Re: LCM Accounts?

[Ian McLaughlin via cctalk]

> On Jul 23, 2021, at 5:45 PM, Zane Healy via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> I can’t speak for that, but the VAX 7000 is still online.  Someone is 
> obviously paying the electric bills at a minimum, as that’s got to chew 
> through some real power.  The XKL TOAD-2 is online as well (PDP-10 clone), 
> and some of the emulated systems.
> 
> I finally found a link to the page to request accounts, on their Wiki, the 
> page can’t be found.  I also discovered that a lot of the systems include 
> GUEST accounts, the VAX isn’t one of them. :-(
> 
> https://wiki.livingcomputers.org/doku.php 
> 
> 
> At least I don’t *need* access, I have my own VAXen.  I just wanted to check 
> something.
> 
> Zane
> 

I used to have an account on the 7000, but I can’t find my login details. I did 
get an email on March 13 2020 saying that they were temporarily shutting down 
the museum but the online systems were going to stay online.

I wonder if anyone is monitoring sysad...@livingcomputers.org 
 ?

Ian

Re: What's left of the Houston Museum stuff

[Zane Healy via cctalk]

On Jul 23, 2021, at 4:00 PM, Vincent Slyngstad via cctalk 
 wrote:
> 
> On 7/23/2021 2:56 PM, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:
>> Personally when I see “Museum” in this context, I don’t think of this as a 
>> museum not taking care of the artifacts, I look at this from the standpoint 
>> of the founder not taking the necessary steps when setting the Museum up to 
>> ensure its preservation after his death (or when the founder runs out of 
>> money).
> 
> I thought there was a disaster (flood) that had basically trashed the place.  
> Did I get that wrong?  (I could understand a "failure in planning" followed 
> by "total liquidation of assets" in such a scenario.)
> 
>   Vince


I’d thought he passed away, maybe not.  

I did some digging through my email archives, and Sellam posted this in 2019.
https://www.vcfed.org/forum/forum/marketplace/vintage-computer-items-for-sale-or-trade/72862-vintage-computer-warehouse-liquidation/page3?71708-Vintage-Computer-Warehouse-Liquidation=#post885945
 


Actually Al mentions in that thread it failed due to lack of funding, so my 
memory isn’t totally faulty.  It looks like there were questions in 2019 about 
what had happened to John Keys.

It also sounds like there might have been at least two floods that have hit the 
collection.  I think I found messages mentioning both 2015 and 2017 floods.

Zane

Re: LCM Accounts?

[Zane Healy via cctalk]

On Jul 23, 2021, at 5:17 PM, Bill Gunshannon  
wrote:
> 
> On 7/23/21 5:58 PM, Zane Healy wrote:
>> On Jul 23, 2021, at 1:13 PM, Bill Gunshannon via cctalk 
>>  wrote:
>>> 
>>> On 7/23/21 2:57 PM, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:
 Is it still possible to get accounts on the LCM systems?  I wanted to get 
 a login on the VAX 7000, but can’t figure out where to request an account.
 Zane
>>> 
>>> What would you use it for if everything is shut down?
>>> 
>>> bill
>> The systems aren’t shutdown, I was able to connect to it, I just can’t log 
>> on.  I never bothered to get accounts on any of the systems.
>> Zane
> 
> Interesting.  The last time I tried to get to the LCM MineCraft Server
> it wasn't there and when I asked (here or somewhere similar, don't
> remember) I was told they had shut everything down when they laid off
> all their people.
> 
> bill

I can’t speak for that, but the VAX 7000 is still online.  Someone is obviously 
paying the electric bills at a minimum, as that’s got to chew through some real 
power.  The XKL TOAD-2 is online as well (PDP-10 clone), and some of the 
emulated systems.

I finally found a link to the page to request accounts, on their Wiki, the page 
can’t be found.  I also discovered that a lot of the systems include GUEST 
accounts, the VAX isn’t one of them. :-(

https://wiki.livingcomputers.org/doku.php 


At least I don’t *need* access, I have my own VAXen.  I just wanted to check 
something.

Zane

Re: Install Floppies (Was: Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from

[Fred Cisin via cctalk]

Some further questions BELOW to complete the distribution media database:


}:-)


1) Which ones were available on 5.25"??? (and how many disks?)
 A) "360K"?
 B) "1.2M"?
 C) "1.4M"?
 D) Microsoft non-standard crammed 3.5" HD? (1.7M?)



