Re: Also WTB: DEC VSXXX-AA Mouse or Compatible

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

if you end up buying "a few kilograms" of those mice, I could use a couple,
too (I'm also in the Bay Area).


On Fri, Feb 11, 2022 at 11:52 AM Jonathan Stone via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

>
> If available, I'd like to purchase a bunch. I am setting up a lab to work
> on X11 (and then accelerated X11) support for NetBSD, on:
>  - Vaxstation II
>  - Vaxstation II/GPX
>  - vaxstation 2000 with 8-plane GPX, and mono if I can find another chassis
>  - microvax 3100 with. mono, GPX, and/or SPX
>  - DECstation 5000 with a range of Turbochannel graphics options (and
> 3100s if I fix more PSUs)
>  - Dec 3000 AXP, with a range of Turbohannel graphics options ( I have
> 300, 500, 600, and 700)
>
> I vaguely recall someone (in Australia?) mentioning they had -CA or -GA
> mice "by the kilogram". I'd pay fair price and shipping to the USA.
> (I live in the San Francisco Bay Area) .
>
> Obviously I can move a single mouse around if required, but that can cause
> issues on reboot when no mouse is present.
>
> 3W3 to BNC. (BC29G), BC18P/BC19S, DEC DB15-to-RGB (mono or RGB,
> BC23J-03?), and DEC DB15 to mouse/keyboard cables (17-02640-01), also
> sought after.j
>

Re: Sun-2 and Sun-3 mice (eBay)

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Tue, Oct 26, 2021 at 6:01 AM Antonio Carlini via cctech <
cct...@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> On 26/10/2021 07:43, r.stricklin via cctech wrote
> > Hadn't realized before that there were Sun-2 mice which weren't black
> (were white/beige). I know some folks are looking.
> >
> "Unable to test. Some yellowing"
>
>
> That needs some serious cleaning ... although that would then expose
> even more yellowing :-)
>
I bought some of his stuff, but I picked it up. No complaints, it cleaned
up nicely. Try "make an offer"...


Antonio
>
>
> --
> Antonio Carlini
> anto...@acarlini.com
>
>

Re: Ultrix-11

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Sun, Aug 15, 2021 at 9:29 AM Warner Losh via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> On Sun, Aug 15, 2021, 9:11 AM Bill Gunshannon via cctalk <
> cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
>
> > On 8/15/21 12:53 AM, Warner Losh via cctalk wrote:
> > > On Sat, Aug 14, 2021 at 3:26 PM jim stephens via cctalk <
> > > cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> > >
> > >>   > I'm running Ultrix V2 on Simh quite happily today and have a
> couple
> > >>
> > >
> > > I did some quick searching and couldn't find a Ultrix-11 V2 image out
> in
> > > the interwebs...
> > >
> > > Anybody have better google fu than me that can hook me up?
>
I don't have a proper V2 distribution, but I did manage to compile it from
the sources that are flying around and create a working installation. I
could not figure out how to create installation media though, the process
seems to require some kind of "prototype disk" which I don't have and
didn't have the motivation to reverse engineer.

Somebody (not me) helpfully uploaded it to archive.org:
https://archive.org/details/vax-ultrix-2.0.tar




> > >
> > > Warner
> > >
> >
> >
> > With 3.1 available why would you want to run 2.0?
>
>
> Historical research.
>
> Warner
>
> Someone mentioned
> > a 4.0.  I don't remember there ever being anything after 3.1 (promised,
> > but never saw it delivered)  Would be fun to look at.  But I suspect
> > anything beginning with 4 is actually Ultrix-32 which I think went as
> > far as 4.5.
> >
> > bill
> >
> >
>

SPARCengine CP1200

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

I just acquired a Sun SPARCengine CP1200. To my knowledge the CP1200 is the
only 32bit SPARC with a PCI bus, which makes it pretty cool. It was also
extremely unpopular, because who wants a 100MHz MicroSPARC IIep when you
can have a SPARCengine CP1500 with a 270MHz UltraSPARC IIi (they were
released at the same time, and I suspect the cost difference wasn't all
that much).

Would anyone know where I can find a Sun PROM image? mine has a VxWorks
ROM, but I'd rather run Solaris on it. I've searched everywhere, and
couldn't find anything. Most "usual" places (e.g. the FE handbook) barely
acknowledge its existence if at all. AFAIK this predates field upgradeable
flash PROMs, so it's not hidden in a patch somewhere.

thanks
Rico

Looking for Console MUX cable for HP E45

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

I recently acquired a HP 9000 E45.

Unfortunately, it came without the console MUX panel and cable. I was lucky
to find an ADP II (5062-3054) in my "pile of useful stuff", but sadly, the
78pin to DB9 cable is missing.

The part number of the cable is 5060-3074 though there might be others that
work (5062-3074 is mentioned a few times in the HP forums, but not in the
manual so I'm not 100% certain it's the right cable).

Does anyone have a spare cable or an ADP or DDP with the cable they would
let go for a reasonable price? Or have one and could tell me which 9 out of
those 78 pins go where on the DB9 connector?

thanks
Rico

Re: Informix for SCO XENIX

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Thu, Oct 15, 2020 at 1:26 AM Christian Corti via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> On Tue, 13 Oct 2020, Sean Ellis wrote:
> > Just wanted to let you all know that I've found a copy of Informix
> > 3.11 for SCO XENIX on the Lisa 2... anyone interested?
>
> Interesting, yesterday I got a copy of Informix 2.0 for SINIX (a Siemens
> XENIX derivate) for the PC-X.
>
Can I get a copy of that? I have a PC-X ;)


