HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: fontana@apache.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mark Fontana)
Subject: Writing to audio port w/o using /dev/audio
Organization: The Ohio State University Dept. of Computer and Info. Science
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 18:48:39 GMT



Here at Ohio State we have labs full of Sun ELC's, each configured
such that /dev/audio is writable only by root, to conserve disk space
and prevent unnecessary bloops and bleeps in the labs.

Last spring someone demonstrated a program to me that produced various
synthesized tones based upon a user-specified function.  Now that I think
of it, this program must have somehow written to the audio port
directly, as the /dev/audio restrictions were also in effect at that time.

Has anyone heard of such a program?  I'd like to know how this was done.
(No devious intentions; I've been writing software for our Sun tape
drives and such using the mtio functions and ioctl(), and thought that
ioctl() might have something to do with it... "How'd they do that?" :-)


Mark Fontana

Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: harthc@ntmtv.UUCP (Howard Hart)
Subject: Re: SPARCClassic
Organization: Northern Telecom Inc, Mountain View, CA
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 19:43:22 GMT

In article <1dpbvnINN1j5@almaak.usc.edu>, ajayshah@almaak.usc.edu (Ajay Shah) writes:
|> harthc@ntmtv.UUCP (Howard Hart) writes:
|> 
|> The price is $4k "in qtys of 12+".  Does that mean the list price
|> is $4.5k or so?  What would the academic price be?  ($4k with 40% off
|> would be quite attractive at $2400).
|> 

They're listing at $4.3K in qtys of 1. Who knows how they'll play
the academic market. Probably at least as cheap as the qty 
discount, maybe even cheaper.

|> I don't like the 15" color screen -- would have far preferred a bigger
|> mono screen.  I do nothing with colour :-(
|> Is there a 17+" mono option to replace the 15"?  (Is the ELC still
|> what it used to be?)
|> 

They didn't say anything about mono in their product announcement.
The 15" screen is 1024x768 (could even be a NEC, for all I know).
Sounds like they're going head-to-head against the Intel 486 market.

|> Is Solaris 2 now standard with all these systems?
|> 

Only run Solaris 2.x. Our internal tools developers are still 
avoiding the question, but it only stands to reason that
Sun was going to push everyone onto Solaris whether they liked
it or not--it was just a matter of time. I guessed 6 months
from the intro--wasn't far off. It's going to be a hard sell
to management to continue to buy ELC's at twice the price just
to support internal software. I'm sure we're not the only outfit
in the same boat.

-- 
Howard Hart		UUCP:{ames,pyramid!amdahl,hplabs}!ntmtv!harthc
System Administrator	INTERNET: ntmtv!harthc@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Northern Telecom	PHONE: (415) 940-2680
Mt. View, CA
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: craven@cg.emr.ca (Jim Craven)
Subject: Re: SPARCclassic vs. 486 (Was Re: SPARCClas
Reply-To: craven@cg.emr.ca
Organization: Dept. of Energy, Mines & Resources, Canada
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 14:45:41 GMT

In article 5118@ncsu.edu, acb@Ziggy.csl.ncsu.edu (Andrew C. Burnette) writes:
>Geeze.  You're comparing a computer to a PC?  gimme a break.
>No comparison needed.  Then again,  I could have an error in my extended
>memory,  or expanded(whatever that pc garbage is),  or god forbid,  
>one of my expansion cards.
>-- 
>******************************************************************************
>Andrew C. Burnette  acb@ncsu.edu 
>Computer Systems Laboratory 
>

One does not have to run DOS on the pc...one can fire up any number of unix flavours
on it, including Solaris.