On Fri, 23 Jul 2021, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote:
Ugh ... I don't know and I don't have a good way to differentiate my disk 
images.


Well, maybe similarly to how you did with AIX, by the total size divided 
by number of images.  Although what I was referring to was people's 
memories of the size of the box that they kept the install disks in :-)


First CD-ROM install media that I got was Windows 3.00, but it was an 
inclusion on a "tools" collection CD-ROM  (not quite a shovel-ware). Then a 
Multi-Language 3.00 CD-ROM from Microsoft (for international market)


I would like to know more about, or better find a copy, of such a CD-ROM.


The "Tools" CD-ROM was a third party commercial product containing a large 
collection of CD-ROM drivers.


In August 1991, I attended a Microsoft Developer conference in Seattle. 
Bill Gates didn't show up, because he was in NYC on TV about the birthday 
of 5150 (August 11, 1981).  They gave us copies of Windows 3.10 (which 
couldn't load on the 286 laptop that I had brought along, because it 
didn't have A20 support, and gave those of us who asked that international 
distribution Windows 3.0 CD-ROM.  Never saw it before or since. It had 
Windows 3.0 installation with at least half a dozen different languages.


I do wish that I could do an install of MS-DOS 6.22, CD-ROM driver + 
MSCDExec, DOSidle, and Windows 3.x on a CD-ROM for simplifying installations 
in virtual machines.
I've not yet figured out how to put all of the install files for MS-DOS 6.22 
in one directory, boot and do the install.  My minimal passes at doing so 
don't work as well as I want or get stuck wanting to change the disk based on 
the disk label.


Actually, you can, and easily.
MS-DOS 6 had an "INSTALL" program, which was demented.  It INSISTED on 
installing on drive C:.  But, some of my machines had four floppies, and I 
didn't want it to install on the 8" drive, or 3.25" drive, . . . 
Once you install it on SOME/ANY OTHER machine, then, with that OTHER 
machine booted up to DOS 6, just do a FORMAT A: /S of a boot floppy, and 
copy files onto that, specifically including FORMAT.

FORGET ABOUT THE "INSTALLATION" files.  with extreme prejudice.
Boot your target machine with the DOS 6 boot floppy;  it has FORMAT.COM 
on it (which IIRC was actually a .EXE file renamed .COM), and then use 
that to FORMAT C: /S .
Once that system format is done, and CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT are up, 
then all of the rest is just copying files, which can be COPY *.*.


The Chinese lady that I shared an office with was thrilled, because she was 
trying to teach herself Spanish, and that, along with the McCracken FORTRAN 
in Spanish were here preferred method.

~chuckle~


For learning any language, it helps a LOT to have a copy of something that 
you are familiar with in that language.  When she started to learn 
Spanish, I gave her a copy of McCracken FORTRAN in Spanish (she was 
familiar with, and had a copy of, the English edition), and loaned her the 
international Win3.0 disc.  She then setup one machine with Win3 in 
English, one in Chinese, and one in Spansish.

Win3.0 could run on an 8088, which were then a dime a dozen.

I don't know whether you could put more than one copy on a machine.  I 
think that you could - we had a copy of Win3.1 on a Win95 machine!



3.10 Windows CD-ROM from Microsoft

Interesting.


But, the Windows 3.10 BETA program sent us tons of floppies.

It had an even more demented problem: it installed Smartdrv first.  Then, 
if it hit any error, the installation would fail, without the usual option 
to IGNORE and manually copy the failed file later.  Instead, SMARTDRV cut 
out the options, and you could only R(etry)!  If the error wasn't 
transient, then you could only power down the machine!  But SMARTDRV had 
told DOS that stuff was ALREADY written that it hadn't done yet, so 
powering down wiped the whole installation.  I had one machine that had an 
error that neither SpinRite nor SpeedStor could find, but the Windoze 
installation consistently found it!  The work around was to put a lot of 
extraneous files on the disk, so that the sector with the error was used 
by something else.  I reported the problem to the BETA support; their 
response was "That's a HARDWARE problem, NOT OUR PROBLEM."  My comment 
that 1) any program should exit gracefully even from a hardware problem, 
not lock up the machine and 2) that SMARTDRV's actions would end up costing 
them substantially.  (It DID; DOS 6.20 was written primarily to deal with 
SMARTDRV causing problems!)  'course my comment also meant that I wasn't 
invited back for any other BETA programs; they only wanted cheerleaders, 
not critics nor actual testers.