> Christian
>

Re: SPARCstation ELC Installation and repair guide

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Tue, Sep 15, 2020 at 1:53 PM Michael Engel via cctech <
cct...@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> > On 15 Sep 2020, at 20:24, Rico Pajarola via cctech <
> cct...@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> >
> > Does anyone have the Sun SPARCstation ELC Installation and repair guide?
> >
> > I have a few naked ELC boards and I'd like to know what that edge
> connector
> > does (presumably power and video) and if feasible build something from it
> > (1U rackmount Sun4c server? Slim client built into the back of an LCD?
> > SPARC Laptop? Endless possibilities)
>
> Somebody had that idea already (and I like it... but I gave away all of my
> SLCs and ELCs years ago):
> http://www.sunhelp.org/~mouse/headless-elc.html
>
> However, it seems that this is still using the connector board which the
> actual CPU board plugs into. The page mentions that the author has been
> sent a pinout of the edge connector, but it isn't linked.
>
thanks, that site didn't turn up in my search. I remember Mouse, I shot him
an email and hope I get a reply ;)

Have fun,
> Michael
>
>

SPARCstation ELC Installation and repair guide

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

Does anyone have the Sun SPARCstation ELC Installation and repair guide?

I have a few naked ELC boards and I'd like to know what that edge connector
does (presumably power and video) and if feasible build something from it
(1U rackmount Sun4c server? Slim client built into the back of an LCD?
SPARC Laptop? Endless possibilities)

Re: Brittle plastic

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

I have a friend who is a Materials Science Technologist and specializes in
injection molded plastics. So... basically the same thing that's in
computer cases (even though he doesn't deal with computer cases). I grilled
him at length on this topic, and he insisted that the brittleness with age
(and UV light) is expected and irreversible. Basically, the plastic
softeners are off-gassing, and there's no way to put them back in.

I'm still hoping for a happier second opinion, though I'm not holding my
breath.

In my experience, brittleness varies wildly and goes from "no big deal" to
"crumbles if you blow at it", even for otherwise identical machines. I
recently acquired a Japanese Ultra 1 clone, and the back was smashed in
shipping, and crumbled into a thousand pieces not even large enough to glue
back together. Luckily the front only had a single crack that could be
glued back together.





On Fri, Aug 28, 2020 at 9:38 AM Tom Hunter via cctalk 
wrote:

> Today I was working on a very nice 1995 vintage SPARCstation LX with CDROM
> and QIC-150 tape drive (3 lunchbox type units). I was trying to install a
> newer version of NetBSD on it than was already installed. The stack of 3
> units was stored in a museum grade glass display cabinet. Sadly all 3 units
> have a small degree of yellowing but more importantly the plastic cases
> have become very brittle and bits just break off with minimal mechanical
> strain.
>
> Is there any process to reverse the brittleness which could be used to
> preserve the cases?
>
> Thanks
> Tom Hunter
>

Re: OpenVMS Community License

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Thu, Jul 30, 2020 at 8:06 AM Bill Gunshannon via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> > One could make a case that the
> > wording of the license is imprecise enough
>
> The wording is only imprecise to those who do not wish to follow it.
> It is, by far, the cleanest and plainest written Hobbyist License I
> have ever seen.

IANAL, but I'm married to one... just pointing out that "clear language"
does not mean the same thing to lawyers as it does to us engineers.
"software owned by Digital Equipment Corporation" is pretty vague as far as
lawyer-speak goes. The license does not seem to specifically include or
exclude alternative scenarios. Anyone, especially a non-lawyer who was not
involved with the drafting of the license, and says "obviously that must
mean X" is just making stuff up (it doesn't matter what X is. Notice that
I'm not saying it means you can use it under this license. I don't know,
and IANAL). It's like undefined behaviour in C. You can make an educated
guess (given additional information you have, such as history,
correspondence with Mentec about the topic etc.), and you might be right,
but the only way to find out for sure is to run the compiler and look at
the disassembly, i.e. force a clarification from Mentec.

Re: Bringing up MVME 197LE (88k)

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

Make sure the configuration switch for system controller matches the slot
it's in. Fixing the NVRAM seems like a good next step. Not sure I'd remove
the memory mezzanine, I don't think the board can do much without it.



On Mon, Jun 29, 2020 at 3:53 PM r...@hack.net ryan--- via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

>
> Anyone have experience with the Moto 88k VME boards?  I have an MVME197LE
> that I’m trying to bring up but it’s staying in BRDFAIL, while SYSCON and
> RUN are green and pressing RESET appears to work.
>
> Nothing on console at all. (via a 712 transition module)
>
> Same behavior with the NVRAM removed.
>
> I do have the mezzanine card which has stayed affixed with an interesting
> inter-board connection.  (Is this separate-able?  Should it function
> without this DRAM?).
>
>
> I’ll dive deep into debugging this, but if anyone has some tips or
> experience they could share it would be appreciated!
>
> Thanks!
>
> -Ryan Brooks
> r...@hack.net
>

looking for VME board manuals

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

Hi all

I acquired a "few" VME boards over the years, and I finally have time to
deal with some of the less cooperative ones.

I'm looking for the following VME board manuals (any information is
welcome, especially pinouts for the front panel or P2 connectors, jumpers,
how to re-create the nvram contents etc. ).

* Themis Sparc 10MP (not 20MP which is an entirely different board with a
different front panel)
* Force SPARC CPU 10
* MVME3600 (user's or installation manual, I can only find the programmer's
manual)

also looking for manuals for some HP VXI boards (more for completeness than
because they're necessary, the boards are pretty self-explanatory unless
you need to recreate the cables):
* HP E1499A (V/382)
* HP E1498A (V/743)
* HP E1480A (V/362)

Also anything about the Mercury RACE MCH6 or MCV6 system that's more than a
marketing brochure (actually, I'd even take a marketing brochure). I have
some i860 and PowerPC boards but absolutely no idea where to start. And of
course I'm also looking for software, but I'm not holding my breath...

thanks!
Rico

Re: 13W3 to HDMI/DisplayPort

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

I've had good success using various Extron adapters.

I'm currently using a RGB112xi to convert  => VGA.

