[Info-vax] Infoserver 150

Stephen Hoffman seaohveh at hoffmanlabs.invalid
Sat Oct 20 08:23:38 EDT 2012


On 2012-10-20 00:44:29 +0000, Bill Gunshannon said:

> 
>> Look in the Freeware V8.0 InfoServer directory.

And FWIW, I'd (also) expect a MOP-expecting box of any ilk - PDP-11 or 
otherwise - could boot from either the InfoServer box or from 
host-based InfoServer.

MOP had select few changes over the years as the MOP clients tended to 
be embedded in firmware; DECserver boxes, MicroServer boxes, 
LANbridges, VAX and Alpha satellites, etc.  Put another way, a 
bootstrap would be worth a try, if you're wasting time on this stuff to 
start with.

> Is the DECServer image there as well?

No.

I could usually only "liberate" the discontinued DEC-owned products for 
inclusion on the Freeware.  The DECserver stuff was sold off.  Quick 
history through time <http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/289> to the 
present owner of the DECserver products.

Here <http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/232> are the file names of the 
~dozen DECserver variants that I know about.

And FWIW, you could have answered the base question yourself - last 
night - with a look in the Freeware directories.  Or a web search.

> I have a couple and while not
> of much practical use, they might be fun to play with.

I know folks that use them for console access.

> Speaking of which, is there any hardware documentation available on DECServers?

AFAIK, no.

> Might be fun to try to make them into IP based Terminal Servers.  
> BusyBox should run just fine on the M68K in them.

You're not the first to consider hosting some different software.  But 
AFAIK, there was never any technical programming documentation 
released.   The boxes were strictly embedded and never 
customer-programmanble, so you'll be reverse-engineering all of this, 
if you proceed.   The DECserver boxes were all considered box-swap FRUs 
AFAIK; no component repairs in the field, and with no customer access; 
the box or the DEChub or the power brick got swapped.

-- 
Pure Personal Opinion | HoffmanLabs LLC




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