When did 

RE: LCM Accounts?

[D. Resor via cctalk]

Seems it's back up and running.?

https://mc.livingcomputers.org/


Don Resor

-Original Message-
From: cctalk  On Behalf Of Bill Gunshannon via 
cctalk
Sent: Friday, July 23, 2021 5:17 PM
To: Zane Healy ; General Discussion: On-Topic and 
Off-Topic Posts 
Subject: Re: LCM Accounts?

On 7/23/21 5:58 PM, Zane Healy wrote:
> On Jul 23, 2021, at 1:13 PM, Bill Gunshannon via cctalk 
>  wrote:
>>
>> On 7/23/21 2:57 PM, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:
>>> Is it still possible to get accounts on the LCM systems?  I wanted to get a 
>>> login on the VAX 7000, but can’t figure out where to request an account.
>>> Zane
>>
>> What would you use it for if everything is shut down?
>>
>> bill
> 
> The systems aren’t shutdown, I was able to connect to it, I just can’t log 
> on.  I never bothered to get accounts on any of the systems.
> 
> Zane
> 
> 
> 
> 

Interesting.  The last time I tried to get to the LCM MineCraft Server it 
wasn't there and when I asked (here or somewhere similar, don't
remember) I was told they had shut everything down when they laid off all their 
people.

bill

Re: LCM Accounts?

[Bill Gunshannon via cctalk]

On 7/23/21 5:58 PM, Zane Healy wrote:

On Jul 23, 2021, at 1:13 PM, Bill Gunshannon via cctalk  
wrote:


On 7/23/21 2:57 PM, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:

Is it still possible to get accounts on the LCM systems?  I wanted to get a 
login on the VAX 7000, but can’t figure out where to request an account.
Zane


What would you use it for if everything is shut down?

bill


The systems aren’t shutdown, I was able to connect to it, I just can’t log on.  
I never bothered to get accounts on any of the systems.

Zane






Interesting.  The last time I tried to get to the LCM MineCraft Server
it wasn't there and when I asked (here or somewhere similar, don't
remember) I was told they had shut everything down when they laid off
all their people.

bill

Re: Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from the late 1990s

[Grant Taylor via cctalk]

On 7/23/21 3:20 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
Some of the early Xenix distros were about as massive, when you 
included development tools.  And OS?2 on floppy when accompanied by 
the relevant CSDs could also run into many disks.


My AIX/PS2 disk image collection clocks in at 94 disk images / 130 MB. 
(So I'm assuming 1.44 MB disks.)




--
Grant. . . .
unix || die

Re: Install Floppies (Was: Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from

[Grant Taylor via cctalk]

On 7/23/21 2:11 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:

Some further questions BELOW to complete the distribution media database:


}:-)


1) Which ones were available on 5.25"?  (and how many disks?)
 A) "360K"?
 B) "1.2M"?
 C) "1.4M"?
 D) Microsoft non-standard crammed 3.5" HD? (1.7M?)


Ugh ... I don't know and I don't have a good way to differentiate my 
disk images.


First CD-ROM install media that I got was Windows 3.00, but it was an 
inclusion on a "tools" collection CD-ROM  (not quite a shovel-ware). 
Then a Multi-Language 3.00 CD-ROM from Microsoft (for international 
market)


I would like to know more about, or better find a copy, of such a CD-ROM.

I do wish that I could do an install of MS-DOS 6.22, CD-ROM driver + 
MSCDExec, DOSidle, and Windows 3.x on a CD-ROM for simplifying 
installations in virtual machines.


I've not yet figured out how to put all of the install files for MS-DOS 
6.22 in one directory, boot and do the install.  My minimal passes at 
doing so don't work as well as I want or get stuck wanting to change the 
disk based on the disk label.


The Chinese lady that I shared an office with was thrilled, because 
she was trying to teach herself Spanish, and that, along with the 
McCracken FORTRAN in Spanish were here preferred method.


~chuckle~


3.10 Windows CD-ROM from Microsoft


Interesting.


When did MS-DOS come on CD-ROM?  Or did it?


