Date: Sun, 27 Nov 1994 02:34:23 +0200 (IST)
From: tgpt_ltd <TGPT_LTD@db1.cc.rochester.edu>
Subject: Status of NetBSD-vax?
To: port-vax@netbsd.org
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.1.2-VMS-9.9411270237.A543170886-0100000@>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII


	I'm wondering if someone can fill me in on the progress that has 
been made on NetBSD/vax.  I'm new to VAXes, and the radio station I work 
at recently acquired the following machine:

	VAX 11/750
		16mb RAM (I've been told.)
		4 of what appear to be processor boards
		32 serial ports
		Emulex disk controller
		CDC XMD850 hard disk (It's *HEAVY*!) :)
		small (TK50?) tape drive built in
		non-working RK07.  (Makes a horrible screeching noise.)
	
	The machine was given to us by another University department. 
We're currently running VMS 5.4-2, but our 'portion' of the site license
expires in february, and we don't plan on renewing it.  The machine is not
really used for anything other than a learning platform/engineer's
playground, and we'd be really interested in doing testing of NetBSD.  I
have some UNIX sysadmin experience, our chief engineer has some hardware
experience (mostly with pdp-series machines) and does some OS-level
programming, and we've got a few contacts at the computing center who have
been able to help us out in the past.  (My introduction to VMS system
administration was figuring out how to do a conversational boot after I
trashed SYSUAF.DAT.  :) ) At any rate, if the port is in a runnable state 
I'd be very interested in trying to get it running on our machine.  Is 
this something that the OS is ready for, and are people looking for more 
test platforms?  If so, what would be a good way to get the OS 
installed?  (We don't have ethernet in our building yet, but we do have a 
115kbaud serial line to internet-connected machines, and could probably get 
our hands on a replacement RK07 if that would work.)  Is this something 
that could be done, or is it a bigger problem than I realize?  Anyway, 
thanks for your time.

	Tom  

--
Tom Guptill                tgpt_ltd@cc.rochester.edu
CPU Box 277445 UR          tgpt_ltd@UORDBV
Rochester, NY USA 14627    guptill%magica.dnet@UPSALA.UU.SE