spaf@gatech.UUCP (12/14/83)
I was just talking to a recent graduate from here who is part of an
interesting new startup company in the Boston area. I was asking him
why they didn't have their uucp connection working yet, and he asked me
to relate the following tale and ask for help:
It seems that this startup company went out and purchased a Masscomp
system for their first computer. The Masscomp system runs some version
of Unix -- Jim (my friend) isn't sure if it can be labelled as
Beserkely or Bell or whatever. Anyhow, they asked the Masscomp folks
about what kind of modem to buy so they could run uucp and news. The
Masscomp folks said to get a Cermetek. So, Jim & company went out and
bought a Cermetek modem. When they tried to get it to work, however,
they found that Masscomp code supported a previous Cermetek model of
modem --- a model they no longer make.
So, what would you do in that situation? Well, that's what they did.
They asked the folks at Masscomp for help. In a move designed to give
new meaning to "customer service," the folks at Masscomp gave them the
source to the uucp stuff and a hearty "good luck with your problem."
Jim has tried to figure out the code, to no real avail. Careful,
monitored operation seems to indicate some sort of timing problem, but
he has no ideas as to what to do next, except perhaps buy a Vax.
Anybody out there have any experience with a Cermetek 212a modem and a
Masscomp computer? If so, please send me direct mail.
Thanks in advance.
--
Off the Wall of Gene Spafford
School of ICS, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332
CSNet: Spaf @ GATech ARPA: Spaf.GATech @ CSNet-Relay
uucp: ...!{akgua,allegra,rlgvax,sb1,unmvax,ulysses,ut-sally}!gatech!spaf