trudel@topaz.rutgers.edu (Jonathan D.) (05/18/87)
... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up just like in the movies. This is long overdue. "Lay" people are extremely disappointed when a program or system grinds/wheezes to a halt with some wimpy message like "B037X: USER ERROR IN GAPX TABLE" or "CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE: BUFFER OVERFLOW INDICATOR OVERFLOW" or "Bus error - core dumped". They want to see explosions! Paper spewing out from wherever paper spews out from! And gicky fluid oozing out of the machinery as the entire machine room collapses onto itself because someone either forgot to put a %*&#*$#&@ in column 92 or asked the computer an impossible question like "What's the meaning of life?", "Why?", "CAN you get there from here?", "Calculate pi to the last digit" [THAT'S NOT A QUESTION!], or "Where's the bathroom?" That's a worthy goal for computer technologists everywhere. Forget artificial intelligence! Forget relational databases! Forget distributed network architecture proposal interface protocols! Forget documentation! Forget associative memory! Let's make computers explode in our lifetime!!! -- -- Sometimes a fish needs a bicycle...
madd@bucsb.bu.edu.UUCP (Jim "Jack" Frost) (05/19/87)
In article <12067@topaz.rutgers.edu> trudel@topaz.rutgers.edu (Jonathan D.) writes: > >... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up just >like in the movies. This is long overdue. Indeed it is. Now seems to be the time to announce my company's new add-on board, available for IBM PCs (and near-clones), Apple Mac II's, Amiga 2000s (and Amiga 1000s, but it's a box and not a card), Commodore 64s and 128s, most S100 machines, and of course the IBM 3090. This card, called the "Crasher", traps all errors from the above machines and decides whether or not it's really serious. For not-so-serious errors, it emits a small puff of bad-smelling smoke. More serious errors cause alarms (180Db -- we don't fool around) and flashing lights. For those really really serious errors, there's 2 oz of pure trinitrous toluene (TNT, stupid) on board, which has proven by experiment to pretty much level your computer when it goes off. >"Lay" people are extremely >disappointed when a program or system grinds/wheezes to a halt with some wimpy >message like "B037X: USER ERROR IN GAPX TABLE" or "CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE: >BUFFER OVERFLOW INDICATOR OVERFLOW" or "Bus error - core dumped". They want >to see explosions! Paper spewing out from wherever paper spews out from! >And gicky fluid oozing out of the machinery as the entire machine room >collapses onto itself.... How true! And now you can. Just order the Crasher. Send $1,200 to: Frost Computer Enhancements 75 Washington Street Laconia, NH 03246 For faster service, send your credit card number and shipping address to: madd@bucsf.bu.edu >Let's make computers explode in our lifetime!!! Would you like to make some cash? We'll pay good royalties for that slogan.... [If you believe all of this, I have this new Hyperfast Computer System to sell you...] jim
ekwok@mipos3.UUCP (Gibbons V. Ogden) (05/19/87)
In article <12067@topaz.rutgers.edu> trudel@topaz.rutgers.edu (Jonathan D.) writes: > >... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up just >like in the movies. This is long overdue. "Lay" people are extremely Believe me, such a program CAN be written. I am working on a project that predicts the events which follows if such a program is run. Serious. -- Call 202-4561414, ask for Ron.
awr@tybalt.caltech.edu (Bruce Rossiter) (05/20/87)
In article <976@bucsb.bu.edu.UUCP> madd@bucsb.bu.edu.UUCP (Jim "Jack" Frost) writes: >More serious errors cause alarms (180Db -- we don't fool around) and >flashing lights. For those really really serious errors, there's 2 oz >of pure trinitrous toluene (TNT, stupid) on board, which has proven by ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ >experiment to pretty much level your computer when it goes off. > That's trinitrotoluene. -Just a Starving Chemist....
savage@ssc-vax.UUCP (Lowell Savage) (05/21/87)
> ... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up ...
Uh. I work for Boeing Aerospace Company. We make things like, you know,
missiles? Cruise missiles, attack missiles. What kind of electronics do you
think go into those things? Well, gee guys, come to think of it, we make a
whole lot of computers and put software onto them to make them blow up ...
Uh, was that what you wanted?? :-) :-)
Lowell Savage
Standard disclaimer here: all onions expressoed reflection only on me.bandy@amdcad.AMD.COM (Andy Beals) (05/21/87)
>> ... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up ... In article <1240@ssc-vax.UUCP> savage@ssc-vax.UUCP (Lowell Savage) writes: >Uh. I work for Boeing Aerospace Company. We make things like, you know, >missiles? [...] Well, gee guys, come to think of it, we make a >whole lot of computers and put software onto them to make them blow up ... Yes, probably something like this: detonate() { /* bye bye */ char *firing_pin = BATCTL+23; *firing_pin = 1; *firing_pin = 0; /* NOTREACHED */ panic("Missle didn't explode -- Can't happen."); } -- Andrew Scott Beals, {lll-crg,decwrl,allegra}!amdcad!bandy +1 408 749 3683
oster@dewey.soe.berkeley.edu (David Phillip Oster) (05/21/87)
A few years back, PC magazine and PC World published claims that it was possible to program the video controller chip in the CGA (Computer Graphice Adapter) video adapter board so that an ordinary color monitor's flyback transformer would overheat and catch fire. Has anybody done this? Is it included in anyone's copy detection? Anyone's error handler? It should be real simple to do. That chip gives you pretty good control over the video waveform, so you ought to be able to play with the timing of the horizontal sync pulse, (which, as I remember, was the way the trick was done.) has anybody extened these techniques to the more sophisticated EGA (Extended Graphics), and PGA (Professional Graphics). Of course, if you wrap a Macintosh completely in saran wrap, it will overheat enough to make a wisp of smoke come out of a melting power supply diode. I think I'll just settle for the spectacular but non-destructive light show that you sometimes get when you crash a computer with a memory-mapped color display. --- David Phillip Oster -- "The goal of Computer Science is to Arpa: oster@lapis.berkeley.edu -- build something that will last at Uucp: ucbvax!ucblapis!oster -- least until we've finished building it."
mat@amdahl.amdahl.com (Mike Taylor) (05/22/87)
In article <16754@amdcad.AMD.COM>, bandy@amdcad.AMD.COM (Andy Beals) writes: > >> ... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up ... > > In article <1240@ssc-vax.UUCP> savage@ssc-vax.UUCP (Lowell Savage) writes: > >Uh. I work for Boeing Aerospace Company. We make things like, you know, > >missiles? [...] Well, gee guys, come to think of it, we make a > >whole lot of computers and put software onto them to make them blow up ... > > Yes, probably something like this: > > > detonate() { /* bye bye */ > char *firing_pin = BATCTL+23; > > *firing_pin = 1; > *firing_pin = 0; > /* NOTREACHED */ > panic("Missle didn't explode -- Can't happen."); > } > Of course it would happen. You can't use a C program this way. Everybody knows that Ada is the only language for making computers blow up - the DoD says so. -- Mike Taylor ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,sun}!amdahl!mat [ This may not reflect my opinion, let alone anyone else's. ]
kmd@sdcsmb.UUCP (Karen M. Davis) (05/22/87)
> ... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up ...
Um.... many computers built for military applications contain a "trap door"
that can be reached by an assembly sequence that will direct the transformer
or power supply *input* onto the motherboard. Manufacturers of this type of
computer include HP and Litton. This "feature" is supposed to be used to
destroy your computer as the installation is being overrun by the enemy.
Since most of these suckers use large DC generators as input to the
transformers/power supplies, you can imagine the fireworks that occur when
this stuff reaches all those cute little ICs. ;-)
It was supposed to leave the attackers with molten sludge.
karen
--
Email: kmd@sdcrdcf.UUCP (uucp) kmd%sdcrdcf.UUCP@CAM.Unisys.COM (arpa)
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Home : 8333 Columbus Avenue #17; Sepulveda CA 91343robertd@ncoast.UUCP (Rob DeMarco) (05/24/87)
In article <6861@amdahl.amdahl.com> mat@amdahl.amdahl.com (Mike Taylor) writes: >In article <16754@amdcad.AMD.COM>, bandy@amdcad.AMD.COM (Andy Beals) writes: >> >> ... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up ... >> >> In article <1240@ssc-vax.UUCP> savage@ssc-vax.UUCP (Lowell Savage) writes: >> >Uh. I work for Boeing Aerospace Company. We make things like, you know, >> >missiles? [...] Well, gee guys, come to think of it, we make a >> >whole lot of computers and put software onto them to make them blow up ... >> >> Yes, probably something like this: >> >> >> detonate() { /* bye bye */ >> char *firing_pin = BATCTL+23; >> >> *firing_pin = 1; >> *firing_pin = 0; >> /* NOTREACHED */ >> panic("Missle didn't explode -- Can't happen."); >> } >> > Of course it would happen. You can't use a C program this way. > Everybody knows that Ada is the only language for making > computers blow up - the DoD says so. > > >-- >Mike Taylor ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,sun}!amdahl!mat > >[ This may not reflect my opinion, let alone anyone else's. ] How about this? -- # Shell script to blow up scaner=1 pin1=1 pin2=1 if [ $pin1 = $pin2 -a $scaner = 1 ] ; then /usr/boaing/missile/blowup exit 10000 else echo "OOPS! What happened?" fi -- [=====================================] [ Rob DeMarco ] [ UUCP:decvax!cwruecmp!ncoast!robertd ] [ ] [ "I hate 'Wheel of fortune'....and ] [ proud of it!!" ] [=====================================]
rick@oresoft.UUCP (Rick Lahrson) (05/25/87)
