Hello,

Re Bill's comments:

>AFAIK, all the computers which can run NetBSD w/o an accelerator, which would
>include the Classic II, had all the pins hooked up.
>
>Also, I thought that the printer port was the one which would end up lacking
>the CD pin. That'd indicate that maybe the cable's not wired right, or that
>the other mac is not asserting DCD.
>
>If you're using a printer cable to hook the two together, that's part of the
>problem. They either don't connect DCD, or hook DCD to DCD. Thus there's no
>output driving this pin. The pin can do whatever it wants.
>
>Try "local" as an option in /etc/ttys and see what happens. Also, to check
>the pin, try a real modem on the port w/ a MacOS PPP or SLIP. The one I've
>seen will tell you if DCD's not there (it tells you the state of both pins,
>and shows a gray box for a machine w/o the pin).

I think the fact that I'm using a printer cable must be the problem.  
I'll have to wire up a null modem cable (yuk - miniDINs are a pain to 
solder.  I may cut the printer cable and rewire it half way, if you see 
what I mean).  The DCD connection on the modem socket must be getting the 
port confused - both sides trying to control the line at once, I guess.  
The local option didn't make any difference, which is odd.  If the 
printer line doesn't use that pin, then it can float and not affect the 
transmission at the Classic end.

Anyway, it works on the printer port for now.  I've removed MacOS from my 
hard disk and boot from a floppy straight into NetBSD.  PPP comes up from 
/etc/ttys and I can then telnet into the Classic II as many times as I 
want over a 56k line - not very fast but usable.

Yours,

Andrew