[Info-vax] VRT19-HA on Alpha?

[Phillip Helbig undress to reply]

In article <28f172e3-e713-450e-8e49-1a93d6cf675bo at googlegroups.com>,
johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk writes: 

> > It was a great monitor for VAX and the 3000 Alpha.  I'll keep it in case 
> > I ever use those again.  Would make a great "X-terminal" for having 
> > several windows to log in elsewhere.
> 
> A display resolution limited to (and fixed at) 1280x1024 would 
> not be part of many people's definition of "great X-terminal",
> even if it could be made to work with readily available hardware.

> Or if reuse of the VRT19 is essential, maybe a VAXstation with 
> VRT19-compatible graphics hardware and with the EWS software???

Yes, I was thinking of a VAXstation, whichis why I put "great
X-terminal" in quotes.  I have some 4000/60 and 4000/90 models and even
a 4000/90A.  I've switched them off because I need more modern TCPIP and
faster networks and disks, as well as a few features which go beyond
7.3-2.  Some of them I ran for almost 15 years, and they were almost 10
years old when I got them.  Small, quiet, low power consumption, fast
(for a VAX), easy to work on, lightweight---in short, ideal machines. 

Unfortunately, due to lack of VAX hobbyist licenses, that is probably no 
longer an option.  (Fortunately I actually bought some Alpha licenses 
and still have them on paper.)  Unless I manage to buy a VAX license 
(which I assume is still possible, but might be overkill for just this 
use), then using the VAX and VRT19 in this way is probably a dead end.

> That way you might even get to keep LK-style keyboards too.

Right; the main reason is to keep the LK-style keyboard, in addition to 
putting the VAX and VRT19-HA to good use.

> Further reading: look up VT1300.

I actually have one, literally sitting behind me as I write this.  I've 
never actually used it.

At the moment, it's not a pressing need.  I'm thinking of a possible 
future situation where I might work somewhere other than at home, but 
for various reasons don't want to set up an Alpha or x86 VMS machine, 
much less a cluster, there, but do want a nice monitor and have access 
to a network.

Can a VT1300 boot from an Alpha?  (I'm assuming that, like an 
X-terminal, it does some sort of network boot.)

> Something like a Raspberry Pi and a decent HDTV display might be
> a better fit if a low cost windowing X-terminal is required.

But probably no LK-style keyboards.