On Jul 30, 2016, at 10:26 AM, Douglas Taylor <dj.tayl...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> On 7/29/2016 10:30 PM, Jerry Weiss wrote:
>> On Jul 29, 2016, at 8:30 PM, Zane Healy <heal...@aracnet.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Jul 29, 2016, at 6:08 PM, Douglas Taylor <dj.tayl...@comcast.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I just got a MicroVax II in the BA123 world box chassis. I has a TK50,
>>>> RX50, RXDQ2, but no DEQNA. I'd like to get it running an OS.
>>>>
>>>> The DU disks don't work, but I have a couple of Qbus SCSI controllers that
>>>> might come in handy.
>>>>
>>>> Can you use those SD to SCSI convertors in this type of configuration?
>>>> Anyone have experience with this?
>>>>
>>>> What OS's can I use with this hardware? NetBSD? Are versions of VMS
>>>> available? How do you get an OS onto this system?
>>> The all around best choice would be VAX/VMS v5.5-2. You can get Hobbyist
>>> licenses. The OS was available as part of the Hobbyist program. If you
>>> add a SCSI adapter, you can hopefully attach a CD. IIRC, it will run up to
>>> either v7.2 or 7.3, at least I know I had v7.2 on a MicroVAX III (well,
>>> technically I still do, if it will boot).
>>>
>>> Ultrix would also be available.
>>>
>>> What I did though was I gave it a brain transplant, and converted mine to a
>>> PDP-11 once I got a better VAX.
>>>
>>> I need to invest in a couple of those SD adapters myself. I’d really like
>>> to put one on one of my AlphaStation 200 4/233’s. Hopefully they’ll still
>>> work. It’s been years since I’ve done anything with my DEC HW. :-(
>>>
>> I have booted both V7.3 and V5.5-2 off a 4GB SD with SCSI2SD V4.6 on a
>> MicroVax II with 16 Mb. Note that DEQNA will not work (at all) on either
>> version. You’ll need a DELQA.
>>
>> You should be able to build a system with an emulator and then copy the
>> binary to an SD card. i’ve taken images both ways without problems.
>> Alternately if you get a DELQA, you can netboot off of another Vaxen and
>> build an bootable disk that way.
>>
>> Jerry
>
> That is awfully good news for me. How did you format the SD card? What kind
> of drive was it emulating?
>
> I don't have 16 Mb, but 5 Mb. I understand the DEQNA was not supported in
> VMS 5, should've kept the one I had.
>
I use a UC07 controller and it presents the SD/SCS2SD as a MSCP drive. It
doesn’t matter what type of drive I label the drive using
the Emulex built it utilities (RA81, RA92..). VMS sees all the space the
SCSI2SD adapter presents. The SD is
is a block level device and can be written directly to. No further (lower
level) formatting is necessary.
<!-- ********************************************************
Drive geometry settings.
********************************************************* -->
<scsiSectors>7603200</scsiSectors>
<bytesPerSector>512</bytesPerSector>
<sectorsPerTrack>63</sectorsPerTrack>
<headsPerCylinder>255</headsPerCylinder>
<!-- ********************************************************
Drive identification information. The SCSI2SD doesn't
care what these are set to. Use these strings to trick a OS
thinking a specific hard drive model is attached.
********************************************************* -->
<!-- 8 character vendor string -->
<!-- For Apple HD SC Setup/Drive Setup, use ' SEAGATE' -->
<vendor>DEC </vendor>
<!-- 16 character produce identifier -->
<!-- For Apple HD SC Setup/Drive Setup, use ' ST225N' -->
<prodId>RA92 </prodId>
<!-- 4 character product revision number -->
<!-- For Apple HD SC Setup/Drive Setup, use '1.0 ' -->
<revision>4.30</revision>
<!-- 16 character serial number -->
<serial>VAX50001 </serial>
Start off by getting the Hobbyist License. When you sign up you get access to
a VMS 7.3 distribution Iso.
Then you need to sort out your install method. Either burn the ISO and try to
boot it or go
the emulation route.
Jerry
