HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: revtek@world.std.com (Jacques A Vanschouwen)
Subject: PowerDrive now available for Sun workstations
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Distribution: all
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 00:20:47 GMT


Revolution Technologies First To Unveil Transparent Low Cost
Disk Compression Software For SPARCr Workstation Users.

NATICK, Mass. -- January 4, 1993 -- Revolution Technologies (tm) today
introduced PowerDriveTM, a software product designed to transparently
increase the file storage capacity of SPARC workstations and servers.
With PowerDrive, users can store more files and applications at much
lower cost than purchasing additional disk drives.

+ DOUBLES DISK DRIVE STORAGE CAPACITY 

The PowerDrive product is intended for users who want to store additional
applications and files on their workstations than would typically fit.
With PowerDrive, files are compressed to 50% of their original size on
average. This significant reduction virtually doubles the drive's storage
capacity.

+ EASY INSTALLATION IN MINUTES

The PowerDrive software installs in minutes and allows the user to
immediately take advantage of the additional disk space. During
PowerDrive installation, existing files on the system are compressed
into the PowerDrive format -- making more room to store new files.
When a file bearing the PowerDrive format is accessed, it is
transparently decompressed for use by the user.  The PowerDrive
software is fully configurable and works easily with all file types
including text files, object files, and executables.

+ IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY

PowerDrive is available now for the Solaris 1.0 (SunOS 4.1.x) operating
system.  A version for Solaris 2.x will be available in March, 1993.
Revolution Technologies is offering a special introductory price of $99
until March 31, 1993. PowerDrive is available via anonymous FTP at
world.std.COM (192.74.137.5) in the directory pub/revtek.  Download
files powerdrive.tar and powerdrive.README.

PowerDrive can also be ordered by calling Revolution Technologies at
(508) 650-1490 or by sending a FAX request to (508) 655-8860.

Users can try out PowerDrive at no cost for 30 days by obtaining a demo
license from Revolution Technologies.

Revolution Technologies and PowerDrive are trademarks of Revolution
Technologies.  SPARC is a registered trademark of SPARC International, Inc.



Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons)
Subject: Re: Why is Sun abandoning SunOS4.1.3?
Organization: Inland Sea
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 93 16:15:19 GMT

kbibb@maui.qualcomm.com (Ken Bibb) writes:

>Why is it that DEC (at least locally) refuses to give a release date
>for OSF on Alpha then?  At this point, only VMS is supposed to be
>available on Alpha.  From what I understand, OSF will be available
>93Q3, but what about the old Ultrix vendors who are hosed?  Sounds
>like the same complaint that's being lodged against sun.

Perhaps DEC isn't sure how long the OSF-1 is going to take, and is being
honest?  Their original plans were to drop Ultrix and the MIPS line for
OSF-1 and the Alpha.  There was a huge hue and cry, and DEC changed
their plans.  No doubt redistributing the resources to cover this change
has messed up schedules.

Caveat -- nobody tells me what goes on inside DEC, I'm just guessing. . .
-- 
"When Dexter's on the Internet,    | "Make me taste like things I've never
 can Hell be far behind?"          |  tasted before!"  Mr Peanut to Candied
      scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us	   |  Bergen in `Caramel Knowledge'
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner)
Subject: Re: Sun's GUI and OS mistakes (was Re: LX and SUNOS 4.x)
Reply-To: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner)
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 92 18:40:48 GMT

In article <16017@auspex-gw.auspex.com> guy@Auspex.COM (Guy Harris) writes:
>Ruth Milner writes:
>>I used to use twm and X11R4 myself, but 
>>switched when I found that a) I couldn't answer people's questions, and b) a 
>>lot of commercial Sun apps don't work *quite* right in plain X.
>
>So did they work OK with:
>
>	1) the X11/NeWS server and "twm"?

Tried this for a while, the biggest problem was dismissing popups (which of
course came up without pins) without killing the primary application. This 
could just have been my ignorance and might have been avoidable with some
option in .twmrc, but there were other problems with the appearance and 
behavior of the windows etc.

>	2) the MIT X11R4 server and "olwm"?

