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by adambillyard＠googlemail.com

Hi everyone, I've been restoring a couple of Tektronix 4404 here in the UK. (68010, 2M RAM / 8MB virtual, 1024x1024 display, C & Smalltalk-80, runs on Uniflex) Having got past the physical restoration and using David Gesswein MFM board in place of the Micropolis HD, I've been diving into writing software. Its been a fun - if sometimes frustrating - project. There are no docs beyond some vanilla CRT + (incorrect) graphics calls. In particular nothing on the network stack.. (Figured out executable file format) and wrote a Uniflex to ELF file format converter so I can load stuff into Ghidra to analyze. Code here: https://github.com/Elektraglide/tek4404 I've managed to write a DHCP client and telnetd and port uemacs and have a (kinda) working window system written from scratch in C. Pic here: https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1280/format:webp/1*a8PNwQ9g_3S27AxlWS… All the networking seems to revolve around calls to ldiddle() and wdiddle() (no kidding!) These read and write kernel values in the absence of ioctl() Anyone here recall Network Research Consultant's network stack? There appears to be no way of making a broadcast socket. And of course I would love to hear from anyone who also has a Tektronix 4404

2 years, 1 month

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Livestream VCF Chat Sat. Nov. 11 at 6:30PM EST

by Jeffrey Brace

Join us live for VCF chat hosted by Jeff Brace with guests: Liza Loop, Cynthia Solomon, Brian Silverman and Margaret Morabito. https://youtube.com/live/WfsWVtey5Vk?feature=share <https://youtube.com/live/WfsWVtey5Vk?feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2zurhOrpYLyxa…> Streaming live on VCF's YouTube channel. We will talk about educational technology with vintage computers.

2 years, 1 month

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Installing DEC C on RSTS/E

by Paul Koning

Hi... I'm seriously rusty on official RSTS installation procedures. I'm trying to install DEC C using the C_V1_2.tap file from the bitsavers bits/DEC/pdp11/rsts directory. It's actually a TPC file, in spite of what the extension suggests. Once I supply the correct format, SIMH recognizes it and RSTS can see the tape contents. Then I try @[0,1]install c81. Point to the tape, answer the destination, and then it asks me for the "library" tape and complains when I give it the C tape again (labels don't match). So what is it looking for? Does anyone have the C installation procedure handy? paul

2 years, 1 month

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Announcement of VCFed warehouse closure & improvements

by Thomas G

Hello, After 18 years of acquiring artifacts, our warehouse is in need of reorganization, as well as major renovation work - climate control, roof repairs, etc. A total restructuring, inventorying, and refurbishment of the warehouse is planned to commence soon - some steps such as the installation of climate control have already been taken - however, planning this process is made difficult by the fact that a number of our members have their own personal belongings stored within, many without proper tagging or documentation as such. On January 1st, 2024, the VCF warehouse at Infoage will be closed for renovation and organization. During this time, no items will be permitted in or out of the warehouse bar those permitted *directly* by the VCF Warehouse manager - Thomas Gilinsky - during monthly repair workshops. As such, if you have any personal belongings stored within the warehouse, and would like to retrieve it, or have it tagged and set aside for you to collect later, please contact either me at thomas.gilinsky(a)vcfed.org, or Doug at douglas.crawford(a)vcfed.org. Please provide *verifiable* *proof* that the item you are describing is your possession. *ITEMS WHICH ARE NOT CLAIMED BY JANUARY 1ST, 2024 WILL BE ASSUMED TO BE THE POSSESSIONS OF VCF.* Donations to VCF will still be accepted during this time - we have other areas to store them while the warehouse is reorganized. Thanks, Thomas Gilinsky Vintage Computer Federation Warehouse Manager

2 years, 1 month

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"Linux like Unix" livestream Sat. Nov. 4, 2023 at 6:30PM EDT

by Jeffrey Brace

Jim Hall will be doing a livestream on VCF's YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/FpBnRk8oWLc We don’t give much thought these days to what “Unix” means. In 2023, most Unix systems are actually running some version of Linux, which includes modern tools and commands that were unthinkable when Unix hit the scene in the early 1970s. But some 50 years later, “Unix” still lives on. Jim will look back on Unix history and experience first-hand what it was like to use the original Unix. Unix 3rd Edition debuted in 1973, and he chose that version as my target. That’s transporting back in time by 50 years. He will talk about: * Terminal setup * FORTRAN66 program * nroff document * linenum program * For another example of using Linux like original Unix, read hist article on Sysadmin Signal: https://sysadminsignal.com/2023/06/19/run-linux-like-original-unix/ For more FreeDOS content, visit his website https://www.freedos.org/ Join hist project on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/freedosproject/ Follow his project on Mastodon https://fosstodon.org/@freedosproject Thanks! Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

