[cctalk] Re: Heurikon HK68/M10 (Multibus) information?

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

I have one or two as well.  I asked around about this a couple of years ago
and didn't turn anything interesting up.  A couple of former Heurikon folks
said they'd look but nothing came of it.  Ping me if you turn anything up.

KJ

On Thu, Jun 6, 2024 at 10:04 PM Chris Hanson via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> Does anyone have any manuals or other information on the Heurikon
> HK68/M10? Or the Hbug ROMs for it?
>
> The HK68/M10 is a Multibus 68010 board with serial, SCSI, parallel,
> timers, 1MB onboard RAM, 2- or 4-channel DMA, and an optional 68451 MMU.
> It's similar but not identical to the HK68/V10 (the VMEbus version) and so
> far I haven't been able to find much that would make one usable.
>
> I'm particularly interested in:
>
> An Hbug ROM.
> Pinouts for the top edge connectors, which provide the serial ports, the
> SCSI port, and the parallel port.
> Jumpering/strapping and other configuration information.
>
> And of course it'd be incredible to find the UniPlus+ distribution for it,
> but I'm not holding out much hope for that.
>
> I already know what's on Bitsavers—such as the brochure—and I've already
> looked at the MAME HK68/V10 emulation, so no need to point those out.
>
>   -- Chris
>
>

[cctalk] Re: Random items on Pascal #3

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

I came to it all a bit later.  I do recall the CDC salesthing saying
something like "oh, you guys have some Unix around here?  Have we got
something for you!".  And the systems guys brought up NOS/VE on the last
CDC machines we ever bought.

On Wed, May 15, 2024 at 10:43 PM Chuck Guzis via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> On 5/15/24 18:47, Ken Seefried via cctalk wrote:
>
> > Please...I'm trying very hard not to remember them (or NOS...worse,
> NOS/VE).
>
> I left CDC at around the time that SCOPE 3.4 was being renamed NOS BE
> and KRONOS was becoming NOS.  I remember attending a design meeting for
> the pager in what was to become NOS/VE.  I asked the presenter if he'd
> conferred with any of the virtual memory pager talent that CDC had
> in-house.  Blank stare.  I informed him that the STAR-100 people had
> lived in that particular hell since about 1969--and that demand paging
> was not the way to run a shop.  STAR had long-since switched to a
> working set algorithm.
>
> Even that wasn't enough.  If one selected a large (65 KW) page size and
> set up certain vector instructions so that addresses crossed page
> boundaries, it was impossible to get the required pages into memory all
> at once.
>
> The system just sat there and thrashed
>
> --Chuck
>
>

[cctalk] Re: ANSI-M (Mumps) and the VA

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

On Mon, May 13, 2024 at 10:18 PM Tommy Chang via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> Yes, Epic is the most popular electronic medical records vendor and their
> backend is MUMPS (originally MIIS).
>

My wife is in medical practice management.  That explains a lot.

KJ

[cctalk] Re: Random items on Pascal #3

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

On Thu, May 9, 2024 at 8:59 PM Chuck Guzis via cctalk 
wrote:

>   Who remembers SYMPL or CYBIL?
>
>
Please...I'm trying very hard not to remember them (or NOS...worse, NOS/VE).

KJ

[cctalk] Re: APL (Was: BASIC

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

On Wed, May 1, 2024 at 7:51 PM Fred Cisin via cctalk 
wrote:

>
>
> What would our world be like if the first home computers were to have had
> APL, instead of BASIC?
>
>
>
The Ampere WS-1?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampere_WS-1

Definitely more stylish.

KJ

[cctalk] Re: Cleanup time again

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

> You can list them for whatever you want, and if you are lucky someone
might pay it.

I always assumed that the eBay listings that sold for obviously ridiculous
amounts are money laundering schemes.