So far the adapter works as advertised with anything I managed to connect
it to (various HP/DEC/Sun/SGI/RS6000, including mono and SoG) to a cheap
Dell monitor that definitely doesn't understand sync on green. The adapter
fully regenerates all signals including separate H/V sync.

>From there I would assume any cheap VGA => HDMI adapter should work (but I
never had the urge, because HDMI monitors also tend to be wide format which
doesn't work very well for classic computing)

I also have other Extron converters, but the RGB112xi is best for 1990s
workstations. The only thing I wish it had was a way to choose the color
when the input signal is monochrome.



On Sun, May 24, 2020 at 9:53 AM Alan Perry via cctalk 
wrote:

>
> When I first started trying to use VGA LCD panels with my Suns (mostly
> lunchbox systems, all 4c and 4m desktops), I heard there could be a
> problem like that and stuck with a particular model Samsung that worked.
> Then I tried another one and it worked. And another. And another. I
> haven't encountered one (out of half a dozen) that didn't work.
>
> alanp
>
> On 5/24/20 9:29 AM, alan--- via cctalk wrote:
> >
> > I've had the opposite experience.  I've been trying to find a 1U
> > pull-out keyboard/monitor/mouse combo for my E6500 rack.  Most of the
> > VGA LCD panels complain about signal out of range on both cg3 and cg6.
> > The E6500 really doesn't need a video console, but it'd be nice if one
> > was tucked in there.  Of course the weirdo Sun mounting rails in the
> > cabinet are yet another challenge.
> >
> > -A
> >
> > On 2020-05-24 11:16, Alan Perry via cctalk wrote:
> >
> >> Every flat panel display with a SVGA connector that I have had has
> >> worked with my 13W3-to-SVGA adapters. I have seen adapters that do the
> >> SVGA to HDMI part. I am asking if someone else here has figured out
> >> which one(s) work in this application.
>

Re: Microsoft open sources GWBASIC

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Fri, May 22, 2020 at 7:41 AM Jim Brain via cctalk 
wrote:

> I'm assuming it's a language thing, but your comments seem overly
> dismissive.  You're essentially saying that the resulting generated ASM
> is of no interest (the tool was the interesting part, you note) and
> devoid of value.

That didn't come across right. It was not my intention to make it sound
like the ASM files have no value. I think it's great that they are doing
this, and I'm sure somebody at MS spent a lot of (personal and probably
unfunded) effort into making it happen.

When I saw the announcement, I was hoping to see the machinery that made
this code so portable, and I was disappointed that it's not the entire
thing.

Re: Microsoft open sources GWBASIC

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

cool, but...

these are "translated" sources (presumably from some generic source that is
run through a tool that generates x86 asm). I just wish they had also
released the "source of the source" and the translation tool. Because that
was the interesting part of it.


On Thu, May 21, 2020 at 10:43 PM jim stephens via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

>
> Seems of interest.  Will be interesting to play with.
>
> https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/microsoft-open-sources-gw-basic/
>
>
>

Re: Keyboard inverters/converters for terminals

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Thu, May 21, 2020 at 10:20 AM Eric Smith via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> IMNSHO, there's a special place in hell reserved for those who have
> designed equipment to (ab)use modular connectors other than for telephone
> lines and 10BASEx Ethernet, and I really think a better connector should
> have been chosen for 10BASEx.
>
The whole concept of "if the plug fits, it will at least not blow up" is
kind of a late invention.

And I'm amazed when this actually holds true in situations where I wouldn't
quite expect that to be the case (e.g. all those electrically not quite
compatible PCI/PCI-X/PCIe variants that have coded notches to prevent you
from frying your computer/card. Except that you can stick a PCI card
backwards into a PCIe slot)

DEC using MMJ may get a pass because they at least attempted to prevent
> connecting the wrong stuff together.
>

Any ideas why it took so much longer for keyboard interfaces to converge
than most other peripherals? Display interfaces, HDDs/floppies/tapes etc.,
serial ports, and even mice converged on only a few variants more or less
the moment they became commonplace.

I'd really like some first hand insight into why anyone would want to
invent a new interface/protocol from scratch every time they
start developing a new machine (I'm mostly talking about the "simple async
serial protocol sending up/down events" kind). Luckily there are only 12
different ways to wire a 4P4C, but there exist way more incompatible
keyboards using that connector. Is it really easier to develop an
incompatible serial keyboard interface from scratch than to re-use one that
already exists?

[actually, I kinda know, because of course it's easier to do a one-off and
not care about documentation, licensing, extensibility, or
forwards/backwards compatibility]

Re: SCSI2SD: Is it worth a try?

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

Is it perfect? No.

Is it worth a try? Absolutely!

I have both V5 and V6 and they work very well "most of the time". Some
machines just don't like them (usually in the form of frequent bus resets).
Some machines work better with the V5 and others better with the V6, and
sometimes settings need to be tweaked, but overall I am very happy with
them. I use them mostly as a CD-ROM replacement for installing the OS, and
it saves enormous amounts of time and CD-Rs. Speed is definitely not an
issue.






On Tue, Mar 19, 2019 at 3:16 AM Charles Dickman via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> What is the experience with the SCSI2SD with old computers? It looks to be
> SCSI-1 and SCSI-2 compatible and I see a lot of reports of usage on this
> list. I am curious about how well it works and which version to get.
>
> Versions up to 5 seem to be GPLed and reasonably available. V6 does not
> seem to have schematics or boards open sourced and I haven't seen a
> supplier for them. The web page lists some sources, but they don't have the
> V6 available.
>
> It looks like the V6 is not open because someone used the design without
> following the GPL.
>
> V6 claims synchronous transfers, but I don't think most of my hardware
> supports it. That consists of VAXstations and qbus scsi cards. If I was
> after speed I wouldn't be using old hardware, but the speed has to be
> consistent with the era.
>
> Chuck
>

Re: RS/6000 7043-140 boot floppies

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Mon, Feb 18, 2019 at 6:49 PM Alan Perry via cctech 
wrote:

>
> Is there some trick to making boot floppies for the RS/6000 7043-140 (a
> mid-90s PReP architecture machine)?
>
> I initially tried to install Solaris 2.5.1 on it and created the boot
>
#wrong43p

Solaris 2.5.1 PPC doesn't work on that machine.