Didn't try this one. It might have worked for problem b), but wouldn't have
helped with problem a) for OW3 NeWS-based apps that people here use.
-- 
Ruth Milner                          NRAO/VLA                  Socorro NM
Computing Division Head      rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu
From: lupe@ukw.uucp (Lupe Christoph)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: Re: Anyone out there successfully get a 14.4K m
Date: 21 Dec 92 03:38:09 GMT
Organization: cic

wang@cedar.nrl.navy.mil (Dennis Wang) writes:

>I have had no problems running Telebit 3000 modems on a Sun Sparc 1+.  I lock the
>interface speed to 19200 baud.  We run uucp over the modems as well.  No problems
>in over a year of daily usage.

Same here, first with a MultiTech V.32, now with a WorldBlazer.

This is not surprising, though. Sun's standard uucp uses 64 byte packets,
and only 3 can be outstanding at any time. This is well within the buffer
size of the usual fast modems.

Try running zmodem with it's capability to send much more data without
waiting for an ACK, or just cat a large file. You will be surprised!
-- 
| ...!unido!ukw!lupe  (German EUNet, "bang")     |  Disclaimer:            |
| lupe@ukw.UUCP       (German EUNet, domain)     |  This is an unofficial  |
| suninfo!alanya!lupe (Sun Germany)              |  opinion of Christoph & |
| Res non sunt complicanda praeter necessitatem. |  Imschweiler Consulting |
From: dansmith@Autodesk.COM (Daniel Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: Re: DEC RZ55 /etc/format.dat entry (still) needed
Date: 23 Dec 92 01:34:59 GMT
Organization: Autodesk Inc., Sausalito CA, USA

In <1992Dec22.152550.16666@spdcc.com> dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer) writes:

> In article <18216@autodesk.COM> dansmith@Autodesk.COM (Daniel Smith) writes:
> >> 	Anyone have this?  The DEC /etc/disktab entry is:
> >> rz55|RZ55|DEC RZ55 Winchester:\
> Well, we were doing this just yesterday under Solaris 2.1, and used the
> Ultrix disktab entry (most everything else is the "default"), only to find
> that the format program couldn't label the drive.  So I suggested just
> calling the drive a "SUN0327", and it formatted and labelled like a charm.

	I ended up using:

Current Disk = sd1: <CDC Wren IV 94171-344 cyl 1545 alt 2 hd 9 sec 46>

	I still don't know what type of drive it really is :-)  This
would still be useful information.

/dev/sd1c             299621       9  269650     0%    /usr/local

	Anyways, it's happy now (noisy, but happy). Thanks to those who wrote!

				Daniel
-- 
 dansmith@autodesk.com       daniel@world.std.com       dansmith@well.sf.ca.us
        Daniel Smith, Autodesk, Sausalito, California, (415) 332-2344 x 2580
c'mon over and do the twist / overdo it, and have a fit
love you so much, you make me sick /  c'mon over and do the twist  - Nirvana
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: rminnich@super.org (Ronald G Minnich)
Subject: Problem with Maxtor 696 scsi drive (XT-8760S)
Organization: Supercomputing Research Center (Bowie, MD)
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 12:47:28 GMT

I have a maxtor 696 drive, mod XT-8760S, series code 2, SN 0I06161537.
(advertised capacity is 760 MB).
This was purchased from Sun a while back. It has never really worked 
correctly. When the sun FE was called in he could get it working long 
enough so that he could get back out of the building and on the road,
at which point the drive would fail again. As things stand now you can not
put this drive on a scsi bus and do a probe-scsi command-- it hangs the
scsi bus. 

Anyone have any experience with this drive. Any thoughts on possible
misjumpering or whatever are welcome. We have two of these, both fail the 
same way. I have tried using a different shoebox, cable, etc. with no 
improvement. 

thanks in advance
ron
-- 
you want windows? I got windows. 4608 by 3600,    | rminnich@super.org
16 channels of sound, 4' by 6'. Fun.              | (301)-805-7451 or 7312
Most abused words: open, scaleable, [more later]  |
From: lupe@ukw.uucp (Lupe Christoph)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: Re: SS10 on-board SCSI: single-ended or differential?
Date: 21 Dec 92 04:14:32 GMT
Organization: cic

schneck@Physik.TU-Muenchen.DE (Bernhard Schneck) writes:

>I've got different statements from different people.  What is it?

