value of classic DEC machines?

From: Jerome Fine <jhfine_at_idirect.com>
Date: Mon Nov 5 11:54:28 2001

>Megan wrote:

> >>Speaking of you guys, just curious: is this an all-male hobby? No
> >>members of the fairer sex here?
> >There's Allison for one. I don't think we raise our little girls to
> I know I haven't posted for awhile... but I didn't think I'd be
> forgotten that quickly... :-)

Jerome Fine replies:

Out of posts, out of mind.

Seriously, as one of the last remaining members of the RT-11
development team who is still active (even though at a hobby level
I presume), it is not likely you will be forgotten.

I have a question to ask about how to handle bugs in RT-11? This
is a race condition and a SYSGEN is the usual way it would be fixed.
But is everyone who still uses RT-11 even able to do one, let alone
interested if it is possible to use a PAX.SYS (PAtches pseudo device
driver)? I don't see that anyone is going to pay for PAX.SYS, but
initially it would be just for hobby users, and so obviously without charge.

If anyone is interested in a Beta Version, please e-mail. It is ready
for my own use (about 95% complete), but needs a lot more done
(i.e. only 65% coded, only 20% tested and only 10% documentation -
see, even I can be humorous some of the time) before the beta
version for hobby users is ready for release. If no one wants to
even test for the bug on their own systems, then I can't see the point
of making PAX.SYS ready to be released.

In addition, I am interested in fixing any other bugs in RT-11. Is
the list that was around when V5.06 was released still available
or was it "lost" in the transition to Mentec?

Also, is Mentec still interested in any new releases for RT-11, let
alone a patch? Any what about the status of the hobby CD for
PDP-11 software? And while I am asking, is Mentec still considering
any new releases for any other PDP-11 software such as RSX-11?
While I am not interested in anything except RT-11, if Mentec still
receives sufficient net profit from PDP-11 software, that might
influence any decisions on when and if the hobby CD is to be
released - if ever?

Hopefully, this is a semi-private list and these questions are OK on
this list as long as they are not widely asked?

Just thought I would ask at the top of the chain.... :-) (Actually, just
what does that :-) mean?)

Sincerely yours,

Jerome Fine
Received on Mon Nov 05 2001 - 11:54:28 GMT