I can't find the HCL doc, but according to the files present on the CD it
runs on:

IBM 6040 (ThinkPad 820)
IBM 6042 (ThinkPad 850)
IBM 6015 (PowerSeries 440, 7020-40P)
IBM 6050 (PowerSeries 830, 7248-43P)
IBM 6070 (PowerSeries 850, 7248-43P)
IBM 7248 (43P-100, 43P-120, 43P-132)
Motorola PowerStack Series DT/E/MT

The 7248-43P is substantially different from a 7043-140 "43P". I have it
running on a PowerStack Series E.

Did anyone ever unearth the Sun compiler for that?


floppy by dd'ing the image using a SPARCstation (running NetBSD). I
> dd'ed the image over, dd'ed it back and verified the SPARCstation could
> read back what it had written to the floppy. The RS/6000 loads what is
> on the floppy, but hangs transferring control to what it loaded.
>
> The 7043-140 does not appear on the list of supported systems in the
> Solaris 2.5.1 release notes, so, even though 2.5.1 supports PReP and the
> 7043-140 is a PReP machine, maybe they aren't compatible, so I tried
> NetBSD. The 7043-140 is listed as a supported system.
>
> The NetBSD boot floppy images are confusing to me. The files are too
> large to fit on a 1.44M floppy. I didn't see instructions on how to make
> boot floppies out of the .fs files one can download in the install
> instructions. I went ahead and tried to dd the part that fits onto a
> 1.44M floppy and try to boot that and of course that failed. I have
> e-mailed the NetBSD prep mailing list and no response from that.
>
> The system does boot the AIX install on one of its hard disks, but this
> is a recycled system and I don't have usernames/passwords for that install.
>
> Does anyone here have a suggestion on how to proceed?
>
> alan
>
>

Re: sun model 47. code 4/40 does it have the nvram with battery?

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

I have a Fujitsu Leia2 S-4. Does anyone have a manual for it? (even if it's
Japanese)

On Wed, Dec 5, 2018 at 2:03 AM Chris Hanson via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> There are also the Fujitsu LeiA SPARC portables. I’ve used OPENSTEP 4.2 on
> one…
>
>   -- Chris
>
> > On Dec 3, 2018, at 8:45 PM, Alan Perry via cctalk 
> wrote:
> >
> > A company called RDI made the Britelite and Powerlite laptops. They
> eventually merged with Tadpole, which made its own SPARC laptops
> (SPARCbooks). As someone else mentioned, there were different Britelite
> models based on the various Sun lunchbox system boards. When I had my
> Britelite IPX on display on VCF, someone told me that they recognized the
> case as something used in another laptop.
> >
> > Sun never made their own laptop, but they made a portable called the
> SPARCstation Voyager.
> >
> > On 12/3/18 7:33 PM, ED SHARPE wrote:
> >> Very Nice collection! Yes  have to love that  laptop. Did not know  SUN
> made one. or  I  guess a third  party  put the  Sun  goodies in a case of
> their  design?  either way   NEAT!
> >>
> >>
> >> Seeing   a  nice  run of  systems like this in wonderful condition  is
> great!
> >>
> >>
> >> Ed#
> >>
> >> In a message dated 12/2/2018 5:49:49 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
> cctalk@classiccmp.org writes:
> >>
> >> I will have to get back with you on the audio. It is on offline backup
> >> media and I need to find it.
> >>
> >> Here is a link to some photos of the exhibit -
> >> https://photos.app.goo.gl/7qC8UbEYCeCf9CBo7
> >>
> >> The RDI Britelite (laptop) is a SPARCstation IPX system board in a
> >> laptop chassis. It was in the Day 1 exhibit, but not the Day 2 exhibit
> >> because the power adapter died on the morning of the second day.
> >>
> >> One of the photos is an opened-up SPARCstation LX, which is very similar
> >> on the inside to your IPC.
> >>
> >> My exhibit next year will be on early 90s SPARC clones.
> >>
> >> alan
> >>
> >> On 12/2/18 1:43 PM, ED SHARPE via cctalk wrote:
> >> > Alan...   would   love  a  copy  of  the  audio  for  our archives
> here.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Would  like to  see pix  of  your  display too  sounds neat!
> >> >
> >> > Any  other   files  text  or  otherwise  welcome  also  to  this
> address   or  drop  us a   dropbox  link
> >> >
> >> > The  Sun  workstations  I  never  knew too much  about as at the
> time   did not  seems  like  old  history  nor  did  we use any  so playing
> catchup!
> >> >
> >> > Thanks in  advance...
> >> >
> >> > Ed#
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > In a message dated 12/2/2018 12:44:32 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
> cctalk@classiccmp.org  writes:
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > There is only room for drives in the top half of the chassis.  The PSU
> >> > and an assembly that holds the drives fills the top half. A 3.5"
> >> > half-height drive fits in one side of the assembly and a 3.5" floppy
> >> > drive fits in the other. The PSU cables go from the rear to the front
> of
> >> > that side of the chassis, below the FDD (when the chassis is closed).
> >> >
> >> > I did an exhibit on Sun lunchbox systems, including the IPC (4/40),
> for
> >> > PNW VCF earlier this year. I looked for press kits, posters, etc. to
> use
> >> > in the exhibit, but could only find text files. I know people who
> worked
> >> > at Sun on the development of those early SPARCstations and none of
> them
> >> > had any of that kind of material.
> >> >
> >> > I had an audio cassette "Introducing the IPC" for Sun sales. I donated
> >> > it to CHM this year (but I ripped the audio before I sent it to them).
> >> >
> >> > alan
> >> >
> >> > On 12/2/18 10:13 AM, ED SHARPE via cctalk wrote:
> >> >> Thanks  for the  info  to  get it  open!  when  back at the  office
>  shall   do that..   there  may  be  drives in 2 places -  on board and
> the off board  one. Always interesting to  explore  something   one  has
> only  read  about!
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Along the   same  line  of  UNIX   stuff   we  have a COBALT   1U
> Pretty  blue  sever and a  COBALT  CUBE.  I  do remember   lusting  after
> one of these   1U  COBALT  servers when they  were  current didn't  have
> anything in  the  budget back then  though  for  one.  I  have  been  told
> SUN eventually ended up  owning COBALT.
> >> >>
> >> >> As  will all that   wehave  we  are  looking  for any  ad
> slicks   press kitsposters,  wild artwork   for the  Sun $/40,and
> the  2  COBALT  machines..
> >> >>
> >> >> Ed Sharpe archivist  for SMECC www.smecc.org 
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> In a message dated 12/1/2018 8:15:39 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
> ape...@snowmoose.com  writes:
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Yes. It is next to floppy in the upper half of the chassis. There is
> a 50-pin (IDC connectors) ribbon cable that goes down to system board at
> the bottom of the lower half of the chassis. The chassis splits in the
> vertical 

