Subject: Re: NetBSD 1.6 on DEC 3000/300
To: None <port-alpha@netbsd.org>
From: Jochen Kunz <jkunz@maja.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de>
List: port-alpha
Date: 10/16/2002 14:41:13
On Tue, Oct 15, 2002 at 07:29:20PM +0200, Jochen Kmietsch wrote:

> Well, I never said that it was easy to get NetBSD on a Pelican.
I found it quite easy to get NetBSD on my DEC3k600. As I was bitten 
by the net boot bug I dd-ed the install image to an old spare disk
and started... The same should be true for a CDR made from that
image. 

> In fact, compared to a recent Linux-installation it's a PITA, 
The recent Linux-installations are a PITA. Lots of "klickibunti", 
dump, idiot compatible "I will do everything for you" installers
that don't let you intervene when somthing goes wrong and that
don't show to you what they are actually doing. 
So, you see, everthing depends on your personal aspects. :-)

> and I did swear often enough about all the edges and corners, 
> the old 1.5 system (compiler from 1991...), etc.  
Pardon? 1991 vintage compiler? 

> Still, when you finally get it to run and
> that old box spins up it's disk, it was worth the hassle.  This is
> computer history kept alive.
A PDP-10 with TOPS10 or TENEX or a VAX 11/780 with 4.3BSD (pre -Reno)
or a Symbolics Lisp machine is computer history. An Alpha is barely 10 
years old. Thats young. 

> Isn't trying to keep these boxes running anyway?  They are noisy and slow
> (at least a Pelican, compared to a somewhat up-to-date PC), but still fun
> to play around with, at least at the approriate level of Geekness.
I consider a 150 MHz 21064 as quite fast. (At least compared to 
most of my VAXen.) I LaTeXed most of my diploma thesis on an 
AlphaStation 200 1/166. 
As speaking of noise: My DECstation 5000/240 and the DEC3k600 are 
some of the most silent machines I ever come to. Maybe you need a 
new fan? 
-- 



tschüß,
         Jochen

Homepage: http://www.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de/~jkunz/