ROM Archive

From: Richard A. Cini, Jr. <rcini_at_msn.com>
Date: Mon Jun 30 17:45:35 1997

Bill:

{...}
> 2. Submission & storage: UUEncoded image file e-mailed to "repository";
> ROM/EPROM chips sent by snail mail and returned. All submissions should have

> as much info about the source computer as possible (board revisions, date of

> mnaufacture, etc.)

>>I think that anything doing with the chips (purchasing, programming,
>>shipping) should be left to the person that needs them. Sure, not very
>>many people on the list have programmers, but there are enough kind souls
>>that would do the programming. Anyway, having a policy concerning
>>shipping and supply may turn into a big headache.

        I don't think that this would be a problem. I don't anticipate that many
people would want it this way (we are all hardware hackers {in the nice
sense}, after all). Even so, as long as a person doesn't want Fedex delivery,
how bad can it be??

> 4. Cost: nominal (cost of postage and EPROM).
>>Doing any more may actually be legally shakey.

        I don't think so. See one of my earlier messages on this topic. If you're
posting a ROMimage, you have already "paid" your licensing fee because you own
the machine. I'm just replacing a defective copy with a working copy (sort of
like exchanging a defective diskette dor a working one). We're not "creating"
or "copying" for distribution. Also, we can limit it to pre-PC machines.
Chances are that these manufacturers are either out of business or no longer
support the machine.

>>Additional thought...
>>How will additional required information be tied to the ROM images (as in
>>manufacturers part numbers, revision levels, serial numbers,
>>corresponding hardware information, etc.)? ROMS (and PALs) often change
>>as the circuits get minor "improvements" (ECOs).

        I don't know yet. I'm grappling with this now. There are all sorts of issues
with this: parts are house numbered, or not numbered at all. Maybe we can go
by unit serial number, date-of-manufacture stickers, and pc-board
identifications (such as "Revision A" or the like).

-------------------------------------------------
Rich Cini/WUGNET
 - ClubWin Charter Member (6)
 - MCPS Windows 95/Netowrking
Received on Mon Jun 30 1997 - 17:45:35 BST