On Sat, Mar 23, 2024 at 1:15 PM David Wade via cctalk 
wrote:

>
> > -Original Message-
> > From: Bill Gunshannon via cctalk 
> > Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2024 3:24 PM
> > To: Bill Gunshannon via cctalk 
> > Cc: Bill Gunshannon 
> > Subject: [cctalk] Re: Cleanup time again
> >
> >
> >
> > On 3/23/2024 11:16 AM, Bill Gunshannon via cctalk wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Here's something operators of older systems might find useful.
> > >
> > > Allied Telesis CentreCOM 210TS Twisted Pair Transciever
> > > IEE 802.3 10 BASE-T (MAU)
> > >
> > > I have 14 used and another 14 still in the box, never been opened.
> > >
> >
> >
> > Wow!!!   Maybe I should try eBay again.  I was going to let
> > them go for $20-$25 but I according to google they are listing for $180
> to $250.
> > :-)
> >
> > bill
>
> You can list them for whatever you want, and if you are lucky someone
> might pay it.
> On the other hand, the most one has sold for on E-Bay in the past 90 days
> is $50 so if you want to sell them $20-$25 seems a good price point
> .. and there is one currently listed for $9.99...
>
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/326023934007
>
> ... I think I paid around $30 for the last one I bought but it was a while
> ago...
>
> Dave
> G4UGM
>

[cctalk] "HB A8" ISA SCSI controller BIOS image?

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

I have some 8-bit ISA 53c90a based SCSI controllers labeled "SCSI HB A8".
Mine are made by "Advanced Information Concepts", but apparently they were
also made by "Control Concepts". Unfortunately, mine don't have the BIOS
chips installed.  I have a picture of the card with a chip installed
labeled "Ver-3.02 CCI 0991", so I know an 8k or 16k boot prom existed.
Does anyone have such a card that they'd be willing to dump a prom image
from (or let me borrow it to dump).

KJ

[cctalk] Re: PCs Limited XT

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

Interesting thought.  I don't think I ever had to look for a layer 3 RPL
helper.  RPL seems to have fallen out of favor around the time IP took over
the world.

On Fri, Jun 23, 2023 at 9:06 AM Chris Zach via cctalk 
wrote:

> That was it, Remote Program Load. Simple protocol, ran at the MAC layer
> if I recall, and worked. However it had an issue with routers and I
> think BOOTP was easier to use with a "helper" on the switch or router to
> handle it.
>
> Old stuff. But yes pull that ROM chip or Arcnet card and it should boot
> to floppy or HD.
>
> CZ
>
> On 6/22/2023 11:46 PM, Ken Seefried via cctalk wrote:
> >> BOOTP load of a DOS from a Netware or 3Com server.
> > Could that be RPL?  I have a WD800x ethernet card with netboot PROM sold
> > with a "Netware ready" or some such workstation that it took me a bit to
> > figure out was looking for an RPL boot server, not BOOTP/TFTP.
> >
> > On Wed, Jun 14, 2023 at 9:11 PM Chris Zach via cctalk <
> cctalk@classiccmp.org>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Sitting here paging in old stuff from my brain. I'll bet you have an
> >> ArcNet card, and on the card it has a BIOS bootloader that was designed
> >> to do a BOOTP load of a DOS from a Netware or 3Com server.
> >>
> >> Pull the card and it will probably boot normally off the floppy.
> >>
> >> CZ
> >>
> >> On 6/14/2023 7:16 PM, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:
> >>> Guys...I just wanted to know if anyone has either an original user/tech
> >>> guide or worked with the actual specific machine.   Maybe there is a
> >>> password reset util disk image floating around specific to the original
> >> PCs
> >>> Limited system, or a backdoor password ...that's what I am after...the
> >>> original stuff that came with it.
> >>>
> >>> I learned ctrl+alt+ - toggles Turbo/ regular mode, by trial and error.
> >>>
> >>> Bill
> >>>
> >>> On Wed, Jun 14, 2023, 6:36 PM Fred Cisin via cctalk <
> >> cctalk@classiccmp.org>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> What cards are plugged into the motherboard?
> >>>>
> >>>> What video do you have connected?
> >>>>
> >>>> On 3 digit error codes, 4xx was monochrome video problems
> >>>>
> >>>> Do you get any beeps?
> >>>>
> >>>> Does it have a dipswitch (SW1)?  What are the current settings of it?
> >>>> With all cards removed, and SW1 (if it has one) switches 5 and 6 off,
> do
> >>>> you get beeps?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Do you have any other 5160s available?   (consider swapping BIOS ROM)
> >>>>
>

[cctalk] Re: Did Bill Gates Really Say That?

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

That's a good point, though like you I don't know of anything that ever
tried to take advantage of that theory (though I wouldn't have been paying
enough attention at the time to confidently comment, so...).  Since it's
not 'common knowledge' that it was done, I'd surmise either 1) the reality
is harder than the theory, or 2) it made more sense to wait for Intel chips
with less limitations, which seemed to me to be what was going on at the
time.  But certainly an interesting 'what if'.

