On Apr 5, 1:33am, "Douglas A. Tutty" wrote:
} On Tue, Nov 13, 2007 at 03:18:25AM -0500, der Mouse
wrote:
} >
} > > I'll carry on searching for info on these boxes.
What is their
} > > current status: do they run, can one install the
current release of
} > > NetBSD on them?
} >
} > I don't think NetBSD really works on the MicroVAX-II
any longer; the
} > "16M is too tiny to even think about
supporting" voices have gotten too
} > strong. Suns with a 64M or more should Just Work;
the -3/60 maxes out
} > at 24M, which is plenty for me, but I run 1.4T.
}
} I'll be away for a few days but I have been able to get a
beginning
} glance (via google and wikipedia) at the specs. Yes, the
Sun 3's and
} microVax seem too small to be usefull. In comparision, I
have a 486DX4-100,
} its main problem being a small hard drive. It will still
run NetBSD or
} OpenBSD just fine.
}
} What I've found:
}
} The DecStation 3100's run at 16 MHz with 24 MB ram, MIPS
based, and are
} about as powerful as a 486DX-33. The question is what is
the drive
} size.
It takes a 50 pin SCSI drive, so the disk could be
replaced.
} The SparcStation IPC runs at 25MHz with 48 MB ram, and are
about as
} powerful as a 486DX-50. Again, the question is drive
space.
Same as above.
} The AlphaServer, I must admit, looks like it _could_ be
good, with up to
} 2 GB ram, running 200-400 MHz up to 4-way SMP. However,
it doesn't look
} like there's any free OS that runs on it.
I don't recall the URL and I didn't save, but NetBSD
does support
a number of AlphaServers. See http://www.NetBSD.o
rg/ports/alpha near
the bottom.
} I've often wished I'd had a good terminal. The VT100 if
the screen and
} keyboard are still good would be helpfull at times.
The VT100 has a very clunky and noisy keyboard. It
also sits high
off the desk, so it isn't very ergonomic. You probably want
to look
for something like a VT220 or VT320.
} I don't know what ethernet (UTP) is available on these
boxes. I'd want
They all support ethernet, but you might have to use a
nicrotransceiver to get UTP.
} ---
}
} I've been wanting to play with non-i386/amd64 boxes. I've
been wanting
} to support other arches that are open enough to be
supported by NetBSD
} or OpenBSD. I have two needs right now:
}
} A slow thin client. Perhaps basic X, but primarily just
a slow
Slow would be the operative word.
} box. My wife gets headaches around high frequency EMF;
my
} 486DX4-100 is better for her than my Athlon64 2 GHz.
I suspect this due more to the monitor then the
computer.
} A file server for the home network. I would like to
separate my
They could do this, but wouldn't be the most performant
(only 10
Mbps Ethernet, slow disk controllers, etc.).
}-- End of excerpt from "Douglas A. Tutty"
|