test-drb December 2005

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

235 participants
580 discussions

HP IPC / Thinkjet printhead repair / substitute ?

by jos.mar＠bluewin.ch

I would like to repair the last remaining problem with my HP IPC. : the printer. Yes, the previous owner did not remove the inkcartridge and the foil/flatcable connecting printhead to PCB has been etched clean... Any repair possible ? Any remaining source of the Thinkjet ones ? I have no trouble extending a Thinkjet foil to fit the IPC, but all Thinkjets I locate have exactly the same problem... Jos Dreesen

20 years, 1 month

floppy imaging

by aek＠bitsavers.org

tony wrote: To get back to disk imaging, I may be stupid, but I do wonder if it's actually possible to write such a program to run under linux or any other multi-tasking system. It is relatively easy to write a program to dump an image back to a physical disk. I've done similar things several times for specific disk formats (in particular TRS-80 M2/M4 and HP LIF). To do the reverse -- to imagge a disk _once the format is known_ is also easy. The problem comes with discovering the format. I've read and re-read the 8272 and 765 data sheets. From what I can see the only way to see what sectors are on the current track is to use the ReadID command. This returns the ID bytes from the next sector header to pass under the head. There is no way to automatically dump all the IDs from all the sectors >from index pulse to the next index pulse (if there is, can somebody please enlighten me). -- Look at the readfloppy code in Eric's DMK library http://dmklib.brouhaha.com/ It is capable of detecting sector length automagicly under Linux.

20 years, 1 month

Sun Open Firmware - insiders?

by Arno_1983＠gmx.de

Just a quick progress indication: My attempt of looking at the source of "boot" came to a halt at a point a few word levels down in the code there's a [compile] directive followed by just fragments of text (the exact line is "[compile] ot image fai"). The debugger, which I'm learning to use according to the instructions in the Quick Reference, gets turned off right there and the usual messages ("Boot device: <foo>" etc.) start to appear. I've also read into the "FCode 3.x Reference Manual" (available for free download from Sun) and found the following (quote): > OpenBoot performs the following steps during the boot process: > > (...) > > The bootpath and bootargs properties in the /chosen node of the > device tree are set with the selected values. At that point I decided to take a look at that node and its properties, amongst which I found to be "gateway-ip", "server-ip" and "client-ip", all initialized to "00 00 00 00". Those are most probably set according to the results of the rarp request. I can modify them with ok " "(<4 bytes adr>)" encode-bytes " <whatever>-ip" property The "Writing FCode 3.x Programs" manual also has a lot of info about the netboot procedure (quote): > TFTP Booting Support Package > The /obp-tftp package implements the Internet Trivial File > Transfer Protocol (TFTP) for use in network booting. It is > typically used by a network device driver for its first stage > network boot protocol. Again, load is the most important method > defined by this package. > > This package uses the read and write methods of its parent, and > defines the following methods: > > Table 4-5 TFTP Package Methods > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > Name Stack diagram Description > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > > open (-- flag) Prepares the package for subsequent use, > returning -1 if the operation succeeds and > 0 otherwise. > > close (--) Frees all resources that were allocated by > open. > > load (adr -- size) Reads the default stand-alone program from > the default TFTP server, putting the program > at memory address adr and returning its > length size. > For the standard Sun TFTP booting protocol, > RARP (Reverse Address Resolution Protocol) > is used to acquire the IP address > corresponding to the system's MAC address > (equivalent to its Ethernet address). From > the IP address, the default file name is > constructed, of the form <Hex-IP-Address>. > <architecture> (for example, C0092E49.SUN4C). > Then obp-tftp tries to TFTP read that file, > first trying the server that responded to the > RARP request, and if that fails, then > broadcasting the TFTP read request. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- Obviously this method is called after I enter "boot net" (manually invoking it yields the same messages that usually come after "Boot device: <foo>"), but I'm yet failing to see how control is transferred between the two (also need to read more about how an instance of this package is created as a child to le) and in order not to miss steps which set up critical variables or properties, I need to know what (if anything) happens after the [compile] directive and before "/packages/obp-tftp/load" is executed. The code inside that "load" seems pretty modular after all, with calls like "do-rarp" and "tftpread", which I'm also going to take a closer look at over the next few days. At least I hope I'll get to... Season's greetings to everybody, -- Arno Kletzander Stud. Hilfskraft Informatik Sammlung Erlangen www.iser.uni-erlangen.de 10 GB Mailbox, 100 FreeSMS/Monat http://www.gmx.net/de/go/topmail +++ GMX - die erste Adresse f?r Mail, Message, More +++

20 years, 1 month

Old MS-DOS & WIN Software

by cctech＠retro.co.za

Hi all >Mind you if somebody came up with a better OS when the 386's came out, >would we have windows today? It's called "Linux". And yea, we still have Windoze... :-) W >