Re: Looking for optical grid mouse pad

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Tue, Nov 13, 2018 at 10:32 PM Tomasz Rola via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> On Sat, Nov 10, 2018 at 07:12:49PM +0100, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech
> wrote:
> > On 11/10/18, 6:49 PM, "Rico Pajarola"  wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > I have tried to print my own mousepad, but the mouse only works in
> > the y direction on it.
> >
> > there were 2 versions of that mousepad, and the symptom of using the
> > wrong one was that the mouse would only move in one direction.
>
> Out of curiosity, would it work if you printed this one-directional
> grid on a translucent plastic and overlaid it on top of white paper
> sheet? If yes, then would it work if you printed two such translucent
> plastic grids and ovelaid them one on the other turned 90 degrees and
> that on white paper?
>
I never tried, but I don't think this would work. AIUI, it has a minimum
and a maximum spacing for the lines.

The white noise sheet "works" because some the black-white-black
transitions come with the right spacing, no matter what that spacing is (it
has to be the right order of magnitude, and it doesn't work as well as the
real thing). Crumpled tin-foil has been reported to work, too.



> --
> Regards,
> Tomasz Rola
>
> --
> ** A C programmer asked whether computer had Buddha's nature.  **
> ** As the answer, master did "rm -rif" on the programmer's home**
> ** directory. And then the C programmer became enlightened...  **
> ** **
> ** Tomasz Rola  mailto:tomasz_r...@bigfoot.com **
>

Re: Looking for optical grid mouse pad

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

Congrats on that amazing find.

On Sat, Nov 10, 2018 at 5:24 PM Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech <
cct...@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
>
>
> A week ago, I took possession of a second Ardent Titan graphics
> supercomputer, and unlike the other Titan, this one is almost complete.
> There is one tiny bit missing, and that is a mouse pad. The mouse used with
> this systems is a Mouse Systems M4 variant (M4Q), and it does not appear to
> be a normal serial mouse. So, if anyone has one of those reflective
> mousepads with a grid of fine blue and grey lines that they don’t need, I’d
> be very happy to have it.
>
>
>
> I have tried to print my own mousepad, but the mouse only works in the y
> direction on it.
>
there were 2 versions of that mousepad, and the symptom of using the wrong
one was that the mouse would only move in one direction.

There was another version of the print-it-yourself mouse pad that's
essentially just white noise, have you tried that?


>
>
> For those who want to know, the Titan is outfitted as follows:
>
>
>
> 2 x Titan P3 vector processors (using a MIPS R3000 for scalar operations)
>
> 2 x 64 MB main memory
>
> Extended G2 Graphics
>
> 3 Maxtor 760 MB disks
>
> QIC-120 tapedrive
>
> 19” trinitron monitor with stereo bezel and 3d glasses
>
> Keyboard, mouse, knob box
>
>
>
> Titan OS 4.2 installed (plus version 3.0, 4.1, and 4.2 installation tapes)
> Dore, AVS, and PHIGS+ graphics environments
>
> Vectorizing FORTRAN compiler with LINPACK, EISPACK, and FFT libraries
>
> Matlab-Pro 3.5 (the Titan was the only computer ever that had Matlab as
> part of its bundled programs)
>
> Biodesign Biograf 3.0 molecular modeling application
>
>
>
> All bits and pieces, and all software appears to work.
>
>
>
> Camiel
>
>
>
>
>
>

Re: Looking for optical grid mouse pad

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Sat, Nov 10, 2018 at 7:12 PM Camiel Vanderhoeven <
camiel.vanderhoe...@vmssoftware.com> wrote:

> On 11/10/18, 6:49 PM, "Rico Pajarola"  wrote:
>
>
>
> I have tried to print my own mousepad, but the mouse only works in the y
> direction on it.
>
> there were 2 versions of that mousepad, and the symptom of using the wrong
> one was that the mouse would only move in one direction.
>
>
>
> There was another version of the print-it-yourself mouse pad that's
> essentially just white noise, have you tried that?
>
>
>
> I know I need the one with the grid, because it’s shown in the
> documentation.
>
the white noise mouse pad is not an official thing, but it's reported to
work for some optical mice. I haven't tried it myself. YMMV.

I have just created and printed a simple grid, with two lines per
> millimeter. If someone has already created one that you can download and
> print that works, that would be great.
>
The pad has different resolutions for x and y axis, and one axis (x axis?)
seems to be more sensitive to wrong spacing (if the mouse only moves in one
direction it could also be a symptom of a mousepad rotated by 90 degrees).
So maybe you need to experiment with the grid size a bit.