Does MS-DOS 7.x; read Windows 95 / 98; count?  ;-)

I don't know if any of the other Microsoft products, likely NT Server, 
included MS-DOS installation files buried on the CD-ROM or not.  There 
are often interesting things if you know where to find them.



Microsoft C compiler Version 5.00 on CD-ROM


#unknown



--
Grant. . . .
unix || die

Re: Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from the late 1990s

[Grant Taylor via cctalk]

On 7/23/21 11:23 AM, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote:

Win95: 13 disks.


That's fewer than I remember.

Though, Windows 3.1 was 6 disks and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 was 8 
disks.  That was on top of MS-DOS 6.22 which was 3 disks.  For a total 
of 9 or 11.  So, 13 isn't that big of a jump.



Win98: 38 disks.


Maybe that's what I'm thinking of.


Netware 3.1: can't remember... lots:


I have 29 disk images in my collection for NetWare 3.11.


http://www.os2museum.com/wp/diskette-puzzle/


Ya.  I remember NetWare being a puzzle of disks.


Ha! Trying to google, I found a piece I wrote myself!
https://www.theregister.com/Print/2013/07/16/netware_4_anniversary/


$ReadingList++


I think it was circa 20-25 disks. I remember I had to copy them before
installation, in case. And at that time, the DOS 3.3 DISKCOPY command
didn't swap to disk or XMS/EMS, and with 640 kB of RAM, copying a 1.4
MB floppy could take 3-4 reads and as many writes.


Oh good $DEITY!

I would have borrowed a 2nd floppy drive from another system, done the 
copy, and returned the floppy drive.  It would probably have been faster.



It took me over an entire working day to duplicate all the disks, IIRC.


Ya.  I bet.


There was, and I think in some markets -- Japan maybe? possibly
because of non-adherence to CD standards? -- it was sold on floppies.





I also have unpleasant memories of trying to install Slackware from
floppies, because it couldn't see my SCSI card, and the only CD-ROM I
had was SCSI. The command switches for Linux kernel modules weren't
standardised and I couldn't find out how to tell Linux about my cheap
& nasty built-in AHA1520 SCSI controller's IRQ and DMA settings. I
knew what they were, but I didn't know the syntax to tell the
module...


Ya.  Early Linux, which Slackware in the '90s definitely qualifies as, 
often had a chicken and egg problem.  You could create a new boot disk 
and / or modules for hardware /if/ /only/ you had a functional Linux 
system to do it from.  Bootstraping Linux in the '90s was ... touchy.




--
Grant. . . .
unix || die

Re: What's left of the Houston Museum stuff

[Vincent Slyngstad via cctalk]

On 7/23/2021 2:56 PM, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:

Personally when I see “Museum” in this context, I don’t think of this as a 
museum not taking care of the artifacts, I look at this from the standpoint of 
the founder not taking the necessary steps when setting the Museum up to ensure 
its preservation after his death (or when the founder runs out of money).


I thought there was a disaster (flood) that had basically trashed the 
place.  Did I get that wrong?  (I could understand a "failure in 
planning" followed by "total liquidation of assets" in such a scenario.)


Vince

Re: LCM Accounts?

[Zane Healy via cctalk]

On Jul 23, 2021, at 1:13 PM, Bill Gunshannon via cctalk  
wrote:
> 
> On 7/23/21 2:57 PM, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:
>> Is it still possible to get accounts on the LCM systems?  I wanted to get a 
>> login on the VAX 7000, but can’t figure out where to request an account.
>> Zane
> 
> What would you use it for if everything is shut down?
> 
> bill

The systems aren’t shutdown, I was able to connect to it, I just can’t log on.  
I never bothered to get accounts on any of the systems.

Zane

Re: What's left of the Houston Museum stuff

[Zane Healy via cctalk]

On Jul 23, 2021, at 12:56 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk  
wrote:
> 
> On 7/23/21 12:48 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:
>> On 7/23/21 12:43 PM, Lee Gleason via cctalk wrote:
>>> the prices were a bit higher than I was prepared to pay
>> the guy is a flipper, let him scrap the stuff before giving him a dime
> 
> If you haven't figured this out already I am NOT happy with him using the
> word "MUSEUM" in any of this and the vibe it is generating that museums
> don't take care of artifacts.

Thanks for that explanation Al, it helps to understand where you’re coming 
from, and you bring up an excellent point.

