[HECnet] VCF East

[Steve Davidson]

AGENA:: (19.11) is part of the STARS:: cluster.  All of the nodes have 
the names of stars.  Ask Dave (or Brian) what the message from 
SYLOGIN.COM said...  :-)

The DECserver-90TL was brought up by Brian and myself.  The 
DECserver-200 was brought up by Dave and myself after Dave was able to 
do a hardware reset on the unit.  Prior to that it was VERY confused.  
We spent a great deal of time trying to get files off the USB stick, in 
fact much more time than anything else.  The ISL configuration was easy 
(as usual with DEC).  The DECserver-90TL came right up - no issues.  
Everything was loaded from AGENA::.  Brian's machine was a "hot" backup 
should we have needed it.  The beauty of the 90TL was not only LAT but 
telnet.  Unfortunately we did not have time to make use of it.

Also...  I did manage to get our wireless link up long enough for both 
Dave and I to VMS/Phone Fred Coffee in Ohio.  The MACbook did the best 
job holding the link.  Far better than the Linux or Windows system could 
manage.  Next year it will be a dedicated NetBSD platform just like what 
I use in my DEClab to support the bridge.  I would like to experiment 
with using LAT just like we do today between my network and the rest of 
the backbone.  If the link is robust enough then MOM/MOP might also be a 
possibility.  Imagine... DECservers be loaded "remotely"!

-Steve

On 04/23/2015 10:11 PM, Gregg Levine wrote:
> Hello!
> Magic word is "Gack!". Now I place you. I asked Dave what was with the
> name on the Vax, and he confirmed it was yours. I wondered why it was
> named after a second stage booster back from our years of sending
> stuff into space, Think of the term, "Atlas-Agena" and you'll get my
> reasoning.
>
> Dave was that the one who finally brought up the terminal server?
> Oddly enough I have here three Model 90 terminal servers, but they are
> the L Plus ones.
> -----
> Gregg C Levine gregg.drwho8 at gmail.com
> "This signature fought the Time Wars, time and again."
>
>
> On Thu, Apr 23, 2015 at 9:50 PM, Steve Davidson <steve at davidson.net> wrote:
>>
>> On 04/23/2015 09:37 PM, Gregg Levine wrote:
>>> Hello!
>>> Holy Mackerel. Steve, I was there, and saw that island of Dec in a
>>> world of stuff. (Well one of many) . Which of the two were you again?
>>> I met the fellow who goes by the handle of Vaxman, but I'm guessing
>>> that you were the other fellow I spoke to who confirmed that
>>> everything was working after a fashion.
>>>
>>> I found the sequence of events concerning the terminal server as
>>> interesting. In fact as Dave will confirm, the VLC was the one who
>>> provided the boot sequence for the server.
>>>
>>> Dave told me what was going on as shown on the terminal screen I sat
>>> by, and then I said to one person, that it was complaining that it
>>> need certain files to do that, and the two PDP-11s were telling to
>>> "Fribble off! We don't have what you need." And I used an interesting
>>> term, when I inadvertently used a not-so nice word, and it was "Pardon
>>> my Andorian." where some of us would use, "Pardon my French.".
>>>
>>> I was the one wearing the leather jacket, and a name tag as "Doctor
>>> John Smith", and that I'd answer to "Doctor Who".
>>>
>>> In fact I actually did have fun.
>>>
>>> Cory as I said before, you missed a heck of a good time there.
>>>
>>> Next year, we'll need to do it again, and I'll spend more time, and
>>> perhaps contribute something to it.
>>> -----
>>> Gregg C Levine gregg.drwho8 at gmail.com
>>> "This signature fought the Time Wars, time and again."
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Apr 23, 2015 at 9:17 PM, Steve Davidson <steve at davidson.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>> All,
>>>>
>>>> For those who did not attend VCF East you missed a great time!  On
>>>> Saturday,
>>>> the keynote speaker was none other than Brian Kernighan. You really
>>>> missed a
>>>> treat - right Dave!
>>>>
>>>> Next year, I plan to bring even more stuff (not nearly as much as Dave
>>>> did)
>>>> but more than this year.  Dave's island of equipment included the
>>>> following:
>>>>
>>>> PDP-8
>>>> PDP-11/34
>>>> PDP-11/44
>>>> DECserver-200
>>>> multiple terminals
>>>> I'm sure I have forgotten something...
>>>>
>>>> I added:
>>>>
>>>> VAXstation 4000/60
>>>> DEChub-90 backplane with a DECserver-90TL and a 16-port DEChub
>>>> VT320
>>>> a gateway (actually bridge) machine to connect to HECnet only the link
>>>> was
>>>> pathetic
>>>>
>>>> Brian (aka VAXman) added:
>>>>
>>>> VAXstation 4000/30 (aka VLC)
>>>>
>>>> In addition to the "island" Dave had other "exhibits" that I will defer
>>>> to
>>>> Dave for discussion.
>>>>
>>>> Next year we NEED more stuff!  This is the official challenge to anyone
>>>> on
>>>> the East coast.  We want to see many more of you.  If is is DEC it is
>>>> needed.
>>>>
>>>> I would also like to personally add my thanks to Dave and Brian for
>>>> making
>>>> this such a treat.  Dave is nuts (in a good way) and very generous.
>>>> Brian
>>>> was there for me when my brain could not content with the sheer volume of
>>>> noise - helping me to configure the DECservers and dealing with my fat
>>>> fingering the keyboard and the license management facility (LMF).   For a
>>>> while we were Frick and Frack but we managed to get it together.  Thanks
>>>> guys!
>>>>
>>>> -Steve
>>>>
>>>>
>> Greg,
>>
>> I was the one who went from sleep sitting to sleep standing.  No glasses,
>> short hair (compared to both Dave and Brian).  I was working on the VAXen
>> and Brian was keeping me focused.  The images were on a thumb drive but
>> getting them to the VAX was an exercise to say the least.  Once they were on
>> AGENA:: (19.11) we were able to get MOM/MOP to do its thing.  I must confess
>> that I had to look up on the web no less how to configure ISL because
>> neither of us could think straight with all the noise.  I will be bringing
>> ear plugs or my noise cancelling headphone next year for sure.  :-)
>>
>> -Steve