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From: kalisiak@acsu.buffalo.edu (christophe m kalisiak)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: Re: PDP-11's
Message-ID: <68069@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>
Date: 1 Apr 91 04:32:58 GMT
References: <1991Mar31.192145.11333@jyu.fi>
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In article <1991Mar31.192145.11333@jyu.fi> setala@jyu.fi (Saku Setala) writes:
>
>  Nice to see that there's still so much PDP-11's in
>  (hobbyist) use. We have also one PDP-11/23 Plus running
>  in our cellar (with 2 Megabytes of RAM, four RL02-drives
>  and fourteen RS-lines). It's currently running RSX-11M 
>  (V4.1 BL35). 

Personally, I prefer PDP-11's over PC's any day, especially if
the PDP is running RSX...

>Naturally we are interested about any
>  PD or alike software we can find for it. So is there any kind
>  of DECUS-server in net containing any RSX or RT-11
>  stuff ? 

You can find DECUS software anonymously on the FTP site mvb.saic.com
under the directories [.f90.lt90b1.rsx90b] and [.s90.vax90a.xrsx90a].

>At least here in Finland, prices of local
>  Decus are too much for us, and as our machine has
>  neither magtape unit nor floppy-drives, it's impossible
>  to order from them.

Buying DECUS software is generally too expensive to bother with...

>    I have also heard that it's possible to get SCSI-controllers
>  to PDP-11's but is it possible for this model (23 plus), which
>  has "Extended 22-bit LSI-bus" instead of Unibus ?
>  And is there any software support in RSX-11 for SCSI-disks ?
>  (I think RL02's are consuming too much electricity for
>  that 10 MB capacity).

SCSI controllers are more available to Q-Bus than Unibus. The
problem with any SCSI controllers is the cost. They go for anywhere
between $800 and $2000 (actually, I havn't looked recently, but
I know they are out of my price range...). There is software support
for them just so long as the controller manufacturer develops the 
board to be compatible with a given driver. The most common is
MSCP (mnemonic = DU). I don't know if your V4.1 will support it,
though... You can probably find a SCSI controller to work under an
older driver.

>    I'm also interested to get any newer operating system,
>  like RSX-11M-Plus or some version of Unix (V.? or BSD 2.?),
>  but do they (unix) run on this model, which doesn't have separate
>  I- and D-space ?

Good luck. I havn't been able to find anyone willing to give away
Unix of any sort. 

>  Our PDP-11/23+ (called Elukka) is answering in number
>  +358-0-701-666-0 with USRobo Courier HST Dual Standard
>  (V.22-V.32, 8-N-1 24H). We welcome all guest users.

Does your system have any sort of 'bulletin board' software? If
so, please respond via e-mail. I have been attempting to find someone
with a 'bulletin' utility for RSX for quite some time.


Thanks,
Chris Kalisiak
V076N3W7@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu
kalisiak@acsu.buffalo.edu