KJ

On Fri, Jun 23, 2023 at 3:37 AM Christian Corti via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> On Fri, 23 Jun 2023, Ken Seefried wrote:
> > Didn't see anyone mention it, but one should recall that the whole memory
> > space on the 8088/8086 was 1M, so a 'limit' (whatever kind) of 640K
> wasn't
>
> Well, it only has 20 address bits. But it can address much more memory
> because it has additional information on some status pins about what
> segment register is used for adressing. So in theory, you could have one
> separate 1Mb of memory for each possible segment register. Or at least you
> could easily separate the stack from the other memory.
> Anyone here know of a design that actually made use of this?
>
> Christian
>

[cctalk] Re: Did Bill Gates Really Say That?

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

Not sure how any of that relates to my post.

On Fri, Jun 23, 2023 at 12:47 AM ben via cctalk 
wrote:

> On 2023-06-22 10:04 p.m., Ken Seefried via cctalk wrote:
> > Didn't see anyone mention it, but one should recall that the whole memory
> > space on the 8088/8086 was 1M, so a 'limit' (whatever kind) of 640K
> wasn't
> > the dumbest computer design decision ever made.  In addition to that,
> Intel
> > was telling people to get ready to jump to iAXP432 because 8086/80286 was
> > nothing but a stopgap, and anyway the 80286 was for high-end minicomputer
> > replacements, so why assume that more than 1M on an 8086-type CPU for PCs
> > for an OS that was going to be obsoleted anyway was the future.
> >
> > KJ
> >
> The 640K is a minor point.Look at the PDP 11 you had hoards virtual
> memory but code and data only 64kb each. Same as the Intel's small
> model. How long were OS's crippled by this fact?
> Did the iAXP432 just have 64kb segments as well?
> Ben.
>
>
>

[cctalk] Re: Did Bill Gates Really Say That?

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

Didn't see anyone mention it, but one should recall that the whole memory
space on the 8088/8086 was 1M, so a 'limit' (whatever kind) of 640K wasn't
the dumbest computer design decision ever made.  In addition to that, Intel
was telling people to get ready to jump to iAXP432 because 8086/80286 was
nothing but a stopgap, and anyway the 80286 was for high-end minicomputer
replacements, so why assume that more than 1M on an 8086-type CPU for PCs
for an OS that was going to be obsoleted anyway was the future.

KJ

On Sat, Jun 17, 2023 at 1:26 AM Ethan Dicks via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> On Fri, Jun 16, 2023 at 10:26 PM Tomasz Rola via cctalk
>  wrote:
> > I guess we are all prisoners of our own mental frame. I recall that
> > Ken Olsen (DEC founder), once quipped "There is no reason for any
> > individual to have a computer in his home." - that was in 1977,
> > according to wikiquote:
> >
> > https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ken_Olsen
>
> One version of that story is he told it to David Ahl who was trying to
> pitch a <$2000 PDP-8 for the home market (IIRC a configuration like a
> 4-slot box with a KK8A, some basic I/O and a smallish MOS RAM card -
> too small to compete with a "real" PDP-8 system).
>
> Ken's reaction was an element of what led to David going off to found
> Creative Computing, as the story goes.
>
> -ethan
>

[cctalk] Re: PCs Limited XT

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

> BOOTP load of a DOS from a Netware or 3Com server.

Could that be RPL?  I have a WD800x ethernet card with netboot PROM sold
with a "Netware ready" or some such workstation that it took me a bit to
figure out was looking for an RPL boot server, not BOOTP/TFTP.

On Wed, Jun 14, 2023 at 9:11 PM Chris Zach via cctalk 
wrote:

> Sitting here paging in old stuff from my brain. I'll bet you have an
> ArcNet card, and on the card it has a BIOS bootloader that was designed
> to do a BOOTP load of a DOS from a Netware or 3Com server.
>
> Pull the card and it will probably boot normally off the floppy.
>
> CZ
>
> On 6/14/2023 7:16 PM, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:
> > Guys...I just wanted to know if anyone has either an original user/tech
> > guide or worked with the actual specific machine.   Maybe there is a
> > password reset util disk image floating around specific to the original
> PCs
> > Limited system, or a backdoor password ...that's what I am after...the
> > original stuff that came with it.
> >
> > I learned ctrl+alt+ - toggles Turbo/ regular mode, by trial and error.
> >
> > Bill
> >
> > On Wed, Jun 14, 2023, 6:36 PM Fred Cisin via cctalk <
> cctalk@classiccmp.org>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> What cards are plugged into the motherboard?
> >>
> >> What video do you have connected?
> >>
> >> On 3 digit error codes, 4xx was monochrome video problems
> >>
> >> Do you get any beeps?
> >>
> >> Does it have a dipswitch (SW1)?  What are the current settings of it?
> >> With all cards removed, and SW1 (if it has one) switches 5 and 6 off, do
> >> you get beeps?
> >>
> >>
> >> Do you have any other 5160s available?   (consider swapping BIOS ROM)
> >>
>

[cctalk] Anyone have an sn74s516?

