Re: VTServer/etc for V6 Unix

[Warren Toomey]

Hah, the file 
http://www.tuhs.org/Archive/PDP-11/Tools/Tapes/Vtserver/v7_standalone.tar.gz
has the source code for the standalone tools including boot and vtboot.pdp.
So, given a working V7 environment, you should be able to rebuild these
and possibly make them work in a V6 environment.

Alternatively, if you have a working V6 environment (e.g. a simulator),
you could bring in the vtclient.c code and integrate it into the V6
boot binary.

Cheers, Warren

Re: VTServer/etc for V6 Unix

[Ian S. King]

On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 5:31 PM, Noel Chiappa 
wrote:

> So, I'm trying to do what VTServer was invented for - load Unix into an
> actual
> PDP-11, over its serial line, when one doesn't have machine-readable Unix
> on
> any mass storage for the machine.
>
> However, all the initial code that VTServer loads ('mkfs', etc) is
> V7-specific
> (V6 has a slightly different file system format) - and I want to install
> V6.
>
> Has anyone ever tweaked the programs which VTServer loads to do V6-format
> filesystems? I did a quick Google, but didn't see anything.
>
> No biggie if not, it won't be much work to adapt them all, but I figured
> I'd
> try to avoid re-inventing the wheel...
>
> Noel
>

I did this once upon a time and, while I've slept since then, I'll try to
dredge up some memories.  This was putting 6th Edition on a PDP-11/34,
which still runs except for the RK05 I need to fix One Of These Days.

ISTR that one can generate a 'tape' config file with whatever components
you want/need.  That was true for tools, too - I didthis with v6, so I know
there are v6-specific tools somewhere, perhaps on some machine I still have
(and I think I know which one).

I recall finding documentation for it, too, and I think I even know where
it is.  I'm hoping it might have a URL in the header/footer, which might
still be extant - if not, I can scan it.  I think it's somewhere in the
TUHS site, and not completely obvious so you have to hunt a bit.  Cheers --
Ian

-- 
Ian S. King, MSIS, MSCS, Ph.D. Candidate
The Information School 
Dissertation: "Why the Conversation Mattered: Constructing a Sociotechnical
Narrative Through a Design Lens

Archivist, Voices From the Rwanda Tribunal 
Value Sensitive Design Research Lab 

University of Washington

There is an old Vulcan saying: "Only Nixon could go to China."

Re: Photos from the NWA Auction

[Ben Sinclair]

I posted a link to it on a cockpit builder forum I visit. I don't do that
any more, otherwise I might have a 747 cockpit in my garage right now!

The prices were so low (at least when I checked), that I hoped someone
would grab them and build a nice sim.

On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 6:47 PM,  wrote:

> Wonder if anyone got the actual simulators/cockpits?  Fun toys but
>> won't fit in your average basement...
>>
>
> There were bids on them, hopefully they go to home flight simulator nerds
> that will entertain us with videos on youtube of them running inside their
> houses!
>
>
>
>
> --
> Ethan O'Toole
>
>


-- 
Ben Sinclair
b...@bensinclair.com

VTServer/etc for V6 Unix

[Noel Chiappa]

So, I'm trying to do what VTServer was invented for - load Unix into an actual
PDP-11, over its serial line, when one doesn't have machine-readable Unix on
any mass storage for the machine.

However, all the initial code that VTServer loads ('mkfs', etc) is V7-specific
(V6 has a slightly different file system format) - and I want to install V6.

Has anyone ever tweaked the programs which VTServer loads to do V6-format
filesystems? I did a quick Google, but didn't see anything.

No biggie if not, it won't be much work to adapt them all, but I figured I'd
try to avoid re-inventing the wheel...

Noel

RE: MASSBUS disk emulator (Was: Unibus controller for MFM disks)

[Rich Alderson]

From: Noel Chiappa
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 11:51 AM

>> From: Rich Alderson

>> Data was transferred via FTP over a 100baseT crossover cable connected
>> to a Slackware server; the Rabbit was able to keep up with 4 drives at
>> this speed

> Were the bits actually stored on the Slackware server, or was it just used
> to put bits on the 'drive' to start with? If the latter, what were the
> actual bits stored on? (I know, not that relevant, since this is the prior
> rev, but I'm curious.)

Stored on a big honking JBOD array (set up as RAID 5 in Linux), since an
RP06 stored as described is nigh on 900MB, and served up on that FTP link
from Slackware.