>
> Camiel
>

Re: RS6k 7012/320H woes

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

Technically, anything up to 5.1L should run on a 320H. 2GB of disk is
plenty ;)

With 32MB 5.1 is probably a bit of a stretch, but 4.2.1 or 4.3.3 should run
fine, and it's easier to get modern-ish things to compile than on 3.x.

PM me if you need help finding media.


On Thu, Nov 8, 2018 at 1:57 AM Carlos E Murillo-Sanchez via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> Paul Berger via cctalk wrote:
> >
> > The AIX on the SP2 would have been the same, in fact the hardware on
> > the SP2 nodes was similar to the regular RS/6000 boxes except the
> > console was through a special serial network in the frame and accessed
> > through the control workstation.  Most regular users likely accessed
> > the nodes through a LAN.
> >
> > Paul.
> So, if I were to hunt for installation media for AIX, which version
> would you recommend for a 320H with 32MB of memory, i.e., the latest
> that would run and not get too bogged down by that amount of memory?  I
> can switch to a larger SCSI disk if it need be, but hopefully not larger
> than 2GB.
>
> Carlos.
>
>
>

Re: HP-Apollo 9000/425t RAM

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Tue, Nov 6, 2018 at 7:16 AM Chris Hanson via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> Hopefully I can install Domain/OS on a virtual disk using MAME (using the
> same node ID) and just blast the raw bits to a SCSI disk to make something
> bootable. Anyone know whether that wouldn’t work?
>
No idea, but I want to know, so please report whether you were successful.

Do you have a Domain keyboard? I was never able to find one.

Re: RS/6000 values

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

Looking at Ebay it seems old RS/6000 have become expensive...

A Working 7012-390 is certainly rare, they were finicky beasts. I have a
7012-3AT (very similar to the 390) and it's failing diag in weird ways.
I've seen a few 390/3AT/3BT/3CT and all of them had similar issues.

If you just want a nice machine to run old AIX, try to find a 7011-250 or
any of the 7012 series (especially the later ones like 360/370/380). If it
doesn't have to be AIX 3.x, get a 7043-43P or 7046-B50.



On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 5:35 AM Benjamin Huntsman via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> Hi there!
>
>I don't usually see much discussion on old IBM boxes, but I was looking
> for a reasonably-powerful RS/6000 that can run AIX 4.1 and maybe 3.2.5, can
> accommodate some decent disks, and isn't 200lbs.  The 7012-390 looks
> perfect, but I found this one on eBay:
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-7012-390-POWER2-512MB-Memory-1GB-SCSI-2-Disk-Drive-CD-Base-Features-RS6000/272362237797?epid=1604049867=item3f6a0def65:g:aJQAAOSwHnFVmutE:rk:1:pf:1
>
>
>Are 7012-390's really worth $3,000?  Anyone out there have one they'd
> like to unload for less than 3 grand? :P
>
>
> Thanks!
>
>
> -Ben
>
>
>
>

Re: QED 933 (11/93 clone) and mystery SCSI board

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

I bought one on ebay a while ago, but I didn't have a QBus enclosure to try
it. I finally got an enclosure at VCF west, and I'll give it a try as soon
as said enclosure has made the trip home.

I never found any information on it except that it is a "compatibility
challenged FPGA based 11/93 clone without FPU". If anyone has a manual,
that would be great.

On Sun, Aug 19, 2018 at 1:25 PM, Noel Chiappa via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> > From: Glen Slick
>
> > A few people bought QED-993 boards from eBay in the last few years.
> > ... They are set up to use the standard 11/93 console panel, although
> > only 4 async ports are implemented, not 8.
>
> Is there any documentation anywhere? Bitsavers had only a thing on the
> QED-95.
>
> Noel
>

Re: German Translation, Serial Port?

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

Sperrschritt is the stop bit, for the rest Google translate did quite well
;)

Operations mode: Asynchronous 16
Character length: 7 bit (with stop bit)
Parity: even
stop bit length: 1 bit

I have no idea what Asynchronous 16 could be, maybe a hint at the higher
level protocol?


On Thu, Aug 9, 2018 at 8:39 PM, W2HX via cctalk 
wrote:

> Hello friends. I need a translation from a German manual describing serial
> port parameters. I used google translate but it  doesn't quite give me the
> warm and fuzzy. Anyone here speak German? Here is what it says:
>
> Betriebsart:  Asynchron 16
> Zeichenlänge:  7 bit (mit Sperrschritt)
> Parity: gerade
> Länge Sperrschritt: 1 bit
>
> Google says:
> Operating mode: Asynchronous 16
> Character length: 7 bit (with blocking step)
> Parity: straight
> Length of blocking step: 1 bit
>
> First, anyone have any idea what Asynchronous 16 means? (async I get, but
> "16"?)
> 7 bit with blocking step. Could this mean 7 bit with stop bit?
> Parity: straight. Could this mean odd or even?
> Length of blocking step. Could this be number of stop bits?
>
> I am attempting to translate some pages in this manual and would like to
> get this right (for others who may find this info useful).
>
> Thank you!!! (or should I say Danke?!)
>
>
> 73 Eugene W2HX
> PS. This is for an HF antenna coupler that can be controlled over a serial
> port.
>
>

Re: MVME188 backplane jumpers

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

Assuming the MVME188 must also work in an backplane that has automatic
IACK/BG bypass, you would remove them in all slots that have a board
installed. AFAIK nothing gets damaged if you get it wrong, it's just that
VME cards further back on the bus won't work properly.

On Mon, Jul 23, 2018 at 12:55 AM, r.stricklin via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> Does somebody know how to set the IACK and BG backplane jumpers for the
> MVME188 CPU? Remove them all? Leave them in behind the memory and/or cpu
> board(s)? Something else? All the documentation I can find are for the
> normal VME SBCs, which the 188 isn't.
>
> Thanks!
>
> ok
> bear.
>
> --
> until further notice
>
>

Re: Making a bootable LIF CD for the 9000/382

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

Not what you asked for, but I successfully used HPDrive to emulate HP-IB
devices (disk and tapes). I never had any luck with physical tape drives.