Personally when I see “Museum” in this context, I don’t think of this as a 
museum not taking care of the artifacts, I look at this from the standpoint of 
the founder not taking the necessary steps when setting the Museum up to ensure 
its preservation after his death (or when the founder runs out of money).

Basically I think we each have our life experiences colouring our views in this 
matter.  At least the effort I was involved with was able to dispose of its 
assets to other non-profits.

Zane

Re: Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from the late 1990s

[Warner Losh via cctalk]

On Fri, Jul 23, 2021, 3:20 PM Chuck Guzis via cctalk 
wrote:

> On 7/23/21 10:23 AM, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote:
> > On Fri, 23 Jul 2021 at 18:56, Grant Taylor via cctalk
> >  wrote:
> >>
> >> If memory serves, that mass of floppies was dwarfed by Windows 95,
> >> particularly later versions.
> >
> > Win95: 13 disks.
> >
> > Win98: 38 disks.
>
> Some of the early Xenix distros were about as massive, when you included
> development tools.  And OS?2 on floppy when accompanied by the relevant
> CSDs could also run into many disks.
>

Venix/86R for the Rainbow shipped on 8 RX50 floppies BSW additions were
another 6 floppies, though that replaced about 2 floppies worth of binaries.

Warner

>

Re: Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from the late 1990s

[Chuck Guzis via cctalk]

On 7/23/21 10:23 AM, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote:
> On Fri, 23 Jul 2021 at 18:56, Grant Taylor via cctalk
>  wrote:
>>
>> If memory serves, that mass of floppies was dwarfed by Windows 95,
>> particularly later versions.
> 
> Win95: 13 disks.
> 
> Win98: 38 disks.

Some of the early Xenix distros were about as massive, when you included
development tools.  And OS?2 on floppy when accompanied by the relevant
CSDs could also run into many disks.

--Chuck

Re: What's left of the Houston Museum stuff

[Jules Richardson via cctalk]

On 7/23/21 2:01 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:

On 7/23/21 10:38 AM, Jules Richardson via cctalk wrote:


Sadly it's getting on for 1,500 miles away from me.


just let this stuff be ecycled already


I could actually use a few more CRTs. Well, not "use personally" - I've got 
enough to just grab a suitable one when I want to fire a system up - but I 
do keep thinking that if I ever thin out some of my duplicate machines, it 
would be nice to offer the future owner the option of a display to go with it.



like a friend said, we are all just delay lines for the dump


Ha! That, I like.

Re: LCM Accounts?

[Bill Gunshannon via cctalk]

On 7/23/21 2:57 PM, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:

Is it still possible to get accounts on the LCM systems?  I wanted to get a 
login on the VAX 7000, but can’t figure out where to request an account.

Zane




What would you use it for if everything is shut down?

bill

Install Floppies (Was: Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from

[Fred Cisin via cctalk]

Some further questions BELOW to complete the distribution media database:


If memory serves, that mass of floppies was dwarfed by Windows 95,
particularly later versions.

On Fri, 23 Jul 2021, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote:

Win95: 13 disks.
Win98: 38 disks.



Netware 3.1: can't remember... lots:
http://www.os2museum.com/wp/diskette-puzzle/
Ha! Trying to google, I found a piece I wrote myself!
https://www.theregister.com/Print/2013/07/16/netware_4_anniversary/
I think it was circa 20-25 disks. I remember I had to copy them before
installation, in case. And at that time, the DOS 3.3 DISKCOPY command
didn't swap to disk or XMS/EMS, and with 640 kB of RAM, copying a 1.4
MB floppy could take 3-4 reads and as many writes.

It took me over an entire working day to duplicate all the disks, IIRC.


1) Which ones were available on 5.25"?  (and how many disks?)
A) "360K"?
B) "1.2M"?
C) "1.4M"?
D) Microsoft non-standard crammed 3.5" HD? (1.7M?)

First CD-ROM install media that I got was Windows 3.00, but it was an 
inclusion on a "tools" collection CD-ROM  (not quite a shovel-ware).
Then a Multi-Language 3.00 CD-ROM from Microsoft (for international 
market)
The Chinese lady that I shared an office with was thrilled, because she 
was trying to teach herself Spanish, and that, along with the McCracken 
FORTRAN in Spanish were here preferred method.


3.10 Windows CD-ROM from Microsoft


When did MS-DOS come on CD-ROM?  Or did it?