>> a Mesa 5i22 Anything I/O card (includes a Xilinx Spartan-III FPGA) that
>> plugs directly into the PCI bus in a server-class X86-64 box, and used
>> a revision of a separate driver/receiver card designed for MDE 1.0 to
>> connect to the Massbus

> Let me make sure I understand this; was there some sort of cable or
> somehow a connection from the Mesa 5i22 directly to the driver/receiver
> card, which was purely 'level conversion', with the Mesa doing the
> 'protocol' on the MASSBUS?  (I.e. they didn't communicate over the PCI
> bus?)

Yes, the d/r card is strictly level conversion, and the microcode in the
Xilinx does all the Massbus protocol.

>> a control program for the PC side which runs under Windows 2008/2012
>> Server.

> So the actual bits are stored on something (disk?) controlled by the PC?

Again using RAID 5 arrays on the PC servers, but PCI makes it a lot faster
than Ethernet.

Rich


Rich Alderson
Vintage Computing Sr. Systems Engineer
Living Computer Museum
2245 1st Avenue S
Seattle, WA 98134

mailto:ri...@livingcomputermuseum.org

http://www.LivingComputerMuseum.org/

Re: Photos from the NWA Auction

[ethan]

Wonder if anyone got the actual simulators/cockpits?  Fun toys but
won't fit in your average basement...


There were bids on them, hopefully they go to home flight simulator nerds 
that will entertain us with videos on youtube of them running inside their 
houses!





--
Ethan O'Toole

Re: 11/35 on eBait

[Glen Slick]

On Oct 11, 2016 11:34 PM, "Glen Slick"  wrote:
>
> On Oct 2, 2016 11:03 AM, "Noel Chiappa"  wrote:
> >
> > So there's another 11/35 up on eBait:
> >
> >   http://www.ebay.com/itm/142135416325
> >
>
> Went unsold at $3500. Relisted, this time at $5000.
>
> Buy it this time before it goes up to $6500 next time???
>
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/142146207101

For the curious who were following along, there was a taker for that 11/35
at $5000 today

Re: Are DEC TK50/TK70 tapes worth hanging onto?

[B M]

Thomas,

I could use a few TK50 tapes, especialy it it has install for VMS!  I am
currently looking for a Microvax II system :-)

Thanks!

--barrym

On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 2:05 PM, william degnan 
wrote:

> On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 11:32 AM, Thomas Dzubin  wrote:
>
> >
> > OK, I have a fairly large collection of VAX 4000 and VAXStation 3000
> > systems which I have fun with and use with both OpenVMS and OpenBSD
> > over the years
> >
> > But, I also have two big rubbermade containers (about half a cubic
> > meter) filled with TK50 and TK70 tapes which I have never used.
> >
> > Some are blank, some are the boot & install media for VMS 5.5, some are
> > software installations, etc. etc.
> >
> > In the past 25 years that I have had them, I have not once ever used
> > my TK50 or TK70 drives...I've always either booted off the attached
> > disks or netbooted.
> >
> > Should I just throw these things out?   Do any collectors consider them
> > to be valuable?   Since it's now 2016 and I think the last TK tapes were
> > made in the 1990s, I'm getting the urge to toss them.
> >
> > Opinions?  Comments?
> >
> >
> >
> Good question, there are those capstans that may not hold their shape,
> ruining the tapes.  I have a box of RK05s, one has VMS 4.6 label, no idea
> if it works.  But there it is.
> b
>

Re: Photos from the NWA Auction

[Jason T]

On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 7:57 AM, Ben Sinclair  wrote:
> Great photos! I'm curious as to how long ago this equipment was in
> operation. The photos here and on the auction site almost looked like
> someone just got up and walked away, at least from the desks and office
> supplies, etc. that I saw.

Perhaps more recently than one would think.  It's not like there were
newer systems they could have used to keep their simulators running
(tho I did see some PCs in the room that may have been performing the
tasks of the older machines?)

I would have loved to have been there at the clean-out.  A nice
example of a proper old datacenter, preserved.

Wonder if anyone got the actual simulators/cockpits?  Fun toys but
won't fit in your average basement...

Re: Comdyna GP-6 Analog Computer Repairs Needed

[dwight]

I've emailed Philip and hope to debug it by email.

I have access to a Comdyna 6 here and can walk him through

it.

I'm in California.

