GENUNIX

For the moment the DEC AlphaStation 600 is sitting on top of an old Sun FCAL array. Both are heavy. Connected with a nice fat SCSI cable to a Sun Storage SCSI disk array with four disks in there. One of them has Tru64 UNIX and another has OpenBSD. Both boot and run but I only have zero clue what to do with the Tru64 stuff. It boots and sits there. 1699193 Mar 2 14:29 DEC_AlphaStation_600_1024x1024.png

I ordered a whole pile of memory modules. At the moment I have some 16MB parts in there. Enough for 128MB of memory total. Just barely enough to do tests and get OpenBSD running. Not enough to make it run anything really useful. I did try to compile OpenSSL and ran out of memory. Yup. I need memory. All that I can get. 1216535 Mar 2 14:21 DEC_Alpha_DRAM_module_part_number.jpg

dumb idea :
If I could find an old paper terminal I would just love to watch it spit out fan fold paper. The DEC LA120 was a joy to use back in the 1980s. Compared to punch cards it was luxury! Also it was easy to go dumpster diving into the terminal room trash can to see what others were doing. 317049 Mar 2 14:21 DEC_LA120-1_terminal.jpg Yes I played Crowthers Collossal CAVE on that terminal. I had that running on a HoneyWell CP6/DPS8 mainframe and the only editor I had for the FORTRAN sources was something almost like "ed". Almost.

Good News ... The new memory arrived!
There was joy and singing when the 32MB memory parts finally arrived. 32MB_mem_for_DEC_Alpha.png The really safe way to proceed with this old machine would be to only replace the existing 16MB modules. In the exact same physical locations. That gives me the confidence that the memory hardware works and the variable is the new memory. Close inspection of the memory shows evidence that it is all used. Gently. It took me a solid ninety minutes to get just eight of the new 32MB memory modules installed. Mostly because I was going very slowly and gently with a cautious hand to not bend or snap anything. Spare parts are not just on the shelf anywhere! The results look fantastic :
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Memory Size = 256Mb

Bank      Size/Sets   Base Addr     Speed
------    ----------  ---------     -----
00        256Mb/2     000000000     Fast


BCache Size = 2Mb

Tested Memory =  256Mbytes

PCI Bus
     Bus 00  Slot 07: Digital ZLXp Graphics Controller


     Bus 00  Slot 08: DECchip 21050 PCI to PCI Bridge

     Bus 01  Slot 00: DECchip 21040 Network Controller
                            ewa0.0.0.1000.0       08-00-2B-E7-D4-57

     Bus 01  Slot 01: ISP1020 Scsi Controller
                            pka0.7.0.1001.0       SCSI Bus ID 7
                            dka500.5.0.1001.0      RRD45

     Bus 01  Slot 02: ISP1020 Scsi Controller
                            pkb0.7.0.1002.0       SCSI Bus ID 7
                            dkb100.1.0.1002.0      SEAGATE ST336704LSUN
                            dkb200.2.0.1002.0      SEAGATE ST336704LSUN
                            dkb300.3.0.1002.0      SEAGATE ST336704LSUN
                            dkb400.4.0.1002.0      SEAGATE ST318404LSUN

     Bus 00  Slot 10: Intel   8275EB PCI to Eisa Bridge



EISA Bus Modules (installed)

EISA/ISA NVR configuration
        SLOT    Module
         1      ISA2000

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was able to boot OpenBSD and run a few trivial tests that push some memory pages around. Up until the machine began swapping. No need to go further. I am willing to accept that these first eight modules are working. Today I shall try to fill in all of the memory slots and then do some tests while getting a power load measurment. Maybe new cooling fans are a good idea? Thankfully someone else has been there and done that and they deserve the tee-shirt : Digital AlphaStation 250 4/266 I may need to look closely at that mans work.

Someday I may get my hands on something really old but for now the circa 1997 DEC AlphaStation 600 is the cool old machine. I also have a fully working HP Kayak XU from 1998 and that thing is a dual Pentium II unit with multiple SCSI controllers and 768MB of ram. It runs FreeBSD just fine. Who knows what the future holds? More legends of the past : 1448999 Mar 2 14:21 DEC_PDP8_der_blinken_lights.png Just watch the blinken lights and keep yer filthy hands in your pockets! Dennis Clarke

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