Microsoft C compiler Version 5.00 on CD-ROM

Re: What's left of the Houston Museum stuff

[Zane Healy via cctalk]

On Jul 23, 2021, at 12:43 PM, Lee Gleason via cctalk  
wrote:
> 
> "Nice selection of dirty and yellowed  computers in unknown condition."
> 
>  I just took a run out to the warehouse in question, figuring the owner would 
> be there today cleaning up. The quote above sums up the state of things. 
> There were some miscellaneous DEC terminals, a few MicroVAXes, and some other 
> assorted DEC stuff - but it was all a trifle ...funky. That alone might not 
> have been a sales stopper for me (all of my collection is not pristine), but 
> the prices were a bit higher than I was prepared to pay for that condition 
> and these circumstances.  EG $125.00 for a VT220 w/o keyboard, and $90.00 for 
> VT240 base units. I left empty handed.

In that condition, those prices are crazy.  I could care less about the lack of 
keyboards, but then I’m blessed when it comes to LK201’s and LK401’s.

Thank you for the report, I feel better now, about my inability to get in on 
this.

Zane

Re: What's left of the Houston Museum stuff

[Al Kossow via cctalk]

On 7/23/21 12:48 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:

On 7/23/21 12:43 PM, Lee Gleason via cctalk wrote:

the prices were a bit higher than I was prepared to pay


the guy is a flipper, let him scrap the stuff before giving him a dime



If you haven't figured this out already I am NOT happy with him using the
word "MUSEUM" in any of this and the vibe it is generating that museums
don't take care of artifacts.

Re: What's left of the Houston Museum stuff

[Al Kossow via cctalk]

On 7/23/21 12:43 PM, Lee Gleason via cctalk wrote:
the prices were a bit higher 
than I was prepared to pay


the guy is a flipper, let him scrap the stuff before giving him a dime

What's left of the Houston Museum stuff

[Lee Gleason via cctalk]

"Nice selection of dirty and yellowed  computers in unknown condition."

  I just took a run out to the warehouse in question, figuring the owner would 
be there today cleaning up. The quote above sums up the state of things. There 
were some miscellaneous DEC terminals, a few MicroVAXes, and some other 
assorted DEC stuff - but it was all a trifle ...funky. That alone might not 
have been a sales stopper for me (all of my collection is not pristine), but 
the prices were a bit higher than I was prepared to pay for that condition and 
these circumstances.  EG $125.00 for a VT220 w/o keyboard, and $90.00 for VT240 
base units. I left empty handed.

--
Lee K. Gleason N5ZMR
Control-G Consultants
lee.glea...@comcast.net

Re: What's left of the Houston Museum stuff

[John Foust via cctalk]

At 02:01 PM 7/23/2021, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:
>like a friend said, we are all just delay lines for the dump

How about "temporary caretakers who will pass these things
along to someone else who also cares?"

- John

Re: What's left of the Houston Museum stuff

[Al Kossow via cctalk]

On 7/23/21 10:38 AM, Jules Richardson via cctalk wrote:


Sadly it's getting on for 1,500 miles away from me.


just let this stuff be ecycled already

like a friend said, we are all just delay lines for the dump

LCM Accounts?

[Zane Healy via cctalk]

Is it still possible to get accounts on the LCM systems?  I wanted to get a 
login on the VAX 7000, but can’t figure out where to request an account.

Zane

RE: Sourcing Capacitors for my H7140 PSU

[Rob Jarratt via cctalk]

I was looking at UK sites, but that is definitely an option, thanks.

> -Original Message-
> From: Toby Thain 
> Sent: 23 July 2021 17:59
> To: r...@jarratt.me.uk; Rob Jarratt ; General
> Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts 
> Subject: Re: Sourcing Capacitors for my H7140 PSU
> 
> On 2021-07-23 12:48 p.m., Rob Jarratt via cctalk wrote:
> > I gave up trying to repair this PSU myself and I have got someone to
> > do it professionally. It seems they have it working well but think
> > that two capacitors should still be replaced. I think these are the
> > two big "Coke Can" sized filter capacitors. The trouble is they seem
> > to be unable to find any. The spec for them is 4500uf 200v DxH 76mm x
> 145mm Qty. 2.
> >
> >
> >
> > Anyone know where to find such monsters? In the UK ideally. I have
> > looked on Farnell, Digikey and Mouser. It all seems to be special
> > order, minimum quantity, long lead time etc.
> >
> 
> Any reason you can't use the results of this search at Digikey?
> 
> https://www.digikey.ca/short/v73h57hh
> 
> Cheapest is CAD $40.33 and generally screw mount. I've filtered to three
> reputable brands.
> 
> --Toby
> 
> 
> >
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> >
> >
> > Rob
> >
> >
> >

Re: What's left of the Houston Museum stuff

[Jules Richardson via cctalk]

On 7/21/21 7:09 PM, Teo Zenios via cctalk wrote:

Nice selection of dirty and yellowed  computers in unknown condition.