Remote trouble shooting it tough but usually easier when the

person at the other end doesn't know part of what they are doing.

If they know too much, they tend to try to interpret too much,

rather than just give me the readings.

Dwight



From: cctalk  on behalf of drlegendre . 

Sent: Monday, October 17, 2016 6:23:34 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: Comdyna GP-6 Analog Computer Repairs Needed

Assuming the OP is an employee of the Christoval ISD..

Christoval Independent School District is a public school district based in
the community of Christoval, Texas. Christoval ISD has two schools -
Christoval High and Christoval Elementary.

Address: 20065 3rd St, Christoval, TX 76935
Phone: (325) 896-2520

Christoval is in west-central Texas. Too far from me to be any help, at
least in a local sense!

On Sun, Oct 16, 2016 at 9:28 AM, dwight  wrote:

> Where are you at and what seems to be the problem?
>
> Dwight
>
>
> 
> From: cctalk  on behalf of Bill Phillips <
> bill.phill...@christovalisd.org>
> Sent: Friday, October 14, 2016 12:38:34 PM
> To: cct...@classiccmp.org
> Subject: Comdyna GP-6 Analog Computer Repairs Needed
>
> I have a Comdyna GP-6 analog computer that I need repaired ASAP.  Anyone
> available to help me out?
>
> Bill Phillips
> wcphill...@verizon.net
>

RK8E Plessey Clone and Data Break Error

[Marco Rauhut]

Hello all together,

i restore a rk05 disk drive in combination with an Plessey RK8E clone 
controller.

Now the drive itself is restored, and the connection cables are built.

My problem is that the rk8e diskless controll test (dhrka) fails with an 
data break error. The diskless controlltest
is running throug all register and also the databuffer test. But in the 
first data break routine it fails.


Then i toggled in the Example program from the maintanence vol.III, 
Single Cycle Data Break Transfers (Write than Read).
With this program the content of the SwitchRegister is written through 
the data buffer registers and read back to the memory.
Afterwards it is compared to the original SR content. I found out that 
the routine is running if SR=. Deeper investigation results that the 
bits 0, 1, 4, 6 and 9 have to be one`s to run the routine. The other SR  
bits are switchable while running the program.


Next thing i did is trying read data with futil. i could read data form 
the disk. But with many read errors.
Because i do not know anything about the allignment between my diskpack 
and the drive, i formated the pack
with the RK8E Formater (dhrkd). The write part of the format is running. 
In the disk checking part the formater fails.


Anyway. Then i used futil and scanned the whole surface off the 
diskpack. On the whole disk are 5 bad blocks left.


Now i am able to dump blocks from the disk. But it seems that no matter 
witch block i dump out, it is the same block
all over the disk. Afterwards i tried to modifie some words in block 0. 
And this is working. When i write the modified block i see the

modification also in every other block of the disk.

Have anyone the lightning idea?

On a Google search i found a post of Rick Bensene from 2014 on this list 
witch described a similiar problem.
In this discussion where talked about an spike in the load signal of the 
current address register.

I checked that and see that this was not my problem.

Thanks in advance

Marco Rauhut

Re: Looking for HP98034 / HP9895 ROM images

[Craig Ruff]

> On Oct 18, 2016, at 11:00 AM, cctech-requ...@classiccmp.org wrote:
> 
> does anyone of you happen to have the images of the firmware ROM of
> HP98034 module and/or of the HP9895 disk drive, please?

I’ve sent F.Ulivi the contents of the single ROM version from my 9895A, along 
with some preliminary reverse engineering work on the contents that I’ve done 
in conjunction with Eric Smith.

Altair, IMSAI, SWTPC, etc. for sale in Philly

[steven stengel]

*
  Contact Rick below if interested.  
*
Name: Rick BunkerContact: r...@bunker.us Location: Jenkintown, PA    
I have a computer collection that I have to sell. My wife and I have separated, 
and the house is being sold, and I have no place to keep the computers in my 
new apartment.
It is a pretty nice collection. Altair 8800, two IMSAI 8080's, an Apple ][ (not 
][+ or e or anything, the first one), a TRS-80 (the real first revision, with 
no numeric keypad, with the original cassette drive, monitor) an LSI monitor, a 
KIM-1, an original IBM PC (not an XT -- original 2-floppys, original bios), an 
SwTPC 6800 box, with no innards. Similarly, a Cromemco box with no innards. A 
Northstar Horizon. 

