Dead MicroVAX II :(

Dead MicroVAX II :(

[Michael Sokolov]

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In article by Mike W.:

> I have a digital microvax II in a 'world case'. I was wondering how to
> hook it up and make it fly. I was told that it runs the Micro VMS OS,
> but no to get get it on the machine, Model: one of two: VS12W-B2 or
> V512W-B2. It is an old sticker, could be a 5 or an S. A tape drive is
> installed, but no tape disk came with it. Is there another OS it can
> run?

Yes, it will run UNIX, the timesharing system by Ritchie and Thompson, Berkeley
VAX version thereof, the current version of which is 4.3BSD-Quasijarus
maintained by me, the WWW page for which is:

http://minnie.cs.adfa.edu.au/

Running UNIX requires a UNIX source license (True UNIX never had, doesn't have,
and never will have a concept of "binary only"), but these days SCO gives them
out for FREE! You have a tape drive, so you will have no problem with
installation. I have supply you with the boot tape, but you'll have to
reimburse me for the tape and shipping.

> How do I hook up the Console to work on it. For that matter, what does
> the console look like?

You need a standard RS-232 terminal. The console port connector on the MicroVAX
is of a rather odd standard, though. A DEC BCC05 or BCC08 cable will connect it
to a standard RS-232 DB25M terminal. If you want or have to make your own
cable, I've got the pinout for the MicroVAX console port connector somewhere.

> [...] nothing on 'where  and
> how the cables go on the back (bulkhead).

The I/O distribution panel on the back provides external connections for all
Q-bus modules you have. You'll have to tell us what Q-bus modules you have so
that we can tell you what external connections they need. You obviously have
the CPU, which has one external connection: the console port which I just told
you about.

> I need to know how, why and
> when to turn the knobs on the back.

On the CPU module bulkhead there are two knobs and one switch. One knob selects
the console port baud rate. I think this one is obvious. You can use any of the
baud rates printed around the knob, but 9600 baud is standard. The other knob
selects between normal operation (the arrow icon), console language selection
(the talking face icon), and console port loopback test (the T in the circle
icon). I always leave it on the arrow icon. Finally, the switch selects between
maintenance mode (halt enabled, stay in the console on power-up) and production
mode (halt disabled, boot the OS on power-up). These correspond to the dot-
inside-the-circle and dot-outside-the-circle icons, respectively. For now leave
the dot inside the circle.

For more info subscribe to the Quasijarus mailing list and ask there. Send
subscription requests to:

quasijarus-request at ivan.Harhan.ORG

--
Michael Sokolov		Harhan Engineering Laboratory
Public Service Agent	International Free Computing Task Force
			International Engineering and Science Task Force
			615 N GOOD LATIMER EXPY STE #4
			DALLAS TX 75204-5852 USA

Phone: +1-214-824-7693 (Harhan Eng Lab office)
E-mail: msokolov at ivan.Harhan.ORG (ARPA TCP/SMTP) (UUCP coming soon)

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From: msokolov@ivan.Harhan.ORG (Michael Sokolov)
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Subject: Re: Dead MicroVAX II :(
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David O'Brien <obrien at NUXI.com> wrote:

> The port-vax at netbsd.org list is full of very VAX clueful people.

So is quasijarus at ivan.Harhan.ORG.

--
Michael Sokolov		Harhan Engineering Laboratory
Public Service Agent	International Free Computing Task Force
			International Engineering and Science Task Force
			615 N GOOD LATIMER EXPY STE #4
			DALLAS TX 75204-5852 USA

Phone: +1-214-824-7693 (Harhan Eng Lab office)
E-mail: msokolov at ivan.Harhan.ORG (ARPA TCP/SMTP) (UUCP coming soon)

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From: msokolov@ivan.Harhan.ORG (Michael Sokolov)
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Subject: Re: Dead MicroVAX II :(
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jkunz at unixag-kl.fh-kl.de wrote:

> If you want a modern Unix OS [...]

If he did, why would he want a VAX? Someone who detests "modern" pee sea
hardware and prefers the vastly superior classical DEC stuff (like I do) would
surely feel the same way about software (again like I do). Why should one treat
hardware and software differently in this respect? Why mix-and-match the
wonderful classical hardware with crappy bloated "modern" software?

--
Michael Sokolov		Harhan Engineering Laboratory
Public Service Agent	International Free Computing Task Force
			International Engineering and Science Task Force
			615 N GOOD LATIMER EXPY STE #4
			DALLAS TX 75204-5852 USA

Phone: +1-214-824-7693 (Harhan Eng Lab office)
E-mail: msokolov at ivan.Harhan.ORG (ARPA TCP/SMTP) (UUCP coming soon)

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Date: Fri, 26 May 2000 15:21:49 -0700
From: Brian Chase <bdc@world.std.com>
To: pups at minnie.cs.adfa.edu.au
Subject: Re: Dead MicroVAX II :(
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On Fri, 26 May 2000, Michael Sokolov wrote:

> jkunz at unixag-kl.fh-kl.de wrote:
> > If you want a modern Unix OS [...]
> 
> If he did, why would he want a VAX? Someone who detests "modern" pee
> sea hardware and prefers the vastly superior classical DEC stuff (like
> I do) would surely feel the same way about software (again like I do).
> Why should one treat hardware and software differently in this
> respect? Why mix-and-match the wonderful classical hardware with
> crappy bloated "modern" software?

This list is definitely geared towards people running classic OSes on
classic systems.  I actually really enjoy having lots of the bloated
modern hardware running on my VAXen.  So much contemporary software
compiles and runs right out of the tarballs under NetBSD/vax.  And
honestly, a lot of it performs quite admirably on even my humblest of
MicroVAX II's.

I see nothing incompatible with loving modern OSes running well on ancient
hardware. :-)

-brian.
--- Brian Chase | bdc at world.std.com | http://world.std.com/~bdc/ -----
All math equations have a fistfight on at least one side.  -- K.


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Subject: Re: Dead MicroVAX II :(
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On 27 May, Michael Sokolov wrote:

>> If you want a modern Unix OS [...]
> 
> If he did, why would he want a VAX? Someone who detests "modern" pee sea
> hardware and prefers the vastly superior classical DEC stuff (like I do) would
> surely feel the same way about software (again like I do). Why should one treat
> hardware and software differently in this respect? Why mix-and-match the
> wonderful classical hardware with crappy bloated "modern" software?
Sure. That is the reason why I referred both the quasijarus project and
NetBSD. I wanted to give _him_ the choice. 

I own a lot of different old machines. (DEC, Sun, HP, IBM, ...) On most
of this machins runs the same OS, NetBSD. I like it to see the same
software running on an old VAX and on a state of the art Alpha. I am
usung NetBSD for years now, so my preference of NetBSD is historical
too. 
-- 



tsch��,
         Jochen

Homepage: http://www.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de/~jkunz/