10:49 a.m.
On Sun, 26 Mar 2000, Peter Pachla wrote:
Hi Dick,
> I have an ALTOS model 586, non-functioning with a DC600 or
>some similar size tape cartridge drive. Do you knonw anyting
What does it look like? I've just recalled that I
did once see an Altos box
at a radio rally (my then girlfriend made me leave it) which was similar in
size to a PC tower case. The thing was a HORRIBLE shade of brown, I think
had both a floppy and a tape drive, and had seperate "busy" indicators for
each of the internal hard drives.
It seems to me the one we have is a very dirty looking brown also, with
strange angles on the case that give it a sort of Flash Gordon feeling.
M. K. Peirce
Rhode Island Computer Museum, Inc.
215 Shady Lea Road,
North Kingstown, RI 02852
"Casta est qui nemo rogavit."
- Ovid
11:19 a.m.
These are a dark beige, somewhat darker than the typical PC-beige after ten
years in a tobacco-smoke-rich environment.
They're a yellowish beige too yellow to be considered brown.
I would point out, however, that I've got a red-green color deficiency.
I can read resistor code, but generally only in natural daylight.
Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: Merle K. Peirce <at258(a)osfn.org>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Cc: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2000 5:49 PM
Subject: Re: Altos machines
On Sun, 26 Mar 2000, Peter Pachla wrote:
box
Hi Dick,
> I have an ALTOS model 586, non-functioning with a DC600 or
>some similar size tape cartridge drive. Do you knonw anyting
> What does it look like? I've just recalled that I did once see an Altos
> at a radio rally (my then girlfriend made me
leave it) which was similar
in
> size to a PC tower case. The thing was a HORRIBLE
shade of brown, I
think
> had both a floppy and a tape drive, and had
seperate "busy" indicators
for
each of the
internal hard drives.
It seems to me the one we have is a very dirty looking brown also, with
strange angles on the case that give it a sort of Flash Gordon feeling.
M. K. Peirce
Rhode Island Computer Museum, Inc.
215 Shady Lea Road,
North Kingstown, RI 02852
"Casta est qui nemo rogavit."
- Ovid
2:08 p.m.
Hi,
It seems to me the one we have is a very dirty looking
brown
also, with strange angles on the case that give it a sort of
Flash Gordon feeling.
I like it.... :-))
Yeah, that kind of describes the machine I saw....it might have been beige
once upon a time....
TTFN - Pete.
--
Hardware & Software Engineer. Sound Engineer.
Collector of Arcade Machines, Games Consoles & Obsolete Computers (esp DEC)
peter.pachla(a)wintermute.org.uk | www.wintermute.org.uk
--
11:54 p.m.
Yes, I think it may have been multiple shades of brown, at least one of
which looked sort of ICL.
On Mon, 27 Mar 2000, Peter Pachla wrote:
Hi,
M. K. Peirce
Rhode Island Computer Museum, Inc.
215 Shady Lea Road,
North Kingstown, RI 02852
"Casta est qui nemo rogavit."
- Ovid
It seems to me the one we have is a very dirty
looking brown
also, with strange angles on the case that give it a sort of
Flash Gordon feeling.
I like it.... :-))
Yeah, that kind of describes the machine I saw....it might have been beige
once upon a time....
TTFN - Pete.
--
Hardware & Software Engineer. Sound Engineer.
Collector of Arcade Machines, Games Consoles & Obsolete Computers (esp DEC)
peter.pachla(a)wintermute.org.uk | www.wintermute.org.uk
--
28 Mar
28 Mar
2:03 p.m.
Peter Pachla wrote:
Does anyone have any pointers to sites on the web which cover Altos
machines? I've done a search on Yahoo and a couple of other places and
turned up nothing.
I'm particularly interested in information on the Unix systems they were
making around 1990 - we had one at work, an i386 in a tower case. Not PC
compatible IIRC, possibly called an "Altos III" or something similar.
While I'm on the subject, would anyone in the UK have one of these they want
rid of?
TTFN - Pete.
--
Hardware & Software Engineer. Sound Engineer.
Collector of Arcade Machines, Games Consoles & Obsolete Computers (esp DEC)
peter.pachla(a)wintermute.org.uk | www.wintermute.org.uk
--
Try the sites listed at:
http://www.acersupport.com/ess/html/a3000.html
In particular, http://www.cpiinc.com/altos/altos.html has information on
a lot of the machines discussed in this thread.
jbdigriz
29 Mar
29 Mar
8:40 a.m.
Hi,
Try the sites listed at:....
Thanks, I'll go check them out.
TTFN - Pete.
--
Hardware & Software Engineer. Sound Engineer.
Collector of Arcade Machines, Games Consoles & Obsolete Computers (esp DEC)
peter.pachla(a)wintermute.org.uk | www.wintermute.org.uk
--
31 Mar
31 Mar
3:47 a.m.
New subject: Another Sparc question (SparcClassic)
I have a Sparc Classic (sorta) that I'm trying to get up and going.
When it boots it displays the following:
Can?t read disk label
Can?t open sun disk label package
It then proceeds to boot into single user mode, but with everything
mounted read only. The drive itself looks ok and the fs can't be too
messed up since it still boots and I can still see and do stuff (as
long as it doesn't write to the disk).
If I try to fsck it, it comes back and says:
can't stat /dev/rdsk/c0t3d0s0
How do I put a disk label back on the drive. Preferably a method
that doesn't require a cd/tape to boot from (only have a floppy drive).
Thanks
George
4:51 a.m.
New subject: Another Sparc question (SparcClassic)
I have a Sparc Classic (sorta) that I'm trying to
get up and going.
When it boots it displays the following:
Can't read disk label
Can't open sun disk label package
It then proceeds to boot into single user mode, but with everything
mounted read only. The drive itself looks ok and the fs can't be too
messed up since it still boots and I can still see and do stuff (as
long as it doesn't write to the disk).
If I try to fsck it, it comes back and says:
can't stat /dev/rdsk/c0t3d0s0
How do I put a disk label back on the drive. Preferably a method
that doesn't require a cd/tape to boot from (only have a floppy drive).
Thanks
George
Sounds like the disk label may have gotten hit.
Try uname -a and see what Solaris version it is.
I'd try fsck -n and see what partitions it knows about and can see
(bet it's just root).
It may be possible to run the format program and label it...
If you need it I've got some Sun compatible CDROMS (single speed
external slow) available that'll do the 512 byte sectors.
Bill
--
bpechter(a)monmouth.com | Microsoft: Where do you want to go today?
| Linux: Where do you want to go tomorrow?
| BSD: Are you guys coming, or what?
8802
days inactive
8809
days old
12 comments
6 participants
participants (6)
-
at258＠osfn.org -
edick＠idcomm.com -
g＠kurico.com -
jbdigriz＠dragonsweb.org -
pechter＠pechter.dyndns.org -
peter.pachla＠wintermute.org.uk