 Some 8-inch drives, a bunch of S-100 boards, a luggable Kaypro portable, an 
odd and an end or two. 

Lots of documentation.
 Some old disks which may have readable software on them. I don't power these 
things up, since they have power supplies that you can weld with, with 
40-year-old capacitors on them. 

Is there anybody in striking distance of Philadelphia suburbs, who would 
consider buying and picking up this collection?

FS (cost of shipping): AS/400 8-port twinax concentrator/adapter cables

[J]

I have two IBM 21F5093 AS/400 8-port twinax to DB25 adapters with clip
mounts.

Looks like the coil is about 14-16 feet of cable.

Pics on request.

Free for the cost of shipping (01888 metro-west Boston,MA , about 3 lbs
each)

Need the space, gotta go.  

 

Re: MASSBUS disk emulator (Was: Unibus controller for MFM disks)

[Ethan Dicks]

On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 11:33 AM, Ethan Dicks  wrote:
> I would consider one for my VAX/11-750 since Unibus disk emulation
> solutions aren't plentiful (but I think I'd have to get a DR750
> (L0014) first).

Correction: RH750 (L0007).  The DR750 is a CMI-bus "interprocessor interface".

-ethan

Re: Are DEC TK50/TK70 tapes worth hanging onto?

[Adrian Graham]

On 18 October 2016 at 16:32, Thomas Dzubin  wrote:

> Some are blank, some are the boot & install media for VMS 5.5, some are
> software installations, etc. etc.
>

Hi Thomas,

Have you got an install media set for VAX Dibol 4.2? Someone here was
looking for a copy a few weeks ago.

-- 
adrian/witchy
Owner of Binary Dinosaurs, the UK's biggest home computer collection?
www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk

Re: MASSBUS disk emulator (Was: Unibus controller for MFM disks)

[Ethan Dicks]

On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 9:39 AM, Noel Chiappa  wrote:
> > From: Paul Birkel
>
> > Maybe there are three ribbon cables back there
>
> We _definitely_ need to put these things in 'production'.

I would consider one for my VAX/11-750 since Unibus disk emulation
solutions aren't plentiful (but I think I'd have to get a DR750
(L0014) first).

-ethan

Are DEC TK50/TK70 tapes worth hanging onto?

[Thomas Dzubin]

OK, I have a fairly large collection of VAX 4000 and VAXStation 3000
systems which I have fun with and use with both OpenVMS and OpenBSD
over the years

But, I also have two big rubbermade containers (about half a cubic
meter) filled with TK50 and TK70 tapes which I have never used.

Some are blank, some are the boot & install media for VMS 5.5, some are
software installations, etc. etc.

In the past 25 years that I have had them, I have not once ever used
my TK50 or TK70 drives...I've always either booted off the attached
disks or netbooted.

Should I just throw these things out?   Do any collectors consider them
to be valuable?   Since it's now 2016 and I think the last TK tapes were
made in the 1990s, I'm getting the urge to toss them.

Opinions?  Comments?

---
Thomas "PDP-11" Dzubin
Vancouver, Calgary, or Saskatoon; CANADA

Re: MASSBUS disk emulator (Was: Unibus controller for MFM disks)

[Noel Chiappa]

> From: Paul Birkel

> Maybe there are three ribbon cables back there

Sure looks like it, and running to a standard MASSBUS connector, to boot.
(Not that I have any use for the latter - absolutely no MASSBUS cables at
all. But one could just run flat cables from this, to one's RH11/RH70.)

I don't see a second MASSBUS connector, wonder what they do about
termination? Maybe it's onboard? So I guess one could only have one
of these things per MASSBUS port? Not really a problem, of course! ;-)

We _definitely_ need to put these things in 'production'.

Noel

Re: Photos from the NWA Auction

[Ben Sinclair]

Great photos! I'm curious as to how long ago this equipment was in
operation. The photos here and on the auction site almost looked like
someone just got up and walked away, at least from the desks and office
supplies, etc. that I saw.

On Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 7:07 PM, Cory Heisterkamp  wrote:

> For those curious about the equipment that sold last week, I put together
> an album from my brief stop on Saturday. Let me know if you have trouble
> viewing it.
> https://goo.gl/photos/yb83SJSj67gS96n39
>
> On closer inspection it appears the documentation for that GP-4, as well
> as some of the other computers, sold to different parties (the value being
> in the shelving and cabinets).
>
> I'm still losing sleep over that GP-4. From all appearances it was a
> turn-key setup (in theory). Unfortunately, the auction site immediately
> removes closed lots from their webpage so no idea what it sold for, or if
> it went to a scrapper. I suspect it was billed as 'cabinets of aviation
> equipment'. Being 3 hours away I can't exactly run over there and pin a
> note on it.
>
> Some further digging on the net revealed a photo in the Motorola Annual
> Report 1965 featuring the machine touting Moto's new ECL logic. Apparently
> it was designed for aviation simulation but included facilities for being a
> general purpose machine. -C




-- 
Ben Sinclair
b...@bensinclair.com

Re: Photos from the NWA Auction

[Cory Heisterkamp]

On Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 11:37 PM, Josh Dersch  wrote:

> On 10/17/16 5:07 PM, Cory Heisterkamp wrote:
>
> For those curious about the equipment that sold last week, I put together
>> an album from my brief stop on Saturday. Let me know if you have trouble
>> viewing it.
>> https://goo.gl/photos/yb83SJSj67gS96n39
>>
>> On closer inspection it appears the documentation for that GP-4, as well
>> as some of the other computers, sold to different parties (the value being
>> in the shelving and cabinets).
>>
>> I'm still losing sleep over that GP-4. From all appearances it was a
>> turn-key setup (in theory). Unfortunately, the auction site immediately
>> removes closed lots from their webpage so no idea what it sold for, or if
>> it went to a scrapper. I suspect it was billed as 'cabinets of aviation
>> equipment'. Being 3 hours away I can't exactly run over there and pin a
>> note on it.
>>
>> Some further digging on the net revealed a photo in the Motorola Annual
>> Report 1965 featuring the machine touting Moto's new ECL logic. Apparently
>> it was designed for aviation simulation but included facilities for being a
>> general purpose machine. -C
>>
>
> Thanks for taking the pictures!  Now that I can see a clear picture of the
> front panel on those SEL/Gould machines, I *really* wish I'd bid on one...
>
> Thanks for getting a picture of the TI-980 -- do you recall if photo
> IMG_5542 is from the same rack as the TI?  I'm curious what was behind that
> door on the top and I can't wait until it gets here to find out :).
>
> I hope that most of this stuff will end up in the hands of people who
> won't shred it for gold content, but...
>
> - Josh
>

Hey Josh,

I'm pretty sure you're right about IMG_5542 being the TI. One nice thing
about that outboard display unit is that you've got some great I/O to play
with. Is someone picking the unit up for you?

To Jason's question, I noticed one or two bidders put a low bid (a few
cents) in on EVERY lot, so if it had a sticker, it probably sold. That
said, there were lots of (computer related) manuals and paperwork strewn
about and the contents of the cabinets will likely get tossed, so I'm sure
that's fair game. Looked like all the hardware had been claimed, one way or
another. -C

RE: MASSBUS disk emulator (Was: Unibus controller for MFM disks)

[Paul Birkel]

-Original Message-
From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Pontus
Pihlgren
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 1:58 AM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Cc: j...@mercury.lcs.mit.edu
Subject: Re: MASSBUS disk emulator (Was: Unibus controller for MFM disks)

On Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 10:20:58PM -0400, Noel Chiappa wrote:
> > From: Ian S. King
> 
> >> Does anyone know anything about the status of the plans to
open-source
> >> it?
> 
> > I've made some inquries, stay tuned
> 
> OK, thanks!
> 
> >> Can you briefly describe what it was? 
> 
> I'm still curious about what it was: was it a stand-alone board with a 
> separate power supply, or did it plug into some sort of backplane? Did 
> it use something like SD cards for storage? And what was the MASSBUS 
> connection
> like: a set of 3 Berg headers into which one plugged the flat cables, 
> or was there some oddball connector that wound up connected to a 
> standard MASSBUS connector?
> 
>   Noel

I recall seing a picture of it long ago in someones online album. It was a
separate 19 inch box a few RUs high with at least one pcb and a jumble of
wires :) Obviously in some sort of development stage and I'm not sure it was
working at that point.

I think it might even be the compaq rackbox shown here:

http://www.panix.com/~alderson/LivingComputerMuseum/07_Storage_comparison_in
_open_space.jpg

Of course this is just speculation :)

/P

--

Maybe there are three ribbon cables back there 

What is the big white disk (platters plus heads?) near the front end of the
table?

-
paul