Re: Slab won't power on?

[Mouse <mouse%Rodents-Montreal.ORG@localhost>]

I have an update - though I can't help wondering why I haven't seen my
own mail to the list come back to me yet.  I tried to resubscribe in
case I got unsubbed somehow, but never got anything at all back.  I
should go digging in my logs and see if I can uncover anything.  In the
meantime, I've read these most recent two messages in the archives.

> Does it work with a head?

Yes and no.

I dug up a head, a keyboard, and a cable.  It refused to power on that
way either.

Not having much to lose, I pulled the battery, noted it measured about
1.9V despite being marked 3V, and decided to try something else.  I
found a small power supply that drove 5V with both rails isolated from
the input.  I then hooked this up with four diodes (and a 1K load
resistor) to drop the voltage to about 2.6-2.8 volts.  Connecting that
to the battery holder "fixed" it; the machine powers on and operates,
apparently normally, that way.  (The NetBSD/next68k I have handy
appears unwilling to use serial console; I haven't looked into that
more yet - see below.)

So it seems the battery _is_ necessary for operation.  (I'll probably
mount a two-dry-cell holder somewhere in the case to sub for the
designer's lithium battery, unless I find somewhere I can get a
replacement battery for less than ridiculous cost.)

Then I went looking for my NeXTPrinter driver and couldn't find it.  I
don't know whether I'm wrong in thinking I once had such a thing or
whether I've just lost the code; it's possible what I'm actually
remembering is the SPARC lpvi driver I did back in 2002.

Since the main purpose of this was to get a printer working, I dug out
my SPARCprinter - and found everything except the paper tray, whereas
for the NeXTprinter I found everything except the software.  And I have
a LaserJet IIISi, which is fine except it doesn't POST. :-(

I don't see anything that looks like a NeXTprinter driver in the most
recent NetBSD tree I have at ready hand, nor any mention of such a
thing in the last few years of port-next68k.  I don't suppose anyone
knows anything that might help?  I'm not even sure I have a NeXT
install any more to verify the hardware works with.

I'd like to get back into next68k hackery.  I'll find the spare time
for that...any year now.

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