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From: mark@intek01.uucp (Mark McWiggins)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.sysv386
Subject: Cheap or free auto-shutdown setup (was: Reliability Sys V file sys)
Message-ID: <1990Sep29.220137.6550@intek01.uucp>
Date: 29 Sep 90 22:01:37 GMT
Organization: Integration Technologies, Inc. (Intek)
Lines: 21

rdc30med@nmrdc1.nmrdc.nnmc.navy.mil (LCDR Michael E. Dobson) writes:
[about a $250 autoshutdown monitor]

Don't know why I didn't think of this sooner, but wouldn't a 300 bps
external modem work just as well?  Send 'AT' every 30 seconds or so and wait 
for 'OK' ... You should be able to get one of these modems really cheap at a 
swap meet, or perhaps lying around for free.  If all else fails, new 300/1200
externals go for $75 or less via Computer Shopper.

This scheme would of course also work with any other doodad (program running
on a nearby PC?) that has a separate non-protected power supply and knows how
to respond to commands via a serial port.  Can't think of anything that would
be as cheap as an old modem, but am open to suggestion on that.

The shell script to listen on the port and do the shutdown seems trivial;
I'll post a copy of mine when I get it done, unless somebody beats me to it.
-- 
Mark McWiggins			Integration Technologies, Inc. (Intek)
+1 206 455 9935			DISCLAIMER:  I could be wrong ...
1400 112th Ave SE #202		Bellevue WA  98004
mark@intek.com    		Ask me about C++!