[Info-vax] SimH with framebuffer and hobbyist kit?

[David Froble]

Vertis Sidus wrote:
> On 2013-04-02, Steven Schweda <sms.antinode at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> [...] but unfortunately all I have is the current 7.3
>>> hobbyist kit. Is it at all possible for VMS 7.3, with
>>> DECwindows, to run in this emulator?
>>    The VMS V7.3 SPD should say which systems (and
>> configurations) are supported.
> 
> Aha! Thank you, that's a document I was looking for. I saw it
> once before, but without knowing what it was called, I couldn't
> find it again. All I found was an installation guide with a
> much shorter list of unsupported hardware.
> 
> It seems the last version supported on the 2000 was 7.2, so I
> may be just this side of out of luck.
> 
>>                                 I know nothing, but, if your
>> emulator has the maximum memory for a real 2000 system (14MB?
>> 16MB?), then I'd guess that it could run V7.3.  ("is
>> supported" and "works" are spelled differently for a reason.)
>> If the emulator can have even more memory than a real 2000
>> system, then so much the better.
> 
> I think it's fixed at a maximum of 14MB, but I'm not sure.
> 
> Sorry I'm so vague about this. The framebuffer-supporting
> version of the emulator is closed-source and Windows-only, and
> I'm not actually running Windows most of the time.
> 
> SIMH comes with a modified firmware for the default VAX system 
> (3900 I believe) that allows exceeding the hardware's maximum
> memory, but no such luck on the 2000.
> 
>>    If I wanted to do any useful work, then I'd probably try
>> installing V7.3.  Anything older than V5.5-2 has so many
>> limitations (in my opinion) that I wouldn't bother.  If you
>> really want a VMS kit older than V7.3 for hobbyist use, then
>> someone here could probably supply a CD-ROM image or some
>> BACKUP save sets.
> 
> Yeah, this isn't for anything useful. I don't have anything
> to run in it. It's pretty much for nostalgia purposes - my mom
> worked at DEC in the early to mid 90s, and I occasionally
> wound up there with a VISITOR sticker badge on my shirt and
> got to play with the VTs and the VAXstations. (Probably
> shouldn't've been allowed, and I probably shouldn't be saying
> it, but what're they gonna do? Fire her?)
> 
> If I could have exactly what I want, it'd be a kit for
> whichever version of VAX/VMS it was that came with the gray
> binders, an era-appropriate VAXstation, a VT340, some games,
> and a copy of the CHEST::TERMINAL_ART Notes conference. So,
> y'know, as close as I can get to that within my means, that's
> what I'm going for. :)
> 

The "grey wall" came with VMS Version 5.  I believe that CD distribution 
began somewhere around version 5 also.  Version 5.5-2 or something like 
that would probably be the best choice.  I believe that lots of 
enhancements happened during version 5.???  I might have the old CDs. 
If you cannot find any let me know and I'll see about making a copy.