Subject: Thanks. VS2000 applications.
To: None <port-vax@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Marc Malagelada i Duch <marc@hades.udg.es>
List: port-vax
Date: 06/17/1996 01:10:56
Well, first of all:
Saying that I am not interested on NetBSD for VS2000 I did not mean that I
was going to throw away that machine.

I also "love" VAXen.
I remember a lot of years ago, when my university had very little money we
had 2 VAXservers: (one 3500 and one 3400), 4 VS2000 and 2 386/25.
Well, we had two dozen ATs and a very large lot of XTs, also.

I remember that STERIX (VAX3500) was used by us to compile asembler, C,
pascal, ..... and OBELIX (VAX3400) was used as a central computer in the
university. VS2000 were used: 2 for CAD, one for a news system, and one
as a private node. All of them ran VMS 5.1.

Three years ago the university bought a lot of new machines, and the old
ones has been changing of hands until they reached me.
Now, I have 2 VS2000 (one does not work) and a VAXserver3500. I have also
a dozen Tandon XTs :-).
I would like to do something useful with that machines.
I wanted to build a cluster using 'amoeba' distributed OS, but DEC hardware
is no longer supported in stable versions.

One option is to build a "WEB server", as Dave said, but I need an operating
system to do this. BTW: Is there httpd for VMS?
Another option is to use it as XTERMinals, as Oscar said, but... this is
like converting a 386-40 to a VT220. 
I would like to build a News system.


You also talked about the power of the VS2000.
Somebody talked of about 1MIP, 2000Drystones. 
It is easy to smile when you read this and you know that a 486 does 45 K
Drystones. Linux gives 50BogoMips to a 486-100.
What about VAX3500?

About the SCSI interface:
If I could do something useful with this VS2000, I would try to get a memory
upgrade (8meg more) and a 200Mb harddisk.
Are you sure *all* vaxstations2000 have a SCSI interface?

My VS2000's have 1 MFM hard disk controller, and a 1.2Mb FDD controller.
When I run System Exerciser, I get info about a TK50 controller.
Is this a SCSI controller?
I could get one more VS2000 with TK50 instead of 1.2Mb drive.

Finally:

Robin wants to know who is on the port for VAXstations.
I have no idea on programming Operating Systems, I am only a user.
So, I am volunteer to test any beta-version on NetBSD for VS2000 / VAX3500.

We could build a table:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Programmers:           !        Beta-testers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   !     Marc Malagelada marc@hades.udg.es.

Join the table!


two more questions:
A VAXserver3500 is a uVAX3500?
Is there NetBSD for VAXserver3500 with 8Meg of ram?

Thanks.
Sorry for my poor english. I'm asleep.

Bye VAX lovers!


Marc.