arnold@emory.CSNET.UUCP (07/10/86)
We are looking to upgrade two 780s (running 4.2 BSD, soon to be 4.3 BSD) with something in the 8000 series. However, Unix only understands Unibuses and Massbuses. Now, I have heard that on machines with a VAXBI, one can plug a Unibus into a VAXBI, and then put Unibus peripherals into the Unibus. Fine. But, is that transparent to the operating system, or does the OS have to know that there is a VAXBI there? In other words, could we get an 8500 (say), plug our unibuses and massbuses in, and then boot 4.3? Or is that impossible. Please respond by mail, as I don't read this newsgroup. Simple explanations are preferred, as I really don't know a lot about most of this sort of stuff. Thanks,
art@ACC.ARPA (07/11/86)
> Now, I have heard that on machines with a VAXBI, one can plug a Unibus into > a VAXBI, and then put Unibus peripherals into the Unibus. Fine. But, is that > transparent to the operating system, or does the OS have to know that there > is a VAXBI there? In other words, could we get an 8500 (say), plug our > unibuses and massbuses in, and then boot 4.3? Or is that impossible. Unfortunately, the VAXBI to UNIBUS adapter is not transparent, there is a fair amount of configuration involved. Also, there are certainly other machine type dependencies in running UNIX on the new VAXBI CPUs. DEC has ULTRIX V1.2 running on the 8200 and I suspect that the 8500 and 8800 are close behind. <Art@ACC.ARPA> ------
rad@MITRE-BEDFORD.ARPA (Dick Dramstad) (07/15/86)
>...Also, there are certainly other >machine type dependencies in running UNIX on the new VAXBI CPUs. DEC >has ULTRIX V1.2 running on the 8200 and I suspect that the 8500 and 8800 >are close behind. We've got an 8200 running Ultrix 1.2. I saw (and touched) an 8800 running Ultrix at Usenix in Atlanta. It was probably running a version approaching Version 2.0... Dick Dramstad rad@mitre-bedford.arpa