Jim
---
Love is like the ozone layer,            |Jim Craven (craven@cg.emr.ca)|
   You don't miss it until it's gone.    |Geological Survey of Canada  |
        ---Frank Drebbin, Police Squad   |1 Observatory Cres., Ottawa  |
-----------------------------------------|K1A 0Y3 (613) 996-9935-------|

Xref: sparky comp.sys.sun.hardware:5461 comp.sys.sun.admin:8132
From: ajayshah@almaak.usc.edu (Ajay Shah)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware,comp.sys.sun.admin
Subject: Re: What is the best working temperature for workstations?
Date: 10 Nov 1992 21:41:35 -0800
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: almaak.usc.edu

jypai@ccnext.csie.nctu.edu.tw writes:

>My point is that raise the temperature up to 25 degree C (72 F) is good for
>1. human body health
>2. saving energy.

Low temperatures increase the basal metabolic rate, hence burning
fat and generally making the human machine chug a bit.  Better for
health than "comfortable" temperatures.

I grew up in a age where the cold glass houses were the only homes
of computers.  So the chill of a computer room comes with psychological
associations :-)   If it's room temperature I don't quite get the
same thrill.

But what _is_ a good technical answer to the question of what (say)
28 C does to a Sun workstation?

Thanks,

        -ans.
-- 
Ajay Shah, (213)749-8133, ajayshah@usc.edu
From: dsc@seismo.CSS.GOV (David S. Comay)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: Re: SPARCClassic
Date: 13 Nov 92 17:53:55 GMT
Organization: Center for Seismic Studies, Arlington, VA
Originator: dsc@beno.CSS.GOV


In article <1992Nov12.213143.1454@boole.uucp>, NetCmmnd@boole.uucp (System Administrator) writes:
|
|> I know that MIPS is about the sloppiest term around, but what
|> can they possible mean when they use it here?

according to the datasheet i saw for the classic & the lx, the mips number of 59.1 is dhrystone 1.1 (not 2.0!) mips - still, a meaningless indicator of processor speed ...

dsc
From: nt05+@andrew.cmu.edu (Nico Tjandra)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: Re: SPARCclassic
Date: 11 Nov 92 09:55:28 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.Yf0KIku00WB7E_snNN
Organization: Doctoral student, Physics, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Hi,
    This is in reply to all of the discussion going around about the new
Tsunami machines. I just saw the Sparcclassic and the configuration that
they were showing on campus was 15' color monitor, 207MB HD, 16MB
memory, keyboard,mouse,etc for $3364 with 400MB HD is for $3770 Floppy
drive is optional for about another $100 (NO GX- it is an option), this
is with educational discount. SparcLX will be around $7500 plus some
educational discount which the sales rep. was not willing to disclose,
because "pricing was not fixed yet!!". However I saw an interesting fine
print on the brochure for these new machines " Upgrades are available
for Sparc 1, 1+, SLC, IPC, ELC, SUN-3, and Sun386i. BTW the system that
they were showing was a SPARCLX with 400MD HD and 24 MB memory running
Solaris 2.1 and openwindows3.0. The system was pretty snappy (running
Frame and CAD) for somebody like me who are used to SPARC2 machine. They
also had one of the machine opened. It is amazing what they can fit into
a small space nowadays.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: books@fsunuc.physics.fsu.edu (Roger Books)
Subject: Re: SPARCclassic vs. 486 (Was Re: SPARCClassic (and other Sun announcments))
Organization: FSU nuclear physics
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 13:34:40 GMT

johnn@eskimo.celestial.com (John Navitsky) writes:

>  Gateway 2000 66MHz 486DX2 EISA*     Sun SPARCclassic
>  66MHz Intel 486 ("double clocked")  50MHz TI microSPARC
>  8MB RAM                             16MB RAM using 16MB sims (to 96MB)

   +$50 to gateway

>  340MB SCSI disk                     207MB SCSI-2 (to 22GB)

					+70 to Sun
					(If you count SCSI-2 as $0.00)

>  ??                                  8 bit audio

   +$80.

>  not included                        twisted pair ethernet (10mb/sec)

   +$130

>  2 serial ports                      2 serial ports
>  1 parallel port                     1 parallel port
>  ?xEISA slots (32MB/sec)             2xSBus slots (100MB/sec)

Have to make your own judgement on this one.