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

I'm interested in recreating MMI application note AN-114 which describes
adding an sn74s516 mult/div/acc chip to a 68000.  Unfortunately, I haven't
been able to find an sn74s516 in the couple of years I've been looking.
Does anyone have some they'd be willing to part with?

KJ

[cctalk] Re: Knockoffs, was: Low cost logic analyzer

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

> I once heard...

You don't need hearsay.  FSF leadership seems to be proud, and vocal, of
things that make the rest of us cringe.

On Fri, Mar 17, 2023 at 7:48 PM Sellam Abraham via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> I once heard a story from someone* who was told by a journalist that while
> said journalist was interviewing Richard Stallman he was [WARNING: GRAPHIC
> CONTENT COMMENCES HERE] picking the jam from between his toes and eating
> it.
>
> Make of that what you will, but if that isn't just a slander, that's the
> guy upon whose legacy everyone is relying.
>
> Sellam
>
> * remaining nameless
>
> On Fri, Mar 17, 2023 at 3:59 PM Ken Seefried via cctalk <
> cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
>
> > FSF hasn't done anything in at least a decade, but someone from there "is
> > still around", so they're somehow relevant.  People who actually are
> doing
> > something (e.g litigating) are dismissed because you "don't know these
> > people" (aside: there's someone who cares about open source who doesn't
> > know who the EFF is?).  But someone not previously mentioned is doing
> > something, so...look! squirrel!?
> >
> > No wonder GPL violators operate with impunity.
> >
> > On Fri, Mar 17, 2023 at 3:13 AM Alexander Huemer via cctalk <
> > cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> >
> > > On Thu, Mar 16, 2023 at 09:25:31PM -0400, Ken Seefried wrote:
> > > > On Thu, Mar 16, 2023 at 12:32 PM Alexander Huemer via cctalk <
> > > > cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > On Thu, Mar 16, 2023 at 11:05:41PM +0800, Tom Hunter via cctalk
> > wrote:
> > > > > > FSF does not enforce anything.
> > > > >
> > > > > https://gpl-violations.org/
> > > > > They do though.
> > > > >
> > > > > -Alex
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > Go to 'News' on that site and the last news about an enforcement
> action
> > > was
> > > > from 2013.
> > >
> > > True.
> > > Though, Harald Welte, the person behind the project is still very
> active
> > > in the free software community and surely happy to help.
> > >
> > > > If you actually want to pursue GPL violations, especially if it's
> > related
> > > > to a non-FSF sponsored project, you'll have better luck with the EFF
> or
> > > > appealing to someone like Popehat/Ken White to help find some *pro
> > bono *
> > > > representation.
> > >
> > > That might be the case, I don't know these people.
> > > There is also the SFC[1] who are currently attacking John Deere for
> > > violating the GPL in their farm equipment[2], which is kind of a big
> > > deal.
> > >
> > > -Alex
> > >
> > > [1] https://sfconservancy.org/
> > > [2] https://lwn.net/Articles/926330/
> > >
> >
>

[cctalk] Re: Knockoffs, was: Low cost logic analyzer

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

FSF hasn't done anything in at least a decade, but someone from there "is
still around", so they're somehow relevant.  People who actually are doing
something (e.g litigating) are dismissed because you "don't know these
people" (aside: there's someone who cares about open source who doesn't
know who the EFF is?).  But someone not previously mentioned is doing
something, so...look! squirrel!?

No wonder GPL violators operate with impunity.

