[HECnet] All gone silent

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2021-08-16 23:53, Dave McGuire wrote:
> On 8/16/21 5:45 PM, Johnny Billquist wrote:
>> On 2021-08-16 23:44, Dave McGuire wrote:
>>> On 8/16/21 5:41 PM, Johnny Billquist wrote:
>>>>>> However, should get to Uppsala to see MAGICA:: (real 11/70) and
>>>>>> KRILLE::
>>>>>> (real VAX-8650) before they get dismantled.
>>>>>
>>>>>      I'm sorry, what?  DISMANTLED??
>>>>
>>>> Update is scheduled to be evicted from the current location. As Update
>>>> have a *lot* of stuff, currently at the University, gracefully sponsored
>>>> until now by them, we need to find a new place to be, and the University
>>>> does not appear to be it.
>>>>
>>>> We will most likely not be able to keep everything we have, and larger
>>>> systems will be hard to keep in a running state, so best kind of
>>>> scenario might look like they get kept in storage. But we'll have to
>>>> disconnect and dismantle everything for now, as it for sure will have to
>>>> be moved out.
>>>>
>>>> Not entirely sure about the time plan yet. Most likely spring 2022.
>>>
>>>     That is absolutely awful.  Being at the mercy of another organization
>>> sucks.
>>>
>>>     It's a long shot, but LSSM may be able to get enough donor support to
>>> pay to ocean-freight those machines here, if they would otherwise be at
>>> risk.  We were very successful at this in the past, with a shipping
>>> container full of IBM mainframes from Amsterdam.
>>
>> Worth keeping in mind perhaps, but I think there are a whole bunch of
>> people and organizations that will be interested if we need to start
>> giving things away...
> 
>    No doubt.  But I think those that aren't peoples' houses will likely
> be in the same boat as Update, i.e. dependent upon the good graces of an
> organization that may withdraw support at any time.  That's a tough
> problem to solve.  Just keep it in mind.  I know of NO other complete
> VAX 8650s anywhere else.

Yeah. I don't know of any other operational 8650s either. We have two, 
but the second one have a couple of things (well, just one - the fan) 
that would need fixing to run it.

But who is not dependent on the good graces of others?

   Johnny

-- 
Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se             ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol