> I've got a little good news today... it sounds like I'm getting a
> MicroVAX!!! Dunno what flavor, but it must be a little newer - it's running
> Ultrix. So... I have a few questions:
Cool, hard to answer many questions without knowing if it's a MV II, or a
newer system. I like the Q-Bus MicroVAXen, but I hope it's one of the newer
ones.
> 1) Is there a webpage/FAQ of different uVAX types with initial specs? I
> don't know 'zactly what I'm getting yet, but I'd like to get familiar with
> the uVAX line beforehand, so I don't sound like a complete dummy... ;-)
You should find the following usefull:
http://anacin.nsc.vcu.edu/~jim/mvax/mvax_faq.html
http://eisner.decus.org/vms/faq.htm
http://www.montagar.com/hobbyist/
http://www.montagar.com/hobbyist/links.html
> 2) Is there a hobbyist licen[sc]e of older versions of Ultrix in case he
> can't find me any OS media, or is it the consensus here of "why the #&^_at_^(
> do you want to run that Unix crap anyway when VMS is better/more fun/etc.?"
Unfortunatly no. The closest I'm aware of is the Tru64 Hobbyist Kit for the
Alpha, which I hear is quite good, but I just ordered my copy so can't say.
I'm generally one of the people asking why the (^(*& do you want to run UNIX
on a VAX, but I've got to confess that one of these days I want to get
Ultrix running on one of my MV2's (the versions I've got are so old they
won't support newer systems). Basically though I prefer to run UNIX on new
fast hardware (I've got Solaris, Linux, and OpenBSD systems), though I am
keeping my eyes open for a newer DECstation for NetBSD.
If you get the system with Ultrix on it, you might consider getting some
other disks so you can run both Ultrix and VMS on it.
> 3) Can *all* Vaxen run with a serial terminal (just in case this one
> doesn't come with a framebuffer / compat. monitor... I have to Lear-Siegler
> ADM-31's (IIRC - I saved 'em for $5 each and just set them in my garage...
> they'll need a little cleaning.) I'd hate to get a uVAX sans monitor, and
> find that it needs one to work... I don't want this box to be a doorstop -
> I want to use it! :-)
Well, since you said it's a MicroVAX, that tends to indicate you need a
serial terminal. I run a lot of my systems, including a couple
AlphaStations with VT420's instead of monitors. Not sure how well the
ADM-31 will work, you might find a PC running a terminal program such as
Telix might work better.
> Well, I don't want to flood all the VaxHeads with a ton of newbie
> questions, so the FAQ locations would be really nice & I can leave you
> alone until I'm smarter in these woods... but with all the bad bummin' talk
> about all these computers we can't save... I saved a VAX!!! ;-)
Ask away.
Zane
Received on Fri Dec 03 1999 - 19:35:33 GMT