On Fri, Mar 17, 2023 at 3:13 AM Alexander Huemer via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> On Thu, Mar 16, 2023 at 09:25:31PM -0400, Ken Seefried wrote:
> > On Thu, Mar 16, 2023 at 12:32 PM Alexander Huemer via cctalk <
> > cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> >
> > > On Thu, Mar 16, 2023 at 11:05:41PM +0800, Tom Hunter via cctalk wrote:
> > > > FSF does not enforce anything.
> > >
> > > https://gpl-violations.org/
> > > They do though.
> > >
> > > -Alex
> > >
> >
> > Go to 'News' on that site and the last news about an enforcement action
> was
> > from 2013.
>
> True.
> Though, Harald Welte, the person behind the project is still very active
> in the free software community and surely happy to help.
>
> > If you actually want to pursue GPL violations, especially if it's related
> > to a non-FSF sponsored project, you'll have better luck with the EFF or
> > appealing to someone like Popehat/Ken White to help find some *pro bono *
> > representation.
>
> That might be the case, I don't know these people.
> There is also the SFC[1] who are currently attacking John Deere for
> violating the GPL in their farm equipment[2], which is kind of a big
> deal.
>
> -Alex
>
> [1] https://sfconservancy.org/
> [2] https://lwn.net/Articles/926330/
>

[cctalk] Re: Knockoffs, was: Low cost logic analyzer

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

On Thu, Mar 16, 2023 at 12:32 PM Alexander Huemer via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> On Thu, Mar 16, 2023 at 11:05:41PM +0800, Tom Hunter via cctalk wrote:
> > FSF does not enforce anything.
>
> https://gpl-violations.org/
> They do though.
>
> -Alex
>

Go to 'News' on that site and the last news about an enforcement action was
from 2013.

If you actually want to pursue GPL violations, especially if it's related
to a non-FSF sponsored project, you'll have better luck with the EFF or
appealing to someone like Popehat/Ken White to help find some *pro bono *
representation.

KJ

Re: Extremely CISC instructions

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

The Hitachi SH4 has a set of pipelineable vector instructions that
work on 4x4 and 4x1 length vectors (implemented as 2 sets of 16 FP
registers).  Nothing compared to MMX/SSE/AVX, but relatively complex.

Re: IBM 3174 C 6.4 Microcode Disks?

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

On Wed, Feb 20, 2019 at 2:23 PM Paul Koning  wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Feb 20, 2019, at 2:13 PM, Ken Seefried via cctalk 
> >  wrote:
> >
> > ...
> > You can bridge between TR (and FDDI) and ethernet on a Cisco,
> > generally for non-routable protocols (e.g. NetBIOS); see:
> > 'translational bridging'.  If you're trying to get these protocols
> > across an intermediary 'alien' network (like the corp FDDI backbone,
> > or the Internet), there are things like DLSw.
>
> Please note that among LANs, there is Token Ring (802.5) and there is 
> everything else.  FDDI is like Ethernet and like 802.4.  Token Ring is the 
> oddball because (a) it doesn't have proper multicast addresses, and (b) for 
> some reason IBM invented source-routed bridging and tied that to Token Ring.
>
> FDDI is in no way at all like Token Ring.  The only thing the two have in 
> common is "token" and "ring".  The MAC protocol is utterly different; the 
> closest relative is 802.4 Token Bus.  And as far as addressing is concerned, 
> FDDI is like 802.4 and Ethernet, with real multicast and general use of 
> normal transparent bridges.
>

I didn't say TR was like FDDI.  I said you could bridge FDDI to
Ethernet using translation bridging.

RE: IBM 3174 C 6.4 Microcode Disks?

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

re: Cisco and IBM protocols

If you're really interested, all of this is exhaustively documented
under the umbrella of Cisco's "IBM Feature Set".  There's a *lot* here
under the hood, but the last time I looked (admittedly, a while) a
number of folks had web sites that documented the correct incantations
for Hercules and common hardware.

You can bridge between TR (and FDDI) and ethernet on a Cisco,
generally for non-routable protocols (e.g. NetBIOS); see:
'translational bridging'.  If you're trying to get these protocols
across an intermediary 'alien' network (like the corp FDDI backbone,
or the Internet), there are things like DLSw.

If you're trying to get TCP/IP from TR to ethernet and vice versa,
routing generally works better/is simpler (IME), but Cisco has all
sorts of bizarre encapsulation/translation features for different use
cases should you need them.

You can also make the router look like an SNA concentrator (PU?).

KJ

Tandy RS DWP-220 printer equivalent?

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

My google-fu is failing me; forgive me.

Is the Tandy DWP-220 daisy-wheel printer a rebrand/OEM of someone
else?  In particular, can I find ribbons and font wheels under another
manufacturer?