Definitely single-ended. The SS10 was released before the DSBE
card was. I have attached a single-ended device to an SS10
and survived it (the device, too).
-- 
| ...!unido!ukw!lupe  (German EUNet, "bang")     |  Disclaimer:            |
| lupe@ukw.UUCP       (German EUNet, domain)     |  This is an unofficial  |
| suninfo!alanya!lupe (Sun Germany)              |  opinion of Christoph & |
| Res non sunt complicanda praeter necessitatem. |  Imschweiler Consulting |
From: guy@Auspex.COM (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: Re: Why is Sun abandoning SunOS4.1.3?
Date: 24 Dec 92 18:30:20 GMT
Organization: Auspex Systems, Santa Clara


 >>...because SunOS 4.1[.x] already *had* RFS support.
 >
 >...and they're taking it away again in 5.x :-)

Or, at least, not promising *not* to do so.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware,comp.sys.sun.admin
From: acb@Ziggy.csl.ncsu.edu (Andrew C. Burnette)
Subject: Re: need format.dat 
Keywords: disk seagate sun format.dat
Organization: North Carolina State University
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 16:01:39 GMT

Here is the short story......
call 1-800-555-1212(toll free) and ask for the 1-800 number of your favorite
disk manufacturer.  This is called information(1-800 style).

I have several numbers for Seagate listed in my rolodex,  and will list them.
You can figure out which one works for you.
Seagate .....1-800-468-3472  1-800-852-3475  (I have more,  but they
are for specific app-engineers)

Amongst the menu is a choice for technical support.  Last time I called,
they had the answer on hand.  They were even friendly and sent me a 'booklet'
listing current products and so forth.

Anyway,  If your manufacturer doesn't have a 1-800 number,  you may try your local
library(most  Universities have this one too) and get 'The Thomas Register'.
This series of Big GREEN books contains names,  addresses and phone numbers of
almost everyone doing [major] business in the US(excluding mom-and-pop shops).

Later, and good luck,
p.s.  This method works with Micropolis and other asst. manufacturers.
p.p.s.  with the proper info,  format.dat entries are not needed.  You'll
lose it next time you upgrade anyway.
-- 
******************************************************************************
Andrew C. Burnette  acb@ncsu.edu 
Electrical and Computer Engineering
From: aad@siemens.com. (Anthony Datri)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: Re: Sun's GUI and OS mistakes (was Re: LX and SUNOS 4.x)
Date: 21 Dec 92 14:44:30 GMT
Organization: Siemens Corp. Res., Inc.

>|> >What a bunch of lemmings. :-(

In my book, subscribing to *either* is lemmingness when there are plenty of
other toolkits out there.  When I want a button, I want just a button.  No
art-deco borders, no cheesy Jaws-in-3D effects, no fake shadows.

>|> I also prefer Open Look over Motif.

While it is notable that XView is available at a reasonable price, it's also
true that when I ported the XView3 code to Convex machines I found heaps of
bugs.  Tokens after #endifs.  Integers passed to routines that really wanted
pointers to integers.

>Motif comes from the Open Software Foundation.

They sell a toolkit that implements it and a window manager that uses it.

>Either source or binary form costs money.

I don't have a problem with it costing money, but I *do* have a problem with
it costing lots of money.

>OSF and Sun don't mix well,  since OSF was created by the BIG computer companies
>in response to Sun's market presence.

Sun and AT&T aren't "BIG"?

>Open Look (I assume the complaint is about the olwm window manager) is just
>X11R4 plus the XView libraries.

You've half-described "OpenWindows".  "Open Look", just like "Motif", is a
specification, not a product.

>that is just my experience.  Since XView is smaller

Ever build it from source?  There's quite a bit more of it than the OSF's
Motif toolkit's.  The libraries are bigger, too:

A third-party vendor's library of the OSF's toolkit:

-rwxr-xr-x  1 bin       1193984 Mar 18  1992 /local/scr/questwin/lib/X11/libXm.a*

XView as provided by Sun's OW3:

-rw-r--r--  1 root      1767570 Sep 26  1991 /usr/openwin/lib/libxview.a

>the executables such as olwm require 1/3 to 1/2 of the memory to run as mwm.
>Most folks I know don't have unlimited memory resources.

Run twm.