>  16bit SVGA w/1MB                    8 bit color, 1024x768 or 1152x900
>  14" CrystalScan                     15" color 1024x768, 76Hz refresh, 
100dpi

   +$70

>  5.25" & 3.5" floppys                3.5" optional

					+$100  (I know, no 5 1/4)

>  DOS 5.0                             Solaris 2.1

   How much is Unix worth to you?

>  MS-Windows 3.1                      Open Windows 3

  How much is a decent windowing system worth to you?

>  Choice of application               not included 

??

>  Tower case                          IPC style box
>                                      64bit memory bus
>  $3,995                              $4,295

    +$350				+$170
  
Total $4,345				$4,465

The question, is Solaris and a multi-user machine worth more than $120
to you?  That's an easy one for me.

Roger
books@fsunuc.physics.fsu.edu
From: lupe@ukw.uucp (Lupe Christoph)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: Re: SBus Fast SCSI-2 Card Question...
Date: 6 Nov 92 08:25:24 GMT
Organization: cic

craven@cg.emr.ca (Jim Craven) writes:

>I am looking into getting the Fast SCSI-2 card, but I have some
>conflicting info on whether system requirements include SunOS4.1.3?
>Will it work, perhaps only at 5 MB/s, with 4.1.2?  Can someone set me
>straight on this?  Any experiences with this card would also be
>appreciated.

The 4.1.3 Release Manual says 4.1.3 includes support for the FSBE card. 
This makes sense to me, as the FSBE card is certainly using a different
SCSI chip (I haven't seen one yet) that needs a modified driver.
-- 
| ...!unido!ukw!lupe  (German EUNet, "bang")     |  Disclaimer:            |
| lupe@ukw.UUCP       (German EUNet, domain)     |  As I am self-employed, |
| suninfo!alanya!lupe (Sun Germany)              |  this *is* the opinion  |
| Res non sunt complicanda praeter necessitatem. |  of my employer.        |
From: guy@Auspex.COM (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: Re: SPARCClassic
Date: 13 Nov 92 06:07:10 GMT
Organization: Auspex Systems, Santa Clara

>The PROMs are set up to deal with the SVr4/Solaris2 file system formats.

Are you certain that the PROMs know a file system format from a hole in
the ground?  No previous Sun box had a PROM that knew anything about file
system formats, other than that the first few blocks of a disk are a
"boot block" that should be sucked into memory and jumped to.

That boot block has, at least in 4.x and possibly 5.x, the block numbers
of a file on the root file system jammed into it when it's installed; it
reads those blocks into memory and jumps to *that* program.

*That* program - "/boot", in 4.x - knows about the file system format.

In 5.x, there's a lot more to the boot stuff, but I very much doubt the
PROM has to know anything about the file system format.  It's probably
all done by programs read in *by* the PROM.

(Besides, the SVR4 file system format isn't *that* different from the
SunOS 4.x format.

If you're referring to the *executable image format*, that's a different
matter; however, boot blocks aren't necessarily ELF images.

And even if boot blocks *do* have ELF headers, if Sun actually *wanted*
to release a version of the SPARCclassic that ran 4.1.x, they could
probably have had a version of "installboot" for 4.1.x that knows how to
put an ELF header on a boot block.)

>The boxes are obviously a carrot to draw the market to Solaris 2.x.

The boxes are obviously a carrot to get people to buy lots of
relatively-inexpensive Sun color SPARC machines; there's no need to drag
Sun's desire to promote Solaris 2.x in order to construct a rationale
for Sun releasing the boxes.

You can probably use that desire as one of the reasons why Sun didn't
offer a 4.1.x port for the boxes, and add in "more porting and testing
efforts" as another reason.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: hue@island.COM (Pond Scum)
Subject: Re: 24 bit colour in Suns
Organization: Island Graphics Corp.
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 19:13:07 GMT

jon@prl.philips.co.uk (Jon Piesing) writes:
>Can anybody recommend any cheap ( whatever that means ) 24 bit colour
>cards for S-bus. We are not looking for accelerated graphics or similar,
>just something for natural images.