KJ

Re: Bogus "account hacked" message

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

FWIW, I use a password manager (Keepass/Keepass2, tho there are other
good ones).  It's another step or two in my workflow, but let's me
have a unique, very strong password for everything I log into.
Greatly reduces the impact of password dump attacks.

Re: SunOS 2.4 Exploit

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

I believe SunOS 2.4 is old enough all you need to do is delete the
password hash from /etc/passwd to log in without a password.

KJ

i860: Re: modern stuff

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

>the i860 found at least a little niche on graphics boards, so somehow
>not a complete failure ;-)

I'd be mildly surprised if Intel ever made enough from selling i860s
as GPUs to cover the cost of developing and marketing them.  At the
time, Intel was pushing them as their RISC processor, and put a lot
into the program.  Going to take over the world and all that.  Maybe
not a 'complete' failure...just mostly.

From: Chuck Guzis 
>On 10/26/18 6:10 AM, Gordon Henderson via cctalk wrote:
>
>> However it was a royal PITA to code for although a 32-bit CPU, it would
>> read memory 64 bits at a time (actually 128 IIRC to satisfy the cache),
>> with half that 64-bit word being an instruction for the integer unit and
>> half for the floating point unit, so you effectively had to build a
>> floating point pipeline by hand coded instructions, so 8 (I think)
>> instructions to load the pipeline, then each subsequent instruction
>> would feed another value into the pipe, then another 8 at the end to
>> empty it. Great for big matrix operations, rubbish for a single add of 2
>> FP numbers.
>
>My impression of the i860 was that it might have been fun for about 2
>weeks for which to code assembly, but after that, you'd really start
>looking hard for an HLL to do the dirty work for you.  While there's a
>sense of accomplishment over looking at a page of painfully
>hand-optimized code that manages to keep everything busy with no
>"bubbles", you begin to wonder if there isn't a better way to spend your
>life.

It wasn't fun for the whole 2 weeks.  And the i860 is Yet Another
example of Intel claiming their compilers were going to be so smart
that all the architectural complexity/warts will never be noticed.
Wrong, and they didn't learn and said the same thing about Itanium.
The interrupt stall issue that Gordon pointed out was so bad they were
basically relegated to single-task software in the end.

KJ

Re: VT100 emulation

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

The BBKey2 has punctuation on the keys.  It's not all of them (|, &
and \ aren't there), but the SYM key brings up an onscreen keyboard
with those.  Not ideal, but I would argue reasonable compromise for
something relatively modern that fits in your pocket.  Not sure about
diacritics, but at least in the older BBs, my French and German
colleagues didn't seem to have trouble sending messages with them.

KJ
On Mon, Sep 17, 2018 at 11:43 AM Liam Proven  wrote:
>
> On Mon, 17 Sep 2018 at 17:05, Ken Seefried via cctalk
>  wrote:
> >
> > Well...not 7", but there is this:
> > https://blackberrymobile.com/product/blackberry-key2/
>
> True.
>
> I have not had or used an Android Blackberry with a hardware keyboard,
> but I did have a Passport, the older QNX-based device.
>
> One thing to note about the keyboard is that is has no punctuation
> marks at all. It only has letters, backspace, return, Alt and Shift.
>
> No keys for numbers or . , ' ? & * | > < etc.
>
> Some of these things are accessible with Alt, some with softkeys on
> the display, and some will be hard to find at all.
>
> It was great for entering English text but I suspect it would be a
> real handful for shell commands or in a terminal emulator.
>
> The Psion/Gemini keyboard doesn't have many, just these:
>
> , /
>
> ' ~
> . ?
>
> ... and it causes problems for non-English users. It has no keys for
> æ, å, é, á, š and so on. There are workarounds but users of languages
> with many diacritics tend to be very used to having dedicated keys for
> these things.
>
>
>
> --
> Liam Proven - Profile: https://about.me/liamproven
> Email: lpro...@cix.co.uk - Google Mail/Hangouts/Plus: lpro...@gmail.com
> Twitter/Facebook/Flickr: lproven - Skype/LinkedIn: liamproven
> UK: +44 7939-087884 - ČR (+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal): +420 702 829 053

Re: VT100 emulation

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

From: Al Kossow 
>
> a 7" android tablet based on the wondermedia wm8650 SOC
> ...
> these things are so old they've disappeared from the market
>

Well...not 7", but there is this:
https://blackberrymobile.com/product/blackberry-key2/

KJ

Looking for 11/23+ CIS

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

I missed the recent M8198+CIS chip auction on eBay, and subsequently
found myself with a new (for me) 11/23+.  Does anyone have a CIS chip
they're interested in parting with?  Contact me directly.