2 years, 1 month

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Greaseweazle part 2

by Tony Duell

Well, I've got the Greaseweazle software to run, but I don't know why, which is hardly encouraging. Installing various Windows updates, downloading .dlls, and puting the latter in various directories changed the error messages but it never actually worked. But downloading the latest Greaseweazle software did, it ran first time. So no idea what I was doing wrong (maybe 32 bit .vs. 64 bit Windows applications?) I can now get the list of commands when I run gw.exe. And can get help on them using the -h option. I've not tried connecting a drive yet, but the software can find and talk to the board (the green 'activity' LED turns on). For example 'gw rpm' which is used to check the drive speed by timing the index pulses times out and gives a 'no index' error which seems entrely reasonable. However I am not sure if I'll be able to use it. There is one very important thing missing : DOCUMENTATION. The 'wikii' on github is ridiculously incomplete. There is no user manual or man pages. The software source in python (a language I've never used) has very few comments and is not clear at all. It's not clear to me exactly what all the options are for, and when to use them. -tony

2 years, 1 month

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Ultrix 11 installation and ZULU SCSI Disc Emulator

by hupfadekroua

Hi all, I tried several ways to get a working SCSI image to be successfully boote on a ZULU 2024 SCSI Emulator. 1. I do have an Image of an RZ25-E drive containing RSX11M Plus, which is booting properly. This is a raw dd based disc image of a SCSI drive. 2. I got a disc mage by Jacob, which is booting using simh, but not using the ZULU on a physical 11/73 3. I created a fresh installation of Ultrix 11 using simh 3.9.x creating a RD54 image which won't boot on the ZULU an the physical 11/73 4.. I created a fresh installation of Ultrix 11 using simh 3.9.x directly into a physical SCSI drive partition, created an image via dd which doesn't want to boot on the ZULU. Simh is booting properly from a dd image of this partition. 5. Simh is telling me in general using a (virtual) RQDX3 controller. Maybe the images created won't boot because of being created by the virtual RQDX 3 controller? How to create a raw disc w/o any controller specific format - simply a plain Ultrix 11 image as a target for a SCSI drive to be booted either from the physical, or from a virtual (ZULU). Best Andreas

2 years, 1 month

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Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

by erik＠baigar.de

Hi there, in the last weeks my last two working UltraBooks died. Today I investigated the problem and obviously in these RDI made notebooks, the NVRAMs not only contain the boot information, the host ID and the MAC address but also the hardware configuration. Hence: Once the NVRAM is completeley dead, absent or replaced, the unit will not start up any more - it gets stuck in the power on test BEFORE the screen shows any information. Do anyone out there have got UltraBooks or UltraBooks IIi up and running? Would highly be interested in a dump of the NVRAM/Timekeeper!!! The failed first generation UltraBook are (DS1643 NVRAM): (*) U20-14-9-512P with three (!!) hard drives, no battery port (*) U20-14-3-128B two hard drives, battery port And my beloved UltraBook IIi (TimeKeeper DS1553-070) (*) U40-14-1X-1024C one harddrive, battery port and creator graphics. Reply here or PM erik(a)baigar.de, Thanks ''~`` ( o o ) +--------------------------.oooO--(_)--Oooo.-------------------------+ | Dr. Erik Baigar Inertial Navigation & | | Salzstrasse 1 .oooO Vintage Computer | | D87616 Marktoberdorf ( ) Oooo. Hobbyist / Physicist | | erik(a)baigar.de +------\ (----( )---------------------------+ | www.baigar.de | \_) ) / +----------------------+ (_/ So advice to all owners: Backup your NVRAM contents and I'd be more than happy to get in touch with you! Not affected seem to be the PrecisionBooks (e.g. H16-12-8-512L2, two hard- drives and battery port) as they do not contain an NVRAM/TimeKeeper.

2 years, 1 month

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Re: Looking for NORTRONICS Read/Write head for IBM 5100/5110/5106 tape unit

by Mark Perullo

Hey Steve I know this is a year later but I have the Nortronic Read Write heads you were looking for. They are currently on eBay. The listing is below. Just do a search and they will come up. Nortronics Magnetic Head Assembly. NOS Part 9164-0068. Radio Cart Machines. Hope this helps. Mark Sent from my iPhone

2 years, 1 month

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gunkies.org - ultrix-11 installation example ...

by hupfadekroua

Hello all, is there any source known how and where to get the floppy images used in the Ultrix-11 installation example? Best regards

2 years, 1 month

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