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15562 discussions

PDP-11 arch & OS ownership, was Re: [HECnet] NT 4 on AlphaServer es40

by bqt＠softjar.se

On 2013-02-12 02:08, Dave McGuire wrote: On 02/11/2013 08:00 PM, Brett Bump wrote: Mentec continued on for about 10 years, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke. However, during those 10 years (take or give a few), first DEC, then Compaq then HP continued to support and sell PDP-11 software, even though Mentec was the guys owning and developing. When Mentec Inc. did disappear, the software bits were bought out by another company. And that is where it sits today. If we could get HP to actually release the IP for this software, then maybe something hobbyist-like could happen, but as it sits right now, HP control bits and pieces, making it a very complex situation. I'm not sure if you can still contact HP and get a new license for RSX, but it might be. But getting anyone to legally release the stuff seems difficult. :-( It was a UK firm (Calyx). Peter Dick was going to see if he could find a contact there to untangle some of the mess. At least that was in our last discussions on the matter (and that was April 15, 2009). No word since then. I believe that after Calyx, XX2247 LLC (recognize that?) bought the rights. No other info on that yet. Hmm. I've never heard of Calyx before, but it might just be because I don't know all the details. Anyway, XX2247 LLC (thanks, I wrote ltd in my last mail) is the current owners. And that company is located in Colorado. 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

12 years, 4 months

NT 4 on AlphaServer es40

by bqt＠softjar.se

On 2013-02-12 02:00, Brett Bump wrote: On Tue, 12 Feb 2013, Johnny Billquist wrote: On 2013-02-12 01:26, Gregg Levine wrote: Hello! What happened to Mentec and the PDP-11 support after DEC made the silly decision to spin the division off? And yes you should. The PDP-10 was an interesting system and one lived for a long time in the basement of an MIT building during the middle 90s. Mentec continued on for about 10 years, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke. However, during those 10 years (take or give a few), first DEC, then Compaq then HP continued to support and sell PDP-11 software, even though Mentec was the guys owning and developing. When Mentec Inc. did disappear, the software bits were bought out by another company. And that is where it sits today. If we could get HP to actually release the IP for this software, then maybe something hobbyist-like could happen, but as it sits right now, HP control bits and pieces, making it a very complex situation. I'm not sure if you can still contact HP and get a new license for RSX, but it might be. But getting anyone to legally release the stuff seems difficult. :-( It was a UK firm (Calyx). Peter Dick was going to see if he could find a contact there to untangle some of the mess. At least that was in our last discussions on the matter (and that was April 15, 2009). No word since then. Uh... No... The Software was bought from what was left of Mentec by a company named xx2247 ltd. Located in Colorado. 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

12 years, 4 months

PDP-11 arch & OS ownership, was Re: [HECnet] NT 4 on AlphaServer es40

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On 02/11/2013 08:00 PM, Brett Bump wrote: Mentec continued on for about 10 years, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke. However, during those 10 years (take or give a few), first DEC, then Compaq then HP continued to support and sell PDP-11 software, even though Mentec was the guys owning and developing. When Mentec Inc. did disappear, the software bits were bought out by another company. And that is where it sits today. If we could get HP to actually release the IP for this software, then maybe something hobbyist-like could happen, but as it sits right now, HP control bits and pieces, making it a very complex situation. I'm not sure if you can still contact HP and get a new license for RSX, but it might be. But getting anyone to legally release the stuff seems difficult. :-( It was a UK firm (Calyx). Peter Dick was going to see if he could find a contact there to untangle some of the mess. At least that was in our last discussions on the matter (and that was April 15, 2009). No word since then. I believe that after Calyx, XX2247 LLC (recognize that?) bought the rights. No other info on that yet. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

12 years, 4 months

NT 4 on AlphaServer es40

by bbump＠rsts.org

On Tue, 12 Feb 2013, Johnny Billquist wrote: On 2013-02-12 01:26, Gregg Levine wrote: Hello! What happened to Mentec and the PDP-11 support after DEC made the silly decision to spin the division off? And yes you should. The PDP-10 was an interesting system and one lived for a long time in the basement of an MIT building during the middle 90s. Mentec continued on for about 10 years, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke. However, during those 10 years (take or give a few), first DEC, then Compaq then HP continued to support and sell PDP-11 software, even though Mentec was the guys owning and developing. When Mentec Inc. did disappear, the software bits were bought out by another company. And that is where it sits today. If we could get HP to actually release the IP for this software, then maybe something hobbyist-like could happen, but as it sits right now, HP control bits and pieces, making it a very complex situation. I'm not sure if you can still contact HP and get a new license for RSX, but it might be. But getting anyone to legally release the stuff seems difficult. :-( It was a UK firm (Calyx). Peter Dick was going to see if he could find a contact there to untangle some of the mess. At least that was in our last discussions on the matter (and that was April 15, 2009). No word since then. The PDP-10 wasn't just an "interesting system". It was the foundation of parts of the Internet, and was very prolific in the 70s, into the 80s. However, DEC totally failed to come up with a replacement to the KL-10, and eventually they instead decided that it was VAX only (even to the unhappy PDP-11 people, as Paul referred to). 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

