Hey Will, where ya been? Despite mailing you twice, I haven't
received mail from you in a week. I'm eager to continue our
conversation, as I believe you are.
--
Jeffrey S. Sharp
jss(a)ou.edu
Ah, sounds like the IBM RTIC (ARTIC) card... that verdammnt
thing was a b*tch to program, even with the developer kit.
If anyone ever ends up with one and needs some sample
code that actually works (in contrast to what came with
the developer kit), let me know...
Regards,
-dq
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Marvin [mailto:marvin@rain.org]
> Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2001 2:30 AM
> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
> Subject: IBM Realtime Co-Processor DOS Support V 1.02
>
>
>
> I have no idea what this software package is, but it consists
> of two IBM 5
> 1/4" floppy disks: Dos Support Programs and DOS Support
> User's Guide. There
> is also a 3 1/2" floppy titled "DOS Support User's Guide."
> The description
> on the front of this package says "A productivity aid
> providing installation
> and necessary information to interface DOS software/firmware with the
> Realtime Interface Co-Processor." The proof of license is
> also included
> along with an instruction/warrenty booklet.
>
> First $3.50 for Priority Mail takes it.
>
> > >connection... a lot less than it was back in the days of Trailblazer
> > >modems or earlier. Isn't there some very inexpensive calling plan now
> >
> > I still have one of the Telebit Trailblazer's around here
> > somewhere. A T1000 I believe.
>
> I've got a couple of 'em T1000's, T1500, and a T2500.
> They'll do uucp over dixie cups and damp string.
I doubt it- string's impedance doesn't match Dixie Cups...
you use string with tin cans... with Dixie Cups, ya gotta
use thread.
>From one who knows...
;-)
On Jun 21, 2:53, Netdiablo wrote:
> * Make sure that it includes support for the Indy (older distributions
> didn't). This is often labeled "IRIX 5.3 for Indy R4400" or something
> like that.
All versions of 5.3 support Indys. Some versions of 5.2 may not (I'm not
sure about that). There is one version of 5.3 that won't *boot* on an
R3000 Indigo, but that one will still install if you boot from a diferent
version.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Network Manager
University of York
>> I've acquired a SGI Indy system complete with 21" monitor, keyboard and
>> mouse (no IndyCam) but the hard drive has been wiped. Does anyone know
>> where I might get a copy of the IRIX media or what are the licensing
>> terms. Does the hardware come with the right to the OS like NeXT?
>> Looks like a cool system if I can get it up and running. Also are
>> flopptical disks still available?
Congrats on the find! They're wonderful machines. I've got a number of
SGI
machines including the Indigo, the Indy, and the Indigo2. SGI systems
are
by far my favourite desktop UNIX workstations.
In regard to finding the operating system, eBay is really your best bet.
You can find a copy of IRIX 5.3 for probably less than $25. IRIX 5.3
really doesn't get many bids anymore. Note two things, though:
* Make sure that it includes support for the Indy (older distributions
didn't). This is often labeled "IRIX 5.3 for Indy R4400" or something
like that.
* Note that because it uses an older binary format, IRIX 5.3 often
will not be able to run binaries of software that are available out
there on the Internet. SGI does offer the IDO (development environment)
for free for download from their website, though.
IRIX 6.x is definitely the preferred operating environment, but its
more difficult to find, and a bit more expensive too. Depending on
how much RAM and hard disk space the machine has, its a bit more
resource intensive as well.
Resellers are VERY hesitant (if not totally unwilling) to sell you
IRIX media without purchase of a system. Supposedly it has something
to do with SGI licensing terms. If they sell it to you at all, it
will probably be at or near list price (around $300-600, depending
on their persuasion).
I wouldn't waste much time with the floptical drive. You can find
them on eBay relatively often, but I don't think they're useful for
much outside of being a novelty item. The original floptical media
are probably pretty near impossible to find now, and even though
they will read and write standard 1.44 meg disks, its debatable
how necessary this is on a UNIX workstation anyway. As someone
else mentioned, they're probably not super duper reliable, either.
Contrary to popular belief, you can use a standard 2048 byte sector
CD-ROM drive to install IRIX on the Indy, and also the R4000 Indigo,
the Indigo2, and newer machines such as the O2 and Octane. They're
intelligent enough to change the blocksize to 512 bytes before
attempting to use the CD-ROM. They 512 byte sector CD-ROMS are only
necessary on older systems such as the 4D series, Personal IRIS,
Indigo R3000, Crimson (?), etc.
Hope this helps!
--Sean Caron (root(a)diablonet.net) | http://www.diablonet.net
Faltaba apenas un dia para su aniversario de de 18 años. Blanca de Nieve fuera
siempre muy bien cuidada por los enanitos. Ellos le prometieron una *grande*
sorpresa para su fiesta de compleaños. Al entardecer, llegaron. Tenian un brillo
incomun en los ojos...
