test-drb September 2020

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

118 participants
99 discussions

Compaq Security Enhancements for Microsoft Windows 2000

by dave.g4ugm＠gmail.com

Whilst sifting through the loft I came across this brochure https://1drv.ms/b/s!Ag4BJfE5B3onmNYe9v2yiv2abf2Afg?e=0EjFbM for the Compaq Security Enhancements for Microsoft Windows 2000, which evolved from the Digital product "Secure NT" I wonder if any one actually used these products and can talk about them? Dave Wade (Al feel free to take a copy for Bitsavers)

5 years

Basement Haul

by dave.g4ugm＠gmail.com

At the risk of upsetting people who are perhaps hoping for a bargain can I send a link to this thread.. http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?76560-Basement-full-of-DEC-parts-P DP-5-PDP-8-DEC-55-and-more/page2 I notice that there are card desks and an 029 that might interest folks. He says he "must sell" but may be amenable to donating such things. Dave Wade G4UGM & EA7KAE

5 years

IBM 3270 compatible terminal connected to Hercules IBM mainframe emulator.

by mattislind＠gmail.com

I have been working on a project for some time to connect a IBM3270 compatible Alfaskop terminal with its IBM 3274 compatible cluster controller to the Hercules mainframe emulator. Yesterday I eventually succeeded. I was able to login to TSO on my Hercules system that ran MVS 3.8j. Here are a couple quick video clips: https://youtu.be/H1Sxt7xjn4Y https://youtu.be/CFfB3yCN9OI To achieve this I created a small piece of hardware I called SyncDongle, essentially it's just a few level converters, connectors and a STM32F103 blue pill. On the hardware I run a small piece of firmware, BSCBridge. It bridges between the sync serial BSC used by the Alfaskop cluster controller and the BSC variant that the 2703 emulation inside Hercules is using. More information here: https://github.com/MattisLind/alfaskop_emu and here http://www.datormuseum.se/peripherals/terminals/alfaskop There are good chances that the SyncDongle/BSCBridge combo could work with a 3274 or 3174 controller as well but I haven't tested since I don't have one. But no guarantees given, though. If someone has a spare 3174-51R, -61R, -81R or -91R I would be very interested in it. Actually there is a good chance that it could work with general BSC use. Maybe for NJE between Hercules and a real IBM machine? Or 2780/3780 RJE terminals? Or other third party 3270 terminals using BSC. The BSCBridge firmware only supports non transparent mode at this point, it works fine with Alfaskop since it does not support anything else. Maybe a showstopper for 3174 with 3279 terminals? SHouldn't be that difficult to add transparent mode if needed. /Mattis

5 years

SunBlade 100 keyboard issues

by technoid6502＠gmail.com

I have a Sunblade 100, got it on ebay for $103.00, landed on my doorstep. I hacked the nvram chip with a pair of AA batteries, which should keep the thing going for a hundred years. I really wanted a STOP key, and found an ad on Ebay for new Type 7 usb keyboard/mouse, bought the set. I used a plain jane USB keyboard to install OPENBSD and that works just fine. The type 7 keyboard works great on a pea sea, and, if the Sun is booted, running an operating system, it works fine there too. If the type 7 keyboard is plugged in at any time prior to booting from media, any time the OpenBoot prom is in charge, the prom reports no keyboard detected and defaults to a serial console. This happens even if the type 7 keyboard is plugged in ALONG WITH the generic USB keyboard I am using successfully with the machine right now. An advertisement for the type 7 keyboard gave me a clue that this is a known problem with some early SunBlade machines and that I would need a Firmware upgrade. I've looked on Oraclle's site for Sunblade 100 firmware upgrades and not found them. Can someone link me to the latest firmware for the SunBlade 100 so I can get it to recognize this keyboard? At present I've got OpenBSD 6.7 running with X and a light window manager. Got Dillo running as well, so I can surf. Woot woot! I miss my SParcstation 4/330 though. Thanks! Jeff The OpenBoot Prom utility however, does not see this keyboard at all. I

5 years

Curt Vendel

by technoid6502＠gmail.com

It is apparently true. He had heart troubles, but this was unexpected and certainly a shock to his family. I met Curt here, on Classiccmp, about twenty years ago. We are both hardcore Atari 8-bit computer geeks, but we met in this forum. He is missed by many as he touched many. Please pray for his soul and for peace for his wife and children. Jeff

5 years

Spam

by cctalk＠beyondthepale.ie

Anybody else on cctech/cctalk receive a blatant spam today from an outfit called "SparkPost" with "OptIn Live" in the subject? Regards, Peter Coghlan.

5 years

Curt Vendel

by binarydinosaurs＠gmail.com

Folks, I first heard this last night (UK time) but from an unconfirmed source so I waited until this morning and woke to find a tweet from AtariAge confirming it. Seems that Curt Vendel of the Atari History Museum amongst others passed away unexpectedly yesterday. Sending condolences to his family and everyone who knew him. Taken far too soon. RIP Curt. https://twitter.com/AtariAge/status/1300547070034620417 -- Adrian Graham Owner of Binary Dinosaurs, the UK's biggest private home computer collection? t: @binarydinosaurs f: facebook.com/binarydinosaurs w: www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk

5 years

Zork from ITS tapes

by lars＠nocrew.org

Hello, Early Zork source and binary files have been found on ITS backup tapes. MIT previously released some December 1977 files here: https://github.com/MITDDC/zork Recently discovered files from January 1978 will appear soon.

5 years

Fwd: Factory Rodent Urine, was Re: Sun SPARCstation LX boot from CDROM?

by ccth6600＠gmail.com

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Tom Hunter <ccth6600 at gmail.com> Date: Tue, Sep 1, 2020 at 2:17 PM Subject: Re: Factory Rodent Urine, was Re: Sun SPARCstation LX boot from CDROM? To: Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> Thanks Chuck, Unfortunately it is well past cleaning. The lead/tin alloy has corroded into a hard oxide with very high melting temperature. Lead oxide melts at 800+ degrees C and tin oxide at 1300+ degrees C. This is well past the 300 degrees C a soldering iron produces. Most importantly the copper pads below and some of the tracks are gone completely. About 70% of the board is pristine. Only the section which has been exposed to the liquid is corroded. I can't say for sure that it is rodent urine, but when I tried to reflow the corroded solder joints it faintly smelled like my firewood where rats nested one winter. Of course there is no chance for a rat or even the tiniest mouse to get into a fully assembled Sun/Sony CDROM with the affected PCB side facing down and somehow urinate upwards towards the PCB. As the drive was never before disassembled it could only have happened during manufacturing. 20 years ago when I put the drive and other SPARX LX gear into my display cabinet I could have easily found a replacement. Now it won't be easy. The sad thing about it is that everything was pristine when I put it in my cabinet. Cheers Tom Hunter On Tue, Sep 1, 2020 at 1:41 PM Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote: > On 8/31/20 7:25 PM, Tom Hunter wrote: > > Not funny if your prized treasures fall victim to it. > > > > I found that oven cleaner can loosen layers of the stuff without too > much damage to the electronics underneath. Soap and water won't cut it. > > --Chuck > >

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test-drb September 2020