Hmm,

This sparked a thought in my head that frankly is intriguing. We've got
virtual development groups, and when I worked in the systems group at Sun
the machines were all in a server room anyway. What we need is a "port
unit" setup. I would envision this to consist of a stable platform such as
a PC with a big chunk-o-disk and a CVS tree for NetBSD. A set of cross
compilation tools to VAX, and the target vax sitting next to it with the
PC's serial port connected to the VAX console port. 

Then login accounts could be given out on the PC, where people could login,
cross compile code, then go to the VAX console and netboot it from the PC.
The VAX and PC would share a single ethernet and the PC would be connected
to the Internet. 

The only thing you wouldn't be able to do would be to look at the screen on
a VAX if you were doing X or graphics work. But a web cam could solve that
problem as well.

Comments? This might be fun to try setting up if I can figure out how to do
it on my DSL line.

--Chuck

At 11:10 AM 2/18/00 +1300, Lloyd.Parkes@vuw.ac.nz wrote:
>Sorry,
>I seem to have misled people. I asked a question that looked like many
>recent ones asking for information on booting NetBSD/vax.
>
>My problem is quite different. AFAIK NetBSD/vax doesn't support the
>MicroVAX 3100/m90. I want to know what needs to be done to write support
>for this class of machine. I expect that the only thing I will be able
>to contribute is the machine itself and a pair of teleprosthetic limbs.
>
>Cheers
>-- 
>Lloyd Parkes, Network Manager, School of Earth Sciences
>Victoria University of Wellington
>