20 years, 1 month

Old MS-DOS & WIN Software

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: Old MS-DOS & WIN Software > From: Roger Merchberger <zmerch at 30below.com> > Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 13:21:35 -0500 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >That would be me. I just can't seem to live without some form of networking >now - and to me, even my 8-bitters seem a little bit "unlivable" because I >just can't plug 'em into the network. Write a stack and go. Seems it's being done even for Trs-80! >>I was happy for years running DOS with Norton Commander (midnight commander >>for the linux user). > >Never cared for either one of 'em myself... but that's just me. I still >install it on my linux boxen "just in case" tho. Beat the tar out of DOSSHELL. >> What I didn't get with windows (V3.1, W9x) was a real >>multitasking OS. > >What you didn't get with Winders was a real OS. ;-) I think I did say that. ;) >And yet, for certain things it was very useful. I bought Winders 3.1 (drove >200 miles roundtrip for it) for two reasons: True Type Fonts and a better >driver for my Canon BJ-10ex portable inkjet. The documents I could produce >were much better than anything I could produce with DOS apps of the time. 3.1 was a nice desktop and the problem was DOS not the desktop (and it was 16bit). As to better docs... WordperfectV5/dos was better than any of the MS apps for that back then. >If people chose Winders solely because they believed it was the best thing >available, I'd have no problem with it's current status. It's when it's >jammed down peoples' throats thru M$ pressuring computer companies to >bundle it with machines (and sometimes even tied to the hardware warranty >like on my Fujitsu laptop!) that's most assuredly wrong. I got into it because tools I wanted to used required it, though they were no better for it. As to the MS pushing it down the throat, yes it's was bad, and they still only got a slap on the wrist. Is winders useful, yep when it's the only way to get what you need. But the jury for the last 15 years says, it sucketh greatly for all thine efforts. Life in a factory town, is windows. Allison

20 years, 1 month

PDP-10s

by tradde＠excite.com

--- On Thu 12/22, William Donzelli < aw288 at osfn.org > wrote: From: William Donzelli [mailto: aw288 at osfn.org] To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 18:16:15 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: PDP-10s > cold storage? any chance any of them will "thaw"? :-)While at one point I had three KS10s, I only have one now, and no, it willnot "thaw". Unless one stokes the fire with some big IBM or Univac. I have always thought I would like to come across a 10 someday. The one I used at Penn State was a fascinating machine. It was an early KA-10, and took up most of the room. Maybe someday something will come my way. _______________________________________________ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web!

20 years, 1 month

PDP-10s

by tradde＠excite.com

--- On Thu 12/22, William Donzelli < aw288 at osfn.org > wrote: From: William Donzelli [mailto: aw288 at osfn.org] To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Cc: cctech at classiccmp.org Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 18:17:53 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: PDP-10s > Is anyone else interested in something like this?Interested, yes. As much as I like BIG drives, I know they are fragilebeasts, and they just do not make 'em anymore. I have a single RP06 drive here that came with an OEM pdp-11. I have never gotten the 11 to work. I did get the RP06 to spin up, keeping the heads from loading. It needs a good cleaning. And it is very very heavy. :) I have an extra pack still in the box for it too. Don't know if it's any good, but if any one is interested? _______________________________________________ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web!

20 years, 1 month

WTD Tandon 603s Hard Drive for Commodore CBM D9090 external HDD

by billdeg＠degnanco.com

I am trying to restore a CBM D9090 external hard drive. The controller cards seem OK, but I get a "? bad disk" error when attempting to initialize (using a B128). If no Tandon 603s is available, does anyone have experience and success replacing the original stock Tandon 603s drive with another drive? I have read differing opinions about what drives are compatible with the D9090. I tried a working ST 412, but I think that this is too new. Did not work. The drive I believe has to be 7.5 to 10 MB with even heads. Bill D

20 years, 1 month

flea markets & hamfests

by mamcfadden＠cmh.edu

Actually I have found some of the best stuff when I volunteer at the local computer recycling events in Kansas City. I actually live 25 miles from Kansas City but I go to town occasionally to see the "big city". I acquired an HP86B that was dumped at the drop off 3 years ago and a Victor 1400 calculator with dust cover that was dropped off this year. We received and loaded 60000 pounds of computers, CRT's, printers and TV's between 8 AM and 2 PM one Saturday. Recently I found an Olivetti Programma 101 at the local computer recycling charity. There is a not-for-profit in Kansas City called the Surplus Exchange that collects computers from all of the local businesses and recycles them. $20 and it was mine. That's where I found the Cromemco Z-2 and dual 8" floppies I have. The really old stuff normally is sent directly to the recycler since they can only reuse some of the recent PC stuff. I am kind of the non PC guy that sorts some stuff. It's like looking for diamonds "lots of crud to sort through to find a few jewels." Mike McFadden

20 years, 1 month

Is this a DEC cabinet?

by legalize＠xmission.com

<http://www.govliquidation.com/aucimg/photos/1760/1759983.jpg> This place is notoriously weak in providing accurate item descriptions (and the pictures are often blurry or near useless), but the styling of this cabinet makes me think it is a DEC item. Can anyone confirm? -- "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline"-- code samples, sample chapter, FAQ: <http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/> Pilgrimage: Utah's annual demoparty <http://pilgrimage.scene.org>

20 years, 1 month

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test-drb December 2005