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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!grkermit!masscomp!paul
From: paul@masscomp.UUCP (Paul Cantrell)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: HELP me access a VAX CPU serial number from UNIX
Message-ID: <166@masscomp.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 7-Jan-84 15:33:42 EST
Article-I.D.: masscomp.166
Posted: Sat Jan  7 15:33:42 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Jan-84 01:25:25 EST
References: <135@cubsvax.UUCP> <1182@watcgl.UUCP>
Organization: MASSCOMP, Littleton, MA
Lines: 12

Sorry, but the CPU serial number on the 750 is rather useless,
because DEC changed the fields to be revision levels of the
hardware/firmware. While at DEC we had several software houses
complain because their programs would check the serial number
on a given machine, DEC would upgrade the machine, and the program
would now miscompare on the serial number register. I talked with
a friend who is a VAX microcoder, and together we realized that the
only serial number on the 750 is the label in the back of the cabinet.
Alas, we could devise no method to read this from a program.

				PC @ MASSCOMP