KJ

Re: '90s era PC recommendation.

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote:
> Does anyone have any recommendations for a '90s era PC that has PCI and
> ISA slots?  Ideally I'd like to have EISA slots too.  ?  At least I
> think that's what I want.

EISA is a nice-to-have, especially if you want to run multiple
interfaces (much better irq handling than ISA) and/or higher speed
stuff like FDDI, 100Mb enet, T-3/ATM, etc.  Or you already have a
cache of EISA cards.  That said (and this is x86 specific, because
there's a whole HPPA EISA world I don't know a lot about with all
sorts of weird stuff):

1) PCI does a better job..usually.

2) EISA motherboards, desktop machines and fun/exotic network cards
seem to be getting increasingly rare and ridiculously expensive, at
least on evil auction sites.  On the other hand, 10Mb EISA ethernet
and scsi cards are chump change.

3) There are some interesting network things that just don't seem to
have ever been made for EISA. For example, I've never heard of a fibre
ethernet or HSSI card for EISA.

4) I think EISA limits you to 386 through PII CPUs (and probably PII
as a PPro Overdrive upgrade outside of a server class machine).  At
least, I can't think of a P3 machine with EISA. YMMV.

5) The video card options are a bit thin on EISA.  The Compaq QVision
VGA is common as dirt (and just as dumb), but outside of that the ELSA
Winner and ATI Mach32 are the only "real" graphics cards I seem to see
often.  There's probably some awful TIGA boards out there somewhere.
Go PCI.

I held on to a couple of Intel Xpress machines for the EISA bus.  I
doubt I'd pay the premium  over a solid PCI/ISA machine.

Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
> Depends on your CPU needs, but if you're willing to settle for P2/P3 era,
> anything using the Intel i440BX or GX generally has very good ISA support.

Yeah, but didn't the GX (and KX) have some pretty serious bugs until
really late steppings?  Same to a lesser extent with the NX.  The BX
(and FX) however was very reliable, as I recall.

Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote:
> I've long had a soft spot for the Pentium Pro.

Yeah, me too.  Great chip with a long useful life.  I ran a couple of
Intel PR440FX based machine for years past their expiration date
because they kept up with the load and just wouldn't die.

> A LONG time ago I saw an advertisement for a system that could accept six 
> Pentium Pros.

ALR Revolution server, probably.  NCR and Corollary made 8-ways.

> I /think/ it's a Compaq Deskpro XL 560

Great machine; built like a tank.  Much better quality than the
Xpress.  I had an XL 6200 (200Mhz PPro) for many years and still
regret getting rid of it. Lucky you you got yours back.  The HP Vectra
XU was also pretty nice.

Re: XT/370 microcode

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 6:40 PM, Fred Cisin <ci...@xenosoft.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 13 Mar 2018, Ken Seefried via cctalk wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I am not at liberty to post the document.
>>>
>>> This?
>>
>> ...
>>>
>>> Also:
>>
>> ...
>>>
>>> If so, it might be this:
>>
>> ...
>> There's a difference between "I am not at liberty..." and "what anyone
>> can google...".
>
>
> There do exist situations where somebody is NOT at liberty to post (NDA,
> etc), but the item in question is readily available.  The expiration of an
> NDA may be long after publication or leakage.
> Could always do a LMGTFY.com  link, . . . :-)

Yeah, Fred...I think that's exactly what I said without being enough
of an asshole to suggest LMGTFY.

Re: XT/370 microcode

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

>> I am not at liberty to post the document.
>
>This?
...
>Also:
...
>If so, it might be this:
...

There's a difference between "I am not at liberty..." and "what anyone
can google...".

Re: How to enable USB drives in both Windows 98SE AND MS-DOS 7.1.

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

From: Curious Marc 
>
> On Windows 7, using regedit, set
>
> ?HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\LMCompatibilityLevel?
>  to ?1?
>You might need to create the new entry under \lsa as a REG_DWORD, set 
> to 1
>

As your friendly neighbourhood infosec type, please be aware that this
setting opens a rather nasty set of possible security issues.  Fine on
your lab network, but you probably don't want a machine configured
like that on a possibly hostile network.