12 years, 4 months

Tru64, was Re: [HECnet] NT 4 on AlphaServer es40

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On 02/11/2013 07:52 PM, Brett Bump wrote: The last time this came up, I was told on very good authority that Tru64 uses the same sort of license PAKs (for which I have a generator) that VMS uses. Again....I'll have to put these machines up on a console terminal server and you can have your way with them Dave. ;-) Unf!! B-) -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

12 years, 4 months

Tru64, was Re: [HECnet] NT 4 on AlphaServer es40

by bbump＠rsts.org

On Mon, 11 Feb 2013, Dave McGuire wrote: On 02/11/2013 07:29 PM, Cory Smelosky wrote: Now i've been reminded of that episode of Space Mall?errr Deep Space 9 where they green screened the characters in to that TOS episode... They did a tremendously good job on that. Does anyone happen to have a Tru64 license kit? I could use it for my ES40. ;) The last time this came up, I was told on very good authority that Tru64 uses the same sort of license PAKs (for which I have a generator) that VMS uses. Again....I'll have to put these machines up on a console terminal server and you can have your way with them Dave. ;-) -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

12 years, 4 months

NT 4 on AlphaServer es40

by bbump＠rsts.org

On Mon, 11 Feb 2013, Cory Smelosky wrote: Does anyone happen to have a Tru64 license kit? I could use it for my ES40. ;) Mine was a hobby kit, that did NOT come with any license. I never could figure that part out. I called Compaq for help and was pretty much told that it would cost more to do the support call than it was worth. So I have this nice little box of Tru64 Cd's that I could have ONLY run on my little AlphaStations, but no license. Now maybe you understand why all 5 of my Alphas have been sitting idle for years. Sad. :( Brett

12 years, 4 months

PDP-10s, was Re: [HECnet] NT 4 on AlphaServer es40

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On 02/11/2013 07:47 PM, Johnny Billquist wrote: A pair of KS10s. (you know the ones) What did you plan to run? I haven't gotten that far yet...kinda moot with no disks. ;) Is DECnet even possible if you run TOPS-20? I seem to remember MRC mumbling at one time about him having hacked that, but I'm not sure if it ever became officially supported or distributed. Tops-10 might work with DECnet, but then I also wonder over which interface, and if it do Phase IV...? I don't know, but I'm willing to do what I've gotta do...can run DDCMP lines to another machine, etc. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

12 years, 4 months

PDP-10s, was Re: [HECnet] NT 4 on AlphaServer es40

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On 02/11/2013 07:44 PM, Johnny Billquist wrote: The PDP-10 was an interesting system and one lived for a long time in the basement of an MIT building during the middle 90s. I could also say that everything that's going on is Dave's fault, but that would be too easy. I'm blaming it on Sampsa ignoring the tribble near him. That is most certainly NOT my fault; in fact there are two PDP-10s here that will be up and running (and on HECnet!) if someone can hook me up with some MASSBUS drives. What model? And sorry, any MASSBUS drives I might have access to are in Sweden... A pair of KS10s, There are real -10 hardware on HECnet, by the way. But I don't know if any DEC models are... Anyone? Sadly I'm pretty sure there aren't. The one machine I know of, which is real hardware is SOL::, and that is a System Concepts. Yes, a glorious machine. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

12 years, 4 months

PDP-10s, was Re: [HECnet] NT 4 on AlphaServer es40

by bqt＠softjar.se

On 2013-02-12 01:41, Dave McGuire wrote: On 02/12/2013 01:38 AM, Peter Lothberg wrote: The PDP-10 was an interesting system and one lived for a long time in the basement of an MIT building during the middle 90s. I could also say that everything that's going on is Dave's fault, but that would be too easy. I'm blaming it on Sampsa ignoring the tribble near him. That is most certainly NOT my fault; in fact there are two PDP-10s here that will be up and running (and on HECnet!) if someone can hook me up with some MASSBUS drives. What kind of PDP10? A pair of KS10s. (you know the ones) What did you plan to run? Is DECnet even possible if you run TOPS-20? I seem to remember MRC mumbling at one time about him having hacked that, but I'm not sure if it ever became officially supported or distributed. Tops-10 might work with DECnet, but then I also wonder over which interface, and if it do Phase IV...? 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

12 years, 4 months

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