Subject: OK Dummie here has this VAXstation 3500 sort of up.....
To: None <port-vax@netbsd.org>
From: Robert D. Keys <bsdbob@seedlab1.cropsci.ncsu.edu>
List: port-vax
Date: 01/20/1999 10:10:23
On a pure lark, I fired up the VAXstation 3500, sans video board set,
and of all the silly things, it actually came up into the monitor.
Egads, that TK tape drive has gotta be the slowest thing since
loading by paper tape on an ASR33.

I tried loading a NetBSD tape, but sadly, I pumped in the wrong
parameters for the ra70 drive, so I will need to reinstall with
the correct parameters.  Anyone have the correct hardware drive
parameters (cylinders, heads, sectors, etc., and recommended
VAXstation 3500 partition sizes), so I can bring up baby correctly
tonight?  The drive apparently has 547K blocks, but I have no
other info on it.

If someone could email me the stats, also, for the entire RA series
drives that will work in the VAXstation (RA70, 71, 72, 73?), that
would be nice.  That info really does need to be tacked into the
INSTALL guide for the VAX as an appendix or something, since you
need that info, before you have the machine installed.  Catch 22.

Also, anyone got a spare RA70 or such drive with the cables and
correct settings to add it in as a second drive on the VAXstation?
Since it has the space for two internal drives, I probably ought
to fill it with something..... right?  The book says call DEC, but
surely it can't be that bad to install.

Hey, these VAXen toys are kindof neat!  And, it is actually a bit
quieter than the old Sun VME crate beside it.  My expectation is
that it will make a nice home foundation server for things like
netbooting and other developmental ditties.

Thanks all!

Bob Keys

rdkeys@unity.ncsu.edu
rdkeys@seedlab1.cropsci.ncsu.edu