I've only ever seen HP-UX 5.1 on floppies. To install something more
modern, it would be much easier to boot it over the network.

On Sat, Jul 7, 2018 at 1:44 AM, Cameron Kaiser via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> This brings up an interesting question. For those of us with a 9000/300 but
> no SCSI (my 350 is strictly HP-IB), I've still had no joy ever getting a
> 9144A to work. I'm going to get another tape drive from Stan when I can get
> a chance to pick it up, but has anyone booted one of these off floppy?
>
> --
>  personal:
> http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ --
>   Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com *
> ckai...@floodgap.com
> -- Today's forecast is total crap! -- Strong Bad, "Homestar Runner" Menu
> #11 --
>

Re: Making a bootable LIF CD for the 9000/382

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

I'm assuming you are trying to use the newly added HP-UX images on
bitsavers? I haven't tried those yet, but I don't remember doing anything
special, the install CD is already bootable.

I have a V/382 (AFAIK virtually identical with the 9000/382 except for the
form factor), and it boots straight from the Install CD, no magic involved.

I'll give your images a try when I get a chance.

On Thu, Jul 5, 2018 at 12:58 AM, Al Kossow via cctalk  wrote:

> brain fade, I know I've made a HPUX 9 install CD before but I've
> forgotten how you make one that can be booted by the LIF boot rom
> in the machine.
>
>
>

Re: C3253A HP Envizex P-Series

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Sat, Jun 23, 2018 at 11:06 PM, Glen Slick via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> On Sat, Jun 23, 2018 at 9:38 AM, Carlo Pisani via cctalk
>  wrote:
> > (x11 terminal) C3253A HP Envizex P-Series
> >
> > Up for sale is a X-Terminal made by Hewlett Packard in 1995.
> >
> > Tested, in perfect working conditions!!!
> >
> > cpu: i960 @ 33Mhz (it's the fastest available on Envizex v1)
> > ram: 48MB (builtin + 16+16+8, the first two sims need to be equal)
> > rom: none (sorry, It doesn't have any font-rom, it loads fonts from
> tftp/NFS)
> > vram: 2MB
> > lan: 10Mbps BASET RJ45 (it also comes with an AUI port on the back)
> > kb/mouse: common PS/2 (F12 is a special key, but Envizex works on
> > common keyboards, HIL keyboards are also supported)
> > Media: floppy 3.5",1.44MB
> > Software included!
> >
> > It comes with all the documentation, configuration-scripts, and
> > startup for Linux (sorry, I don't have HPUXv10.20/v11, I can't
> > test/adapt scrips).
> >
>
> I also have a C3253A HP Envizex P-Series. I was fortunate to also
> acquire a PCMCIA flash card adapter for it and was able to get it set
> up to boot from a PCMCIA linear flash card. I don't have the optional
> floppy drive in mine.
>
> I have a set of 3 Netstation software CDs that I got from someone else
> on the list a few years ago. I forget if I ever uploaded images of
> these CDs somewhere. For the C3253A HP Envizex P-Series you need
> Version 7.1
>
could you upload them to archive.org? Netstation software is somewhat hard
to find these days.


Netstation Software
> For HP ENVIZEX, ENTRIA and 700/RX
> Version 7.1
> Supported Hosts: HP/SUN/IBM
> Part No. B3651-10117
>
> Netstation Software
> For HP ENVIZEX II and ENTRIA II
> Version 9.1
> Supported Hosts: HP/SUN/IBM
> Part No. B3651-10121
>
> Netstation Software
> For HP Netstations
> Version 7.1/9.1
> Supported Hosts: HP-UX 11.0
> Part No. B3651-10122
>

Re: WTB: Solbourne computer

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Wed, May 23, 2018 at 4:51 PM, Alan Perry via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> There are some that a recycler has been trying to sell on eBay. However,
> they need a special mouse and keyboard and that seller has none.
>

I bought one from said recycler a while ago, have been looking for a
suitable keyboard/mouse ever since.

It's a very nice machine, and interesting in that it is not just a carbon
copy of a Sun machine like most other clones.



>
> alan
>
> > On May 23, 2018, at 2:18 AM, Kevin Bowling via cctalk <
> cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> >
> > Looks neat, anyone have one of these things they'd sell me?  I'm in
> > the US Southwest, can ship or travel a bit.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Kevin
>
>

Re: VME Bus

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

Depends on the exact processor board you have...

MVME147/162/177 all use the same MVME712 transition board. The manuals are
on bitsavers and contain the pinouts. But it's mostly academic as you can't
just build your own "simple" adapter. Some of the signals are multiplexed
and need to be decoded. MVME712 boards are easy to find and cheap, the
corresponding P2 adapter boards (and the cables to connect the P2 adapter
board to the MVME712) seem to be a bit rare ;(


On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 4:47 PM, David Coolbear via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> I hope this qualifies as classic computing...
>
> Does anyone have the pin-out for the P2 connector on MVME processor boards?
> I think that the pin-out would be the same for MVME147, MVME177, MVME162,
> etc. and would mate with the P2 adapter board.
>

Re: Getting Sun Sparcstation 10 to recognize its graphics card

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

Freeze as in "screen stays blank (but pressing caps lock changes the LED)",
or "system does not boot at all", or "system boots but locks up when
initializing graphics"?

I assume it's just the screen staying blank. Note that using an SGI monitor
on a sun using a 13W3 to 13W3 cable will not work. There's 2 ways around
it: you can either use a 13W3 to BNC cable connected to a BNC to 13W3 cable
to connect the monitor, thus disconnecting all non-RGB pins, or you can cut
off the extra (non-RGB) pins on either side of the cable (I've successfully
done that to connect SGI machines to SUN monitors but it should work the
other way around too).


