[Info-vax] Unix on A DEC Vax?

[ChrisQ]

On 01/16/13 19:51, glen herrmannsfeldt wrote:
> haziz<hsaziz 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.
>
> (snip)
>
>> Which Unix version to install on the Vax? Original UC Berkeley
>> BSD Unix? OpenBSD? NetBSD?
>
> I recommend NetBSD. I once had it on a uVAX 3100/30 on the way
> to installing VMS. It installs very easily.
>
> -- glen

I would second that. I had netbsd running on a microvax years ago and it
installed easily, once I had found a way to create a tz50 tape to
boot from. I think this was v1.x something and the networking was a bit
flaky, but it was usable. Graphics support was, iirc, non existent at the
time due to the lack of hardware info from dec, but there's a lot of work
been done in the meantime and several graphics options are now supported.
Check out the netbsd website and subscribe to the mailing list to get up to
speed. It was quite stable, even back then and the vax port mailing list
was very active.

That's probably the only option, unless you can get ultrix to boot...

Regards,

Chris