KJ

Re: Spectre & Meltdown

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

From: Murray McCullough 
>
>This may be off-topic but these latest uprocessor exploits has raised
>a question: Are the 'old/classic' uprocessors using x86 technology in
>the same boat?
>

The exploit effects the speculative execution facility, so no it's not
"all P6 forward": nothing 32-bit or PAE, nothing just OOO, etc.  The
current word I have (from my risk management folks, who got it from
Intel) is the oldest chips verified to be affected are the Xeon 3400
(server) and 2nd Gen Core (desktop) processors.  So, probably nothing
later than 2009 or so.

KJ

Re: RL02 to PC image

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

> Anyone know of a 40-pin UART with a FIFO? :)

16c550s are cheap as dirt.  And you can stick a 16c850 or whatever the
latest incarnation is to a PLCC to DIP adapter.

> I've lately been doing the data transfer stuff using STM32F407
> development boards.

Chuck really has the right answer here. UART chips aren't going to
patch over that.

KJ

Re: Ideas for a simple, but somewhat extendable computer bus

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

I've always thought STD-Bus missed a real opportunity here.  Small
enough to be cost effective (relative to the size of, say, S-100
(bonus, no stupid power supply issues)), sane, flexible enough bus
structure that I believe there are at least CPU cards using:

- 4004/4040 (pre-standard?)
- 8080/8085/Z-80 and the myriad of variants
- 8088/8086/80188/10186 through at least 80486, including variants and
second sources
- 8048/8051 and the vast numbers of variants
- 8096/8097 and variants
- 6800 and variants
- 68HC11 and variants
- 6809/6309
- 6502 and variants
- 68xxx and variants up to at least the 68040 and 68332
- TMS9900/9995
- RCA 1802
- Signetics 2650
- Novix Forth

More importantly, the vast number of compatible I/O cards that were
produced.  Much alternative history to be pondered.

KJ

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

On 9/12/17, 2:04 AM, "Laurens Vets"  wrote:
>There's something seriously wrong with your site
>http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220 unless the
>title of your work is indeed "Feel Like Having Sex Tonight | Best Legal
>Viagra Uk" :)

I think you need to check your end.

TRS-80 graphics pad?

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

Noticed this today...seems like it would have above average fetish
value for the TRS-80 crowd.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Radio-Shack-TRS-80-X-Pad-GT-116-Graphic-Tablet-IN-BOX-UNTESTED-/332274978760?hash=item4d5d21cfc8:g:BrwAAOSwXXxZSxdD

Disclaimer: I have purchased a couple of things from this seller, all
positive experiences, but I have no other interest in their business.

KJ

Re: Ciarcia Micromint (was: Steve Garcia / Micromint SB180

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

From: John Wilson 
>  And what was that Z8000-based BASIC coprocessor (or at least,
> I think that was the only software for it) on a long ISA card?  He did
> some crazy stuff!

Indeed.  Z8001/Trump Card was in the May & June 1984 issues of Byte.
There was a BASIC and a C compiler.  I heard that it was a minor
commercial success as some big company used them as a DB accelerator
of some sort using custom programming.  Would be interesting to track
down that story.

I vaguely recall Ciarcia did a 68000 or 32000 ISA card, but my
google-fu fails me; probably misremembering.

The video board for the SB180 was very cool, featuring an HD63484
video controller.  Pretty advanced stuff back in those days.

KJ

CFL (was: Re: BBS software for the PDP 11)

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

> And if you break one you  have to call HAZMAT.  You did realize that,
> didn't you?  They contain mercury and any breakage requires professional
> remediation by law!!

Please quit spreading this urban legend.  Some care in handling is
recommended, but no professional help is required, by law! or
otherwise.

https://www.epa.gov/cfl/cleaning-broken-cfl

AB "Multibus"?

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

Are Allen-Bradley Multibus-1 form factor cards actually Multibus
compliant or something proprietary?

KJ

Re: Sun E10000 Historical Enquiry

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

> Heck, I'd be fascinated to talk to anyone who purchased
> the machines during their lifespan (1997-2001) and could tell me what you
> used them for.

Not the e10k, but Cingular Wireless used clustered e15k's as Oracle
database engines.  Dozens of them.  Very impressive performance.

KJ

Z-8000 something on eBay

[Ken Seefried via cctalk]

I don't have any idea what this is but it appears to have Z-8000
CPU+MMU chips.  Perhaps an Onyx or S8000 CPU card?  I know some folks
here are in to that sort of thing.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Vintage-DSC-MP-4-EPC-Rev-D-K-Expansion-Board-Card-PCB-for-Mini-Computer/152475939021

KJ