--

======================================================================8--<
From: beckman@moose.cs.indiana.edu (Peter Beckman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: HELP: Abort at PC 0xFFE97C0 on Sun 4/110
Date: 29 Dec 92 23:26:30 GMT
Organization: Computer Science, Indiana University

After powering down and moving a Sun 4/110 to a new location, the
machine will not boot.  I tried the obvious things (re-seating the
boards, connectors, even replacing the battery).  It _Seems_ to pass
the self test, and diagnostic, but stops and prints:

Se
Abort at PC 0xFFE97C0
>

on the monochrome monitor.  The "Se" is supposed to be the "Self test
completed" message.  The PC address is not always the same, but pretty
close (maybe a busy wait loop?).  Anyway, the keyboard is dead, and
nothing works.  The diagnostic LEDs indicate there is no problem, the
computer goes through the 21 test procedures, and then the "pulse" LED
blinks about 5 times, as if all is well, then all the LEDs go out, and
the error message above is displayed. The machine had not been power
cycled prior to moving for about 2 months.  I'm not sure that the
problem is due to the move.  ANY help would be appreciated.

-Pete beckman@cs.indiana.edu
From: root@think.com (Operator)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: Rack mount chassis for 3 1/2" disks
Date: 23 Dec 1992 12:57:31 GMT
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: grub.think.com


We are switching to 3 1/2" disks for our file servers but
have not found any good solutions for mounting them in
a rack. Does anyone know of a vendor selling a reasonable
chassis for 3 1/2" disks?

Sid Stuart

sid@think.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: rroux@netcom.com (Raymond Roux)
Subject: Help my IPC won't boot!
Summary: my IPC won't boot
Keywords: IPC
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 10:01:19 GMT

HELP!!!

When I turned on my IPC tonight I was greeted with a blank screen.
The machine beeped and the 4 keyboard lights flashed when I turned the
Power on (normal) and then after about 5 or 10 seconds the keyboard lights
flashed again and then... nothing.

I reseated all of the cables, but no change.  I attached a terminal to
ttya & ttyb to see if any error messages would print but got nothing.

I used the machine earlier in the day and things were OK, any ideas what
might have broke?

Thanks,

  Ray Roux

Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: bacon@mtu.edu (Jeff Bacon)
Subject: SS1 case BTU rating
Organization: Michigan Technological University
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 16:52:26 GMT

does anyone know just how many BTUs the inside of the SS1 pizza box is
rated for? (more specifically, how hot a drive can I put in there?)

alternatively, has anyone stuffed one of those new 1GB 3.5" drives in one
and survived the experience?

thanks
-bacon
--
= Jeffery Bacon       General Systems Hack, Michigan Technological University =
= bacon@mtu.edu       ph-(906)487-2197 fax-(906)487-2822    Printing is Evil. =
From: lupe@ukw.uucp (Lupe Christoph)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: Re: Why is Sun abandoning SunOS4.1.3?
Date: 29 Dec 92 08:45:42 GMT
Organization: cic

johnn@eskimo.com (John Navitsky) writes:

>As I recall, AT&T does not own Sun stock anymore.  As I recall, Sun & AT&T 
>split ways and AT&T sold Sun it's stock back.  

Not "back". AT&T sold at the NYSE. Made the stock fall like
a leaden duck.
-- 
| ...!unido!ukw!lupe  (German EUNet, "bang")     |  Disclaimer:            |
| lupe@ukw.UUCP       (German EUNet, domain)     |  This is an unofficial  |
| suninfo!alanya!lupe (Sun Germany)              |  opinion of Christoph & |
| Res non sunt complicanda praeter necessitatem. |  Imschweiler Consulting |
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: petekunz@iiic.ethz.ch (Peter John Kunz)
Subject: problems with sun3 and helios ram expansion
Originator: petekunz@d11
Organization: Dept. Informatik, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 00:39:40 GMT

howdy,

i installed a helios ram board with 8 megs simm ram in my sun 3/50.
when i start up, i only get 8 megs recognized ram. does the board 
override the onboard ram or shoul dthe total be 12 megs, 4 onboard and 8
expanded? might there be a jumper i'm missing?


tnx
-pete


-- 
Peter J. Kunz	Vogesenstr. 60	4106 Therwil	Switzerland
petekunz@iiic.ethz.ch	pkunz@amiga.physik.unizh.ch

Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: sandiway@research.nj.nec.com (Sandiway Fong)
Subject: Re: Projection devices
Originator: sandiway@gb
Reply-To: sandiway@research.nj.nec.com
Organization: NEC Research Institute
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 92 00:13:44 GMT