In article <12067@topaz.rutgers.edu> trudel@topaz.rutgers.edu (Jonathan D.) writes: > >... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up ... A small step was taken toward this end back in the early sixties, in IBM's System/360 model 30 CE school. Seems one of the better students had time enough to pore over the schematics and discover which cores (remember core memory?) were located just beneath the overtemp sensor. He wrote a small program that did nothing but abuse those particular cores by writing ones and zeroes alternately to them, until they heated up, and the temperature sensor shut down the machine. First, of course, the program printed out "Programmed Power Down" on the console. Caused a lot of bewilderment among the students and instructors. Especially since the big feature being touted about the S/360 was that it was so oriented to multiprogramming that it didn't even have a HALT instruction. -- Rick Lahrson ...tektronix!oresoft!rick Disclaimer: If I ever speak for anyone but me, I'll warn you in advance.
brucec@orca.TEK.COM (Bruce Cohen) (05/25/87)
In article <424@sdcsmb.UUCP> kmd@sdcsmb.UUCP (Karen M. Davis) writes: >Um.... many computers built for military applications contain a "trap door" >that can be reached by an assembly sequence that will direct the transformer >or power supply *input* onto the motherboard. Manufacturers of this type of >computer include HP and Litton. This "feature" is supposed to be used to >destroy your computer as the installation is being overrun by the enemy. >Since most of these suckers use large DC generators as input to the >transformers/power supplies, you can imagine the fireworks that occur when >this stuff reaches all those cute little ICs. ;-) > >It was supposed to leave the attackers with molten sludge. The unfortunate thing about this capability from our point of view (we WANT these little guys to go up flames, right?) is that it was manually controlled. Back when I was a military digital type, in the most recent unfortunate conflict, we made do with thermite bombs on top of the equipment. Orders from the generals were to melt everything down at the first suggestion of the enemy. Orders from the captain of our facility were that anyone pulling the switch for the thermite bombs had better stay inside with them, since HE wasn't going to pay for several million dollars worth of toasted equipment. So we need to have a true self-destruct, and make sure our computers don't develop a survival instinct. Then all we need to worry about is the insurance policy (and the lawyers, omigod!). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "'I am afraid that I rather give myself away when I explain' said he. 'Results without causes are much more impressive.'" - Sherlock Holmes in "The Stockbroker's Clerk" My opinions are my own; no-one else seems to want them. Bruce Cohen UUCP: {the real world}...!tektronix!tekecs!brucec ARPA/CS-NET: brucec@tekecs.TEK.COM overpaid: M/S 61-028, P.O. Box 1000, Wilsonville, OR 97070
perley@vdsvax.steinmetz.UUCP (Perley Donald P) (05/27/87)
In article <424@sdcsmb.UUCP> kmd@sdcsmb.UUCP (Karen M. Davis) writes: >> ... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up ... > >Um.... many computers built for military applications contain a "trap door" >that can be reached by an assembly sequence that will direct the transformer >or power supply *input* onto the motherboard. . . >Since most of these suckers use large DC generators as input to the >transformers/power supplies, you can imagine the fireworks that occur when >this stuff reaches all those cute little ICs. ;-) If the transformers have DC input, I would expect the fireworks to start without the help of any assembly sequence. -- Reply-to: chinet!steinmetz!vdsvax!perley
nbc@rlvd.UUCP (Neil Calton) (05/27/87)
In article <12067@topaz.rutgers.edu> trudel@topaz.rutgers.edu (Jonathan D.) writes: > >... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up just >like in the movies. This is long overdue. "Lay" people are extremely >disappointed when a program or system grinds/wheezes to a halt with some wimpy >message like "B037X: USER ERROR IN GAPX TABLE" or "CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE: >BUFFER OVERFLOW INDICATOR OVERFLOW" or "Bus error - core dumped". They want >to see explosions! Of course this computer should also be impossible to turn off, so that when it 'decides' to launch a missile attack or 'instructs' all the robots in a factory to turn homicidal, everyone just stands around goggled-eyed, panics or tries to sound convincing when they have to explain exactly why they cannot hit the off-switch. Then it really would be like in the movies. -- Neil Calton UUCP: ..!mcvax!ukc!rlvd!nbc Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, ARPA: @ucl-cs.arpa:nbc@vd.rl.ac.uk Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX JANET: nbc@uk.ac.rl.vd England or N.B.M.CALTON@uk.ac.rl Tel: (0235) 21900 ext 5740 "How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team"
jcz@sas.UUCP (John Carl Zeigler) (05/28/87)
In article <12067@topaz.rutgers.edu>, trudel@topaz.rutgers.edu (Jonathan D.) writes: > > ... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up just > like in the movies. This is long overdue. "Lay" people are extremely I have a friend who had a very early Commodore pet that if you executed the PEEKs and POKEs to the right address set up some sort of interference with the yoke that actually caused the thing to smoke!! We called it the Halt-and-Catch-Fire routine. -- --jcz John Carl Zeigler SAS Institute Inc. Cary, NC 27511 (919) 467-8000 ...!mcnc!rti-sel!sas!jcz
ksand@mapper.UUCP (05/28/87)
>> ... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up ...