I don't know of anything cheaper than $3995 list, for that price you can
get either a RasterOps TC or a VITec RasterFlex-32.  If you don't need
24-bit SunView support, the VITec is the probably your best bet - it takes
up one slot instead of two, the blits are accelerated, and it has two
sets of LUTs plus a LUT bypass, allowing you to have 24-bit TrueColor,
24-bit DirectColor, and 8-bit PseudoColor on screen at the same time
without any colormap conflicts (flashing).  Another plus is that their
technical support seems to be pretty good - the one time I had a problem
they had an answer for me the same day.


-Jonathan		hue@island.COM

Disclaimer: These are my opinions only, not those of Island Graphics
From: lange@suenner.informatik.Uni-Koeln.DE (Thomas Lange)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: SPARCprinter
Date: 6 Nov 1992 10:34:24 GMT
Organization: Regional Computing Center, University of Cologne
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: suenner.informatik.uni-koeln.de

Hello ,

I need some information about the SPARCprinter and Sbus printer card interface.
Is it a Centronics like or some Sun special (Theu only say SPARCprinter port) ?
Can i connect a SPARCprinter to a Sparc 10 without that printer card?

Please mail to lange@informatik.uni-koeln.de

Thanx in advance.

Thomas
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware,comp.sys.sun.admin
From: jhb@maths.su.oz.au (John Brownie)
Subject: Re: What is the best working temperature for workstations?
Organization: School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sydney
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 22:40:26 GMT

jypai@ccnext.csie.nctu.edu.tw writes:

>I know that workstations need special care.
>There's a specification table saying its (possible) working temperature range.
>But I need to know what is best for them, and what is reasonable.
>Will room temperature will shorten their life? (According to ur experience)

Well, our operating environment has temperature control consisting of
whether the window is open or not.  We haven't had any problems, even on
quite hot days (high 30's, occasionally low 40's).

On the other hand, one of our machines died in a bad way some years ago
on a hot day when the air conditioner (our only one) in the room failed.
It wasn't really a workstation - more of a server (a Sun 3/260).
--
John Brownie
School of Mathematics and Statistics   |    Wycliffe Bible Translators
University of Sydney NSW 2006          |    Graham Rd
Internet: jhb@maths.su.oz.au           |    Kangaroo Ground Vic 3097 AUSTRALIA
From: censjg@caledonias3.caledonia.hw.ac.uk (Simon Greaves)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: single/differential SCSI & my disk tray
Date: 11 Nov 92 10:57:27 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland

I have a disk tray (4 x hard drives connected to one SCSI controller) which has two Centronics type SCSI connectors on it labelled Host and Aux. Inside the box there are two PCB's, one an Emulex MD2410201-02B and the other a Rancho Technology RT-SDA.

The RT-SDA card has a 50 way connector at each end, one labelled differential side (connected to the Host connector on the back) and the other labelled single ended (connected to the Aux connector on the back). So this card is a converter between single ended & differential SCSI. The Differential side then goes to the Emulex controller card.

The disk tray is/was used with an IBM RT 6150 fitted with an IBM SCSI card and mounted using the varyon command (an AIX command intended to mount disks in removable hard disk units, basically just a mount).

What I want to know is:

	What is Differential SCSI & how does it differ from single ended?

	How can I tell if it's SCSI1 or 2?

	Is it (likely to be) possible to connect this box directly to a Sun or
	a Dec (aren't they single ended?)?

	Any information most welcome.. (email preferred)

I hope to get a Sun soon, and would like to use this (~1Gb) disk with it. I suppose I can get a different controller if this one can't be persuaded to work, but it would be nice to be able to just plug it in...