In article <BzMsnE.BBy@news.cecer.army.mil>, brooks@vinny.cecer.army.mil (Doug Brooks) writes:
|> In <4197@eastman.UUCP> nelson@that_machine.PPD.Kodak.COM (Bruce D. Nelson) writes:
|> 
|> >I am looking for information on devices to (1) hook up the output
|> >of a Sun (or preferably any vendor's) workstation to an existing
|> >SONY videoprojector setup or (2) find compatible LCD-type projection
|> >devices which fit on overhead projectors.
|> 
|> I've just recently evaluated a product from a company called 'In Focus'
|> systems.  They have a color LCD projection panel with a resolution of
|> 1024x768 that can attach directly to a Sun workstation.  Though this
|> isn't quite up to the resolution of the Suns, which is 1152x900, it
|> is close enough for what I need.

We have one of these (InFocus 7600WS). I used it with a Britelite IPX on a
recent trip to Japan.  Very portable, weighs less than 10lbs. However, there
are a few caveats you should be aware of:

(1) It's passive matrix. Contrast is much poorer than resolutionactive matrix panels.
    Colors are not bad, but not as good as active matrix panels.

(2) Also because of (1), it's hard to keep track of the cursor. Doesn't
    refresh fast enough to do video.

(3) It soaks up a *lot* of light. You need a very strong overhead projector +
    a high-gain screen to get good output. These are not always available at
    demo sites.

(4) It's not full 1152x900 resolution. 

If you don't need the XGA resolution, my advice would be to go for a VGA
resolution (640x480) active matrix panel. 

If you need higher than VGA, then this panel is the only game in town, unless
you can wait a bit longer...

Sandiway

---
Dr. Sandiway Fong
NEC Research Institute Inc.
4 Independence Way
Princeton NJ 08540

(609) 951-2733
(609) 951-2482 (FAX)



Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From:  ()
Subject: Re: Why is Sun abandoning SunOS4.1.3?
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 18:18:56 GMT
Reply-To:  ()
Organization: Apple Computer Inc.
X-Newsreader: InterCon TCP/Connect II 1.1b19

In article <1h146dINNs4q@almaak.usc.edu>, ajayshah@almaak.usc.edu (Ajay Shah) 
writes:
> From: ajayshah@almaak.usc.edu (Ajay Shah) 
> Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware 
> Subject: Re: Why is Sun abandoning SunOS4.1.3? 
> Date: 19 Dec 1992 22:34:53 -0800 
> Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 
> 
> epc1@quads.uchicago.edu (Merlin) writes: 
> 
> >Now, Sun is abandoning SunOS!!!  The question IS NOT why don't vendors 
> >port their apps but WHY can't I run my old apps on new, faster 
> >hardware? 
> 
> To be fair, Solaris 2 does include a backwards compatibility mode 
> which takes care of a lot of applications software. 
> 
> Things like device drivers won't work for sure. 
> 
> >proprietary software and OS's.  Now, they're telling everyone to 
> >abandon their old knowledge and apps for a new OS.  What does Solaris 
> 
> It's not "a new OS".  It's just a new flavour of Unix.  Most users will 
> see little to nothing different.  Sysadmins will see serious 
> gains (at the price of having to add new knowledge). 

That last bit about admin becoming simpler is a Sun marketing myth.  SVR4 
makes administering a single machine simpler for a naive user who doesn't 
need networking.  NIS+ is an incremental improvement over YP.  Shifting from 
lpr to lp is a major step backward in reliability, and adds marginal amounts 
of new functionality.  Unbundling commonly used bsd-isms like rsh, rlogin, 
rcp, etcetera is a major inconvenience for users and does not improve 
functionality.  Adding RFS support is not an improvement, and the shift from 
mount semantics to share semantics is not an improvement.

I may be somehwat partisan of course - I've been supporting both BSD and 
System 5 since 1985, and SVRx machines have been consistently a pain.  But 
the new conventions will make a Sun look much more like a Dos box; ie, 
arcane, underpowered, and a nightmare to upgrade.  Perhaps they'll gain 
enough by the fact that its a familiar sort of pain...

But I'm sorry, as someone who has been an admin for a long time, SVR4 does 
NOT make my job easier.  I and many other people have been telling Sun this 
for several years.  However, AT&T owning 20% of Sun stock seems to carry a 
lot more weight with SunSoft than customers who are perfectly willing to buy 
hardware from other vendors.

RichardT
Network Archeologist


RichardT
Network Archeologist
Apple Computer, Inc