On Tue, Jan 9, 2018 at 9:18 PM, william degnan via cctech <
cct...@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> Working from this page to configure my sparcstation 10 after NVRAM
> replacement:
> http://www.obsolyte.com/sunFAQ/faq_nvram.html
>
> ...but curious is there an installation manual or whatever specific to the
> video card in my system, a TurboXGX with STP3010GPA chip
> http://vintagecomputer.net/sun/SparcStation-10/Sun_STP3010PGA_TURBOXGX.jpg
>
> I have Solaris 4 installed.  I am guessing around trying different things.
> With help I have the OS installed but so far I can't get the system to
> recognize the video card and Sun keyboard.  With these installed it freezes
> the system...so, I am using a serial terminal to interact with the system.
> The video display I have is an SGI GDM-20D11
>
> Eventually I'll poke through to the solution, this is my first Sun box, up
> to this point they were "too new" but I'd like to learn how to perform a
> system install.
>
> If I find the answers I am looking for I'll post here.
>
> Bill
>

Re: AIX 4.1.3 on 7009-C20 RS/6000

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

As far as I remember trying to install the client version of AIX on a
server type machine will bomb early in the installation, but it will give
you some confirmation that it did indeed boot from the CD. Maybe your CD is
indeed bad.

Any specific reason why you want to run 4.1.3 and not 4.1.5, 4.2.1 or
4.3.3? (is there any hardware that only works with 4.1.3?).


On Mon, Jan 8, 2018 at 4:57 AM, Benjamin Huntsman via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> Any RS/6000 hobbyists out there?
>
>
> I got my old 7009-C20 pretty tricked out and hardware carefully selected
> to be compatible with AIX 4.1.3, the version I'm trying to get running on
> it. Unfortunately, I can't get the dang thing to boot my 4.1.3 or 4.1.4
> CD's.  It'll boot my 4.1.5 disc, however.  The 4.1.3 and 4.1.4 CD's are
> labeled "AIX for clients" or something like that, and I seem to recall
> having trouble getting other RS/6000's to boot from this 4.1.3 CD, even
> though it's genuine original media, and reads just fine in a working system.
>
>
> Anyone know a way to check what systems an old AIX 4.1 disc supports, or
> have  C20 or similar MCA machine running 4.1.3?
>
>
> My other thought was to try to NIM boot it using my ThinkPad 860 as a NIM
> server (running 4.1.5), but it unfortunately doesn't have enough capacity
> to hold a lpp_source and a SPOT, and even then it looks like the 4.1.3 disc
> may not have enough stuff on it to support the C20 anyway...
>
>
> Anyway, thanks in advance!
>
>

Re: Solaris on PPC?

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Thu, Aug 31, 2017 at 5:57 AM, Zane Healy via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> >> Nearly 25 years later, my memory is pretty vague, however, around ’93
> at the FOSE trade show in Washington DC, IBM had a system running both OS/2
> and AIX.  I want to say it was PPC, but it may have been x86.
> >
> > It was more than likely x86 and the AIX would have been AIX PS/2 (which
> I did a lot of work on at the time).
>
> I think you’re right, especially as, IIRC, it was a laptop.
>
In 1993 AIX PS/2 would hardly have been news anymore. Sounds about right
for announcing stuff running on the 601, but it's a bit early for Solaris
2.5.1.

I have 2 PPC machines running Solaris 2.5.1. One is a Motorola PowerStack
E100, the other an early IBM PReP (6015-40P IIRC). The docs also mention
that it runs on the PPC thinkpads (820/850/860).

It's actually quite nice, it feels quite snappy and full featured. The only
oddity is that when you install it, you need to boot some special
openfirmware emulation from floppy disk which can then load the rest from
CD.

I only have the OS, but I heard there's a version of the Sun Workshop
compiler that has PPC support. I'd love to get my hands on that ;)

There's also a version of OS/2 for those machines, but it's hardly more
than a proof of concept.

Re: ftp.compaq.com mirror

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

I have the whole archive, but you'd have to tell me which files you need.
Note that most files from ftp.compaq.com are still available on
ftp://ftp.hp.com/ (including all softpaqs).

You should be able to install Windows 98 without any special drivers, and
then use Google to find the specific drivers that are missing.
driverguide.com and driverscollection.com etc. are your friend.



On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 9:19 PM, Adrian Graham via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> Hi folks,
>
> Managed to rescue a Compaq Deskpro EN from the scrap pile at work today
> and realised it has a proper floppy controller so I can install a 5.25”
> drive.
>
> Trouble is ftp.compaq.com  has disappeared so
> getting drivers for win98 is going to be difficult unless I have them at
> work on old driver CDs. archive.org  has a mirror of
> the whole ftp site but it’s 220gb and I’m not sure my little 150mb/s web
> connection will download that in less than a month :)
>
> Did anyone else grab it before it disappeared?
>
> cheers,
>
> —
> Adrian/Witchy
> Binary Dinosaurs - Celebrating Computing History from 1972 onwards
>
>

Re: What is this bus?

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

On Tue, May 30, 2017 at 1:45 PM, Camiel Vanderhoeven <
camiel.vanderhoe...@vmssoftware.com> wrote:

> >looks like STD Bus (
> >http://www.winsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/specs/std_section1.pdf)
>
> What would give you that idea? Neither the number of pins, nor the spacing
> of the connector as described in the initial post match...
>
Should have looked closer before posting. The enclosure (if it is part of
it) reminded me of STD bus enclosures, but it's been a while since I've
seen one for real.

Re: What is this bus?

[Rico Pajarola via cctalk]

looks like STD Bus (
http://www.winsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/specs/std_section1.pdf)

On Mon, May 29, 2017 at 8:17 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> On 05/29/2017 10:13 AM, Mike Stein via cctalk wrote:
>
> > But it's also quite possible that the PS and the backplane don't even
> > belong together.
>
> ^ This was my initial guess.  It just looked wrong.
>
> --Chuck
>