[Info-vax] Unix on A DEC Vax?

[haziz]

On Wednesday, January 16, 2013 1:12:25 PM UTC-5, John Wallace wrote:
> On Jan 16, 5:00 pm, haziz <hsa... at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > I just picked up a DEC Vaxstation 90 with a built in CDROM and an auxiliary SCSI storage module with tape drive. I believe it is functional although I cannot test it yet since I still do not have a working terminal or monitor. I can get a VT-520 terminal and keyboard and will also try to resurrect a separate now defunct Radius monitor with the BNC connectors and I believe the ability to Sync on Green (somebody unfortunately tried to convert that monitor to a standard VGA connection and butchered it in the process). I am fairly comfortable with Linux and have played around a little with FreeBSD and Solaris in the past. I have never used VMS in the past. This is the first time I am working with a Vax computer.
> 
> >
> 
> > I have a few questions:
> 
> >
> 
> > Which Unix version to install on the Vax? Original UC Berkeley BSD Unix? OpenBSD? NetBSD? Ultrix if I can get a legal copy? AT&T Unix? For emotional reasons I may prefer to install some version of the original UC Berkeley BSD (1980s Bill Joy/Marshall Kirk McKusick Era), but will go with whichever is easier to install, the machine is newer (production started 1991) than the original BSD Unix versions. I would call it nostalgia except I never did use the original BSD Unix. Another consideration would be some version of AT&T Unix if it will run.
> 
> >
> 
> > Is there a version of FreeBSD for the Vax?
> 
> >
> 
> > If there is a functional VMS install on the machine's 4 hard drives (2 each in the machine and the auxilliary SCSI storage module), is there a way to dual boot between Unix and VMS?
> 
> >
> 
> > I presume that I can get some verison of Emacs running on this system, it does not have to be recent. While Vi may be more historically correct on this machine I much prefer emacs.
> 
> >
> 
> > Any suggestions or ideas?
> 
> >
> 
> > My cell phone probably has significantly more computing power and far more memory and storage than this "minicomputer", I am approaching this as a hobbyist. I hope to use the system to explore BSD Unix (and possibly AT&T Unix) further and do some C programming on it. I anticipate to be working purely from the command line. I may explore VMS also at some point.
> 
> >
> 
> > Thanks.
> 
> 
> 
> Welcome to comp.os.vms and to the world of VAX.
> 
> 
> 
> Depending on the quantity and quality of replies you get here, you
> 
> *might* want to ask the UNIXy questions in comp.sys.dec, though I
> 
> suspect there is much overlap between readers of the two. Please treat
> 
> what follows here as purely an interim answer till someone clued up
> 
> with respect to *BSD on VAX comes along. Also, there are mailing list
> 
> archives for *BSD  which may shed more light on the subject too.
> 
> 
> 
> Presumably VAXstation Model 90 is VAXstation 4000 model 90? A nice
> 
> machine, as VAXstations go. Once upon a time, LINUX/VAX (kernel 2,4)
> 
> had support for the VAXstaion 4000 model 60, which is quite a close
> 
> relative. Close enough to work? Don't know. (Source:
> 
> http://linux-vax.sourceforge.net/newfaq/linux_vax-1.html)
> 
> 
> 
> A quick web search suggests that various VAX Ultrixes up to and
> 
> including 4.5 are in use in "the hobbyist community". Legality is
> 
> another discussion.
> 
> 
> 
> Dual booting with VMS should be OK (give or take maybe some
> 
> awkwardness with the time of year clock???). Note though that the
> 
> worlds will be separate; disks will be usable *either* as VMS disks
> 
> under VMS *or* as Ultrix/UFS disks (etc). But afaik VMS cannot readily
> 
> read UFS. Can a UNIX read a VMS-formatted disk? Possibly (a mere
> 
> matter of programming, just like programming a VMS utility to read a
> 
> UFS disk).
> 
> 
> 
> If your cellphone is an Android cellphone, you can run SIMH on it.
> 
> SIMH is a well respected freeware emulator hostable on various
> 
> platforms which can emulate various VAXes and machines of several
> 
> other architectures too. So, you can emulate a VAX inside SIMH in your
> 
> cellphone . Various folks have done and documented this, e.g.
> 
> http://worldofvax.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/compiling-simh-emulators-for-android.html
> 
> If you don't want to compile your own SIMH on Android, $5 or so gets
> 
> you a prebuilt one from the Marketplace. SIMH is free, your $5 gets
> 
> you a commercial terminal emulator bundled with SIMH.
> 
> 
> 
> That's your interim answer. Now over to the rest of the community for
> 
> proper answers.
> 
> 
> 
> Have a lot of fun.

Yes it is a DEC Vaxstation 4000 model 90.