Subject: Mystery VAXen!
To: None <port-vax@NetBSD.ORG>
From: J. Joseph Max Katz <jkatz@corinne.mac.edu>
List: port-vax
Date: 04/16/1997 12:22:52
Greetings!

Upon looking in our closets here at school, I've found several RA80's,
RM80's TS-11's, two Super Eagles, two 11/750's and one Mystery setup--
(let us figure out what we want to use first, then I'll ask for bids :-)

We got the mystery system surplus from Columbia "a few years back." It
seems to be a very packed communications server rack setup. There are nine
rack mount modems at the bottom, and I assume the part labeled H3014
sitting at the top of the unit is the actual term server-- It has 25 DB25
ports on it, as well as a port labed "T1 Port" which looks the same as an
AUI ethernet port.

In the middle of the setup there is an RM81 (I know what that is :-) and
also what looks to be a Unibus "cage" turned on its back and mounted in
the rack. It has an ethernet controller plugged in (you can trace a cable
from it to an AUI port labled "DIGITAL Ethernet Controller") The
controller seems to either take up two slots. There seems to be nothing
else plugged in. I coudln't find a cord from the Unibus section going
to the other parts in the rack-- not even a slot for a console.

Is this a usable system? Is there a processor board on the Unibus segment
of this setu that I'm unable to find? Another "clue"-- this case claims
that in order to be stably mounted, it needs to be attached to an 11/780
rack unit. I assume I could remove the ethernet controller from that
Unibus backplane and stuff it in one of the 11/750's we have, and take it
from there.

Another aside: our TS-11's aren't in the greatest shape (that, and I
noticed there are not install images for them). Is it possible to netboot
an 11/750?

This is what is really pathetic-- they won't let me move the equipment
across the hall to the 120v/13amp power supplies that I need in order to
plug it in and see what it is-- they want a minimal movement of equipment
so it doesn't mark up the floor!

-Jon