Hi,
I got a NCD eXplorer Color X-Windows terminal. It is a 14-inch monitor
with a very small base.
(4Megs of display memory, 10BaseT, with installation CDs). Anybody want
it, otherwise it is ending
in the dumpster. This used to be part of my SUN Workstation at home,
but I dont need this part anymore...
Ram
--
,,,,
/'^'\
( o o )
-oOOO--(_)--OOOo-------------------------------------
| Ram Meenakshisundaram |
| Senior Software Engineer |
| OpenLink Financial Inc |
| .oooO Phone: (516) 227-6600 x267 |
| ( ) Oooo. Email: rmeenaks(a)olf.com |
---\ (----( )--------------------------------------
\_) ) /
(_/
On Jun 20, 14:31, Chuck McManis wrote:
> At 07:48 PM 6/20/01 +0000, Pete wrote:
> >But aluminium oxide is Al203 and it's a white powder. Or a rather
> >attractive (and, yes, very hard) crystal, known as carborundum, ruby,
> >emerald, amethyst, etc depending on the impurities :-) The only place
> >you'd get AlO2 (which is also white/clear, by the way) is as aluminate
ions
> >in solution.
>
> My aluminum CDs oxidize black, my aluminum sailboat rigging used to,
> (before I got rid of it), aluminum cans that I tried to melt at one point
> also turned into the a black form of the Aluminum oxide powder. Perhaps
> there are other impurities in it that change its color, I don't know, I
> just observe. Now is someone had a classic HP spectrometer I suppose I
> could put this stuff in there and see what it said it was. :-)
It could be aluminium sulphide (I'm not sure if that's black, but it might
be). Or it could be impurities -- neither your rigging nor the cans will
be pure aluminium. In any case, cans usually have a lacquer coating on the
inside, or paint on the outside. I expect the rigging is also reacting
with something from the water (seawater? lakewater? there's all kinds of
stuff in that), but I don't know what. Usually aluminium corrosion is
whitish-grey. I have no idea about the CDs, though, I must admit.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Network Manager
University of York
On Jun 20, 11:13, Zane H. Healy wrote:
> On Jun 20, 12:12, James Rice wrote:
> >I've acquired a SGI Indy system complete with 21" monitor, keyboard and
> >mouse (no IndyCam) but the hard drive has been wiped. Does anyone know
> >where I might get a copy of the IRIX media or what are the licensing
> >terms. Does the hardware come with the right to the OS like NeXT?
> >Looks like a cool system if I can get it up and running. Also are
> >flopptical disks still available?
One or two suppliers stil sell the media. Getting a floptical drive is
rather harder. You might be lucky, though; someone I know picked one up
for a fiver a couple of years ago. However, I'd not recommend spending a
lot of money on one. They are rather sensitive, and in Indys, gather a
*lot* of dust, as the PSU fan sucks air through the floptical. I have a
beautiful example of "why you should keep disk heads clean" pinned to my
wall as a result. If it's just for transferring stuff to/from other
machines, you might find a Zip drive (has to be SCSI for an Indy) or the
network rather more useful.
SGI also supplied SCSI floppies (made by TEAC) in external cases, and other
makes work fine (I've used DEC ones several times).
BTW, Indys are not quite on-topic yet, under the 10-year rule :-) Not long
to go, though, as they were released in 1992/3.
> Unfortunatly your best bet is probably eBay, unless someone on the list
can
> help you. If you want a recent version you'll pay through the nose, and
> even older versions aren't exactly cheap.
Actually, every IRIX system did come with a right to whatever version of
IRIX was supplied with it -- but not to free upgrades. So it's permissible
for a user to obtain and use a copy (including a CD-R copy). This was
discussed at some length on comp.sys.sgi last year, and the concensus was
that SGI ought to provide a reasonably-low-cost copy (as opposed to the
price of an upgrade). However, it seems few SGI sales offices adhere to
this, and the UK office (in my experience) certainly doesn't, even though
they can check to see when the machine was sold and therefore which versin
of IRIX would be appropriate.
James, if you mail me off-list with a note of the machine serial number,
I'll see if I can help out. To boot from CD-ROM, you'll need a CD-ROM
drive capable of delivering 512-byte blocks (not the 2048-byte blocks used
by PCs etc). Many modern ones will be fine, but older ones may not unless
they have a switch or jumpers to set this.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Network Manager
University of York
On Jun 20, 15:35, James Rice wrote:
> Sorry about the OT post. I hadn't even looked to see the relase date of
the
> Indy. I was just excited to get one.
Don't take my comment seriously! I doubt if anyone objected. They're nice
machines. I have two myself which I use all the time (look at the first
"Received:" header on this message). Also several Indigos and an O2.
> I was just excited to get one.
And so you should be :-)
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Network Manager
University of York