Thanks

-- 
Simon
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simon Greaves                   | Janet:        censjg@uk.ac.hw.clust
Systems & Comms programmer      | Internet:     simong@festival.ed.ac.uk
Computer Centre                 | Fax:          +44 31 451 3261
Heriot-Watt University          | Voice:        +44 31 451 3265
Edinburgh EH14  4AS             |
Uk                              | "Pretty with hairy legs" --A.Belew
From: raob@mullian.ee.mu.oz.au (richard oxbrow)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
Subject: Re: SS10 Network Connection
Date: 5 Nov 92 08:37:03 GMT
Organization: Electrical and Electronic - University of Melbourne

In article <R.EVANS.92Nov3172940@afs1.ic.ac.uk> r.evans@ic.ac.uk (Rob Evans) writes:
>In article <1992Nov2.162018.6006@rs.com> horen@rs.com (Jonathan B. Horen) writes:
>
>   I can't believe it -- we just received five SS10 workstations, but we can't
>   connect them to the network with our *other* 45 SPARCstations because the
>   network is coax-cabled but the SS10 only offers built-in connection to a
>   twisted-pair network!
>
>   Does anybody know where we can find adapters/transceivers from twisted-pair
>   to AUI, in the SF Bay Area?
>
>The SS10 does in fact have an AUI connection, cunningly labelled as a
>headphone socket. Look at the back and next to the `speaker' symbol, you
>will see the infamous `<...>'. For a small fee, Sun will quite happily supply
>you a `splitter' that will give you a 15 pin D-type connecter for your

We were lucky.. they gave us one for free..

Even better the parallel printer port with the same plug.. is located 
directly above the speaker/ethernet socket..

	richard/..
richard oxbrow			   |internet    raob@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU
dept. ee eng,  uni of melbourne    |uunet       ..!uunet!munnari!mullian!raob
parkville, victoria         3052   |fax         +[613] 344 6678   	   
australia               	   |phone       +[613] 344 6782
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: harthc@ntmtv.UUCP (Howard Hart)
Subject: SPARCClassic
Organization: Northern Telecom Inc, Mountain View, CA
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 20:54:48 GMT

Just caught the official announcement this morning. $3995 for
a 15 inch color, 200MB SPARC (Tsunami). Did I just hear
a collective heart attack at Intel and Microsoft?
From the sound of the level of integration, it looks like
this will make a better palmtop then anything coming out
of Intel.

P.S. - why is it Intel 486 chips cost $400+ each to make
while the Tsunami only costs $180? Is it all the 8088
baggage they have to drag around? Serious question,
sorry if it sounds like marketing hype for Sun.

-- 
Howard Hart		UUCP:{ames,pyramid!amdahl,hplabs}!ntmtv!harthc
System Administrator	INTERNET: ntmtv!harthc@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Northern Telecom	PHONE: (415) 940-2680
Mt. View, CA
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: lfm@pgroup.com (Larry Meadows)
Subject: Re: SPARCClassic vs. 486
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 13:43:13 GMT
Organization: The Portland Group, Portland, OR

I agree that the prices are competitive between sparc and 486 systems,
but I think the dearth of user-level software is still a problem.  Does
anyone have info on cost of things like Lotus, Microsoft Word (if available),
accounting software, etc. for sparcs vs. PCs.

Of course, Macs are better anyway :-).
-- 
Larry Meadows		The Portland Group
lfm@pgroup.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: rkh@ucs.att.com (Bob Halloran)
Subject: Re: SPARCClassic
Organization: AT&T Universal Card Services, Jacksonville FL
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 21:34:56 GMT

In article <1992Nov12.180856.3446@megatek.com> astewart@megatek.com writes:
>>Both the classic and the LX REQUIRE solaris 2.1.  If you
>>want to run 4.1.X you still gotta buy the old machines.
>>ALl the older machines remain in the line for the time
>>being.  I got the impression this was to accomodate those
>>who don't want to move to 2.1.
>
>Wait a minute! WHAT! I must be misunderstanding something here. What
>happened to binary compatibility? I'm not committed to Solaris 2 (yet).
>One of the reasons I want a SUN is to have the option of 4.1.x or
>try the new Solaris 2.x. Someone please explain/verify. 
>The LX won't run 4.1.x (solaris 1.0)?

