PDP-11/23 deskside machine -DAMN

From: Megan <mbg_at_world.std.com>
Date: Thu Mar 23 23:51:48 2000

>After putting the skins back on the machine it is giving me a ERROR 13 -
>DU0 not ready error.

If you have a BA23, make sure that the pushbuttons on the front panel
are set correctly (one is for drive enable, one is for drive write
protect).

>I knew it wouldn't be that easy. I have a couple of spare ST506-type
>drives to hang off it but don't know how picky the controller is or where
>to find install media for an operating system. The drive sounds fine
>(spins up and purges but no boot anymore) DAMN.

Depending on which RQDX interface you have, you may or may not be able
to put any ST506 disk on it that you want... early controllers were
pre-programmed with the characteristics of the disks they would work
with... anything else couldn't be used. I don't know if the RQDX3
allows more lattitude, but using RD52, RD53 or RD54 is the way to go,
if you can find them...

>What free operating systems are out there for this machine. I suppose I
>will get another drive up and running and then get the data off of this
>one if it is possible. DAMN.

Precious little... If you want to run Unix, you could try to get
Ultrix-11, but that was retired by DEC long before it was acquired
by Compaq. All the pdp-11 operating systems from DEC are licensed.
You could run *real* BSD Unix, but for an 11/23[+], you'll need
2.9BSD. A license will cost $100 (check with the PUPS web page).

>To be honest I think I didn't park the drive before powering off the last
>time and suspect a head crash wiped the boot sector or something like
>that. Now when I try to boot I hear the drive track but get this error.
>DAMN.

Ouch... there was a problem with earlier controller boards when
powering off the system box before the disk... the write signals
would go active and the disk would have garbage randomly written
on it...

>How can I get boots to restore a system?

Again... the DEC PDP-11 operating systems are licensed software, they
can't simply be handed out...

Yes, I suspect it ran up to six terminals as there are two controlled from
the cpu card and four controlled by a terminal controller card.

                                        Megan Gentry
                                        Former RT-11 Developer

+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry!zk3.dec.com |
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Received on Thu Mar 23 2000 - 23:51:48 GMT

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