Dirt can be removed, things can typically be repaired if needed, and not 
all of us expect our systems to be the exact shade of whatever that they 
were when they were built decades ago. :-)


Sadly it's getting on for 1,500 miles away from me.

Re: Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from the late 1990s

[Liam Proven via cctalk]

On Fri, 23 Jul 2021 at 18:56, Grant Taylor via cctalk
 wrote:
>
> If memory serves, that mass of floppies was dwarfed by Windows 95,
> particularly later versions.

Win95: 13 disks.

Win98: 38 disks.

Netware 3.1: can't remember... lots:
http://www.os2museum.com/wp/diskette-puzzle/

Ha! Trying to google, I found a piece I wrote myself!
https://www.theregister.com/Print/2013/07/16/netware_4_anniversary/

I think it was circa 20-25 disks. I remember I had to copy them before
installation, in case. And at that time, the DOS 3.3 DISKCOPY command
didn't swap to disk or XMS/EMS, and with 640 kB of RAM, copying a 1.4
MB floppy could take 3-4 reads and as many writes.

It took me over an entire working day to duplicate all the disks, IIRC.

> Aside:  I don't think I've ever seen Windows 98 on floppies.  I think
> I've only seen CD-ROM.  Though I expect that there is a way, likely from
> Microsoft, to create the floppies.

There was, and I think in some markets -- Japan maybe? possibly
because of non-adherence to CD standards? -- it was sold on floppies.

I also have unpleasant memories of trying to install Slackware from
floppies, because it couldn't see my SCSI card, and the only CD-ROM I
had was SCSI. The command switches for Linux kernel modules weren't
standardised and I couldn't find out how to tell Linux about my cheap
& nasty built-in AHA1520 SCSI controller's IRQ and DMA settings. I
knew what they were, but I didn't know the syntax to tell the
module...

-- 
Liam Proven – Profile: https://about.me/liamproven
Email: lpro...@cix.co.uk – gMail/gTalk/gHangouts: lpro...@gmail.com
Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/Flickr: lproven – Skype: liamproven
UK: +44 7939-087884 – ČR (+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal): +420 702 829 053

Re: Sourcing Capacitors for my H7140 PSU

[Toby Thain via cctalk]

On 2021-07-23 12:48 p.m., Rob Jarratt via cctalk wrote:
> I gave up trying to repair this PSU myself and I have got someone to do it
> professionally. It seems they have it working well but think that two
> capacitors should still be replaced. I think these are the two big "Coke
> Can" sized filter capacitors. The trouble is they seem to be unable to find
> any. The spec for them is 4500uf 200v DxH 76mm x 145mm Qty. 2.
> 
>  
> 
> Anyone know where to find such monsters? In the UK ideally. I have looked on
> Farnell, Digikey and Mouser. It all seems to be special order, minimum
> quantity, long lead time etc.
> 

Any reason you can't use the results of this search at Digikey?

https://www.digikey.ca/short/v73h57hh

Cheapest is CAD $40.33 and generally screw mount. I've filtered to three
reputable brands.

--Toby


>  
> 
> Thanks
> 
>  
> 
> Rob
> 
>  
> 

Re: Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from the late 1990s

[Grant Taylor via cctalk]

On 7/23/21 7:24 AM, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote:

Netware 3 on it. From floppies. Lots and lots of floppies.


If memory serves, that mass of floppies was dwarfed by Windows 95, 
particularly later versions.


Aside:  I don't think I've ever seen Windows 98 on floppies.  I think 
I've only seen CD-ROM.  Though I expect that there is a way, likely from 
Microsoft, to create the floppies.