The PROMs are set up to deal with the SVr4/Solaris2 file system formats.

The boxes are obviously a carrot to draw the market to Solaris 2.x.

	Bob Halloran
	AT&T Universal Card
	Jacksonville FL

	rkh@ucs.att.com
Any similarity between opinions stated here and AT&T's 
  corporate opinion are purely coincidental.

"How can you tell a politician is lying?  His lips move..."
	-- M-m-max Headroom
"Read my lips - no new taxes" -- George H. W. Bush, 1988
From: YOUNG@tattoo.cs.widener.edu (Rob Young)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware,widener.misc
Subject: Re: New Product Announcements: WHERE???
Date: 12 Nov 1992 06:14:29 GMT
Organization: Widener University Department of Computer Science, Chester PA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: tattoo.cs.widener.edu
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.20

In <lg2i1dINNj7k@appserv.Eng.Sun.COM> dwf@doug.Eng.Sun.COM writes:


> 	These new Sun(TM) workstations deliver 59.1 MIPS, with the 
> SPARCclassic offering industry-leading value at $63 per MIPS.

                           BZZZZZTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!
                                    wrong

First the math is wrong... 63 * 59.1 is $3723.30.  This is less than 3,995.  Am
I missing something here?  Is there a discount for  a gross (144) that works
out to 3700 dollars per workstation that hasn't been talked about yet? ;) ;) 
;) 

But even to be talking about dollars per MIPS in November of 1992 is a 
bit puzzling.  To quote John Mashey of Silicon Graphics from a post in May:


                                 BEGIN QUOTE

....  So far, overall, at least the following are multiple-issue superscalar /
LIW chips: i860, IBM RS/6000, SuperSPARC, and all of the results so far tend to
show fairly wide variations in the number of actual instructions per cycle
achieved; also, nobody so far seems to have gotten close to achieving the peak
theoretical instruction rates that you'd expect by multiplying the clock rate X
by the number of issues N to get X*N peak "mips". 

ANYONE WHO LABELS A CPU WITH X*N "mips" AS MEANING SOMETHING USEFUL IS:
EITHER:	a) Completely unaware of the research on this topic, as well as
	the numerous published measurements on real machines.
OR	b) Trying to fool you...

This silliness very similar to that of "peak MFLOPS" from supercomputer-land;
it's even worse than using Dhrystone-mips as being anything useful.

                              [section deleted]

5) Anyway, as a botton line, if somebody tries to feed you peak mips,
please tell them politely to stop insulting your intelligence...

                                  END QUOTE


Besides it isn't industry leading.  Using DEC's AXP 3000 400 @133 MHz
266 MIPS (dual-issue) comes out to $56.39 per "MIPS".  

I have a feeling someone at Digital had engineering read over the market blurbs
before posting, whereas at Sun, well . . .  Better would be a dollar per
Specmark  ratio, no?  

				Rob

                                                     young@tattoo.cs.widener.edu
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists
 in trying to adapt the world to himself.  Therefore all progress depends 
  on the unreasonable man." --George Bernard Shaw	 
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
From: dank@blacks.jpl.nasa.gov (Daniel R. Kegel)
Subject: Re: Is Sparc out of Gas?
Organization: Image Analysis Systems Group, JPL
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 05:56:00 GMT

rburns@key.COM (Randy Burns) writes:
>Now I seem to remember reading somewhere that Sparc International
>was working on a 64 bit standard Sparc-Compatible standard.
>What do other folks know about this. My friend claims that it
>is not possible to extend the Sparc standard in the ways it would
>take to really gain a performance advantage over the competition.

I suspect that the 64 bit Sparc chips will be impressively fast.
Haven't heard any good reason why Sparc is ahead or behind other
architectures other than bad luck and/or management.
- Dan K.