--
Grant. . . .
unix || die

Sourcing Capacitors for my H7140 PSU

[Rob Jarratt via cctalk]

I gave up trying to repair this PSU myself and I have got someone to do it
professionally. It seems they have it working well but think that two
capacitors should still be replaced. I think these are the two big "Coke
Can" sized filter capacitors. The trouble is they seem to be unable to find
any. The spec for them is 4500uf 200v DxH 76mm x 145mm Qty. 2.

 

Anyone know where to find such monsters? In the UK ideally. I have looked on
Farnell, Digikey and Mouser. It all seems to be special order, minimum
quantity, long lead time etc.

 

Thanks

 

Rob

 

Re: Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from the late 1990s

[Al Kossow via cctalk]

On 7/23/21 6:24 AM, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote:


I think the Compaq was a Deskpro


It was. I remember a visit to an Apple exec's office
who had one on his desk just after it came out and his
concern wrt competition for the Mac II.

He would end up going to work for Dell

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-harslem-077b982/

Re: Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from the late 1990s

[Liam Proven via cctalk]

On Fri, 23 Jul 2021 at 14:55, Christian Groessler via cctalk
 wrote:
>
> I think Compaq was the first company to offer a 386 PC back then (before
> IBM).
>
> I remember, when I worked as a student at MBB around 1988, that we
> visited another department (just next door) to see the Compaq 386 they
> had in action.

Exactly. We already had a demo PS/2 Model 70, a screaming 25MHz
80386DX _with motherboard cache_. But it cost over £10,000 in 1988 and
I don't remember us ever selling one.

(My Acorn Archimedes – 8MHz ARM2 – ran rings around it, which
delighted me. IIRC interpreted BBC BASIC V on RISC OS was
substantially faster than BASIC compiled with MS QuickBASIC 3 on PC
DOS.)

I think the Compaq was a Deskpro, and I was installing Netware 3 on
it. From floppies. Lots and lots of floppies. I had to mess around
with IRQ and DMA settings on its Ethernet and SCSI cards, so I had the
lid off... and left it off when I went to lunch.

Oops...

-- 
Liam Proven – Profile: https://about.me/liamproven
Email: lpro...@cix.co.uk – gMail/gTalk/gHangouts: lpro...@gmail.com
Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/Flickr: lproven – Skype: liamproven
UK: +44 7939-087884 – ČR (+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal): +420 702 829 053

Re: Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from the late 1990s

[Christian Groessler via cctalk]

On 7/23/21 1:35 PM, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote:

I remember when a Compaq 386 was I
think the first 386 I ever worked on.



I think Compaq was the first company to offer a 386 PC back then (before 
IBM).


I remember, when I worked as a student at MBB around 1988, that we 
visited another department (just next door) to see the Compaq 386 they 
had in action.


regards,
chris

Re: Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from the late 1990s

[Liam Proven via cctalk]

On Fri, 23 Jul 2021 at 01:25, Christian Groessler via cctalk
 wrote:
>
> My boss back in 90/91 or so bought a Compaq 386SX desktop. The 386SX was
> at the low end back then already, but the keyboard which came with it
> was top-notch!
>
> Forget early IBM PC keyboards. This Compaq keyboard had the best feel
> ever when typing!
>
> Unfortunately I never was able to find this keyboard again, and my boss
> wouldn't give it to me when he dumped the 386SX :-(
> He kept the keyboard.

I both agree and disagree.

I never used an original Compaq Portable but I started using Compaqs
back in the 8086 and 80286 era. I remember when a Compaq 386 was I
think the first 386 I ever worked on. (I killed it. >_< Left it
running COMPSURF with the lid off, and the bare CPU -- no heatsink --
fried. No airflow.)

I never used a Compaq keyboard I really liked. Your post made me cast
my mind back and the oldest ones I remember were unusually soft and
quiet for the time. I like loud and clicky. :-) But I can certainly
see why someone might like them -- soft and quiet became the dominant
style.

But I now have a reputation as a keyboard collector and enthusiast,
and I am not really -- I just kept some of the ones I liked from when
people were throwing them away...

-- 
Liam Proven – Profile: https://about.me/liamproven
Email: lpro...@cix.co.uk – gMail/gTalk/gHangouts: lpro...@gmail.com
Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/Flickr: lproven – Skype: liamproven
UK: +44 7939-087884 – ČR (+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal): +420 702 829 053

Re: What's left of the Houston Museum stuff

[Mark Linimon via cctalk]

What a complete fiasco.  How sad.

mcl