Have you tried to increase the refresh rate of the computer screen in
the terminal's firmware?
Make an entry in the "Set-Up"-menu where the innocent user could switch
over from 50 och 60 Hz to maybe 400 Hz.
Somebody would have to make some experiments around this amount of
refresh rate - so the phosphorus starts to burn and the terminal
explodes in, let's say, 5 seconds.
An even better way is to make an ioctl-call that sounds great from the
user side of view - ex stty more_blips - and this programs the
actual terminal refresh rate to the disastrous one. Maybe something
for the UNIX SysV.4?
That's something for James Bond movies with exploding computers :-).
*flames* >>Kent Sandvik
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UUCP: ksand@mapper.UUCP | "Ett m}ste f|r alla gurus"-zine kak@stc-auts.UUCP (05/28/87)
In article <12067@topaz.rutgers.edu>, trudel@topaz.rutgers.edu (Jonathan D.) writes: > ... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up just > like in the movies. ... Forget artificial intelligence! Forget > relational databases! Forget distributed network architecture > proposal interface protocols! Forget documentation! Forget > associative memory! Let's make computers explode in our lifetime!!! > -- > Sometimes a fish needs a bicycle... This is obviously a hardware problem. Fortunately, with the advent of microprocessors and embedded systems, and applications like "Star Wars" and Nuclear Power plant control, this worthy goal can be become a reality in the near future! With people like James Fletcher running the show, the software bugs on the next generation of space shuttles ought to be *really* impressive! -Kris Kugel
kathy@ll-xn.UUCP (06/03/87)
In article <408@rlvd.UUCP>, nbc@rlvd.UUCP (Neil Calton) writes: > > Of course this computer should also be impossible to turn off, so that when > it 'decides' to launch a missile attack or 'instructs' all the robots in a > factory to turn homicidal, everyone just stands around goggled-eyed, panics > or tries to sound convincing when they have to explain exactly why they > cannot hit the off-switch. Then it really would be like in the movies. > We have nearly succeeded in reaching this level of functionality. The AT&T 3B series of Unix machines have NO power switch. The shutdown mechanisms are all software-controlled. There is a "on/off" switch on the side of the machine, but all it does is invoke the software. The only way to force it down if the software hangs (and it does occasionally) is to go over to the wall outlet and pull the plug. Granted, the idea of using one of these to control anything real is pretty silly, but if you apply this approach to larger machines, then make the power connection impossible to get at, voila: instant movie scenario! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kathryn L. Smith UUCP: ...ll-xn!kathy MIT Lincoln Laboratories ARPANET: kathy@XN.LL.MIT.EDU Lexington, MA PHONE: (617) 863-5500 ext. 816-2211 "I didn't do it, and I can justify it all anyway." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
rlr@pyuxe.UUCP (06/04/87)
In article <408@rlvd.UUCP>, nbc@rlvd.UUCP writes: > In article <12067@topaz.rutgers.edu> trudel@topaz.rutgers.edu (Jonathan D.) writes: >>... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up just >>like in the movies. This is long overdue. "Lay" people are extremely >>disappointed when a program or system grinds/wheezes to a halt with some wimpy >>message like "B037X: USER ERROR IN GAPX TABLE" or "CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE: >>BUFFER OVERFLOW INDICATOR OVERFLOW" or "Bus error - core dumped". They want >>to see explosions! > > Of course this computer should also be impossible to turn off, so that when > it 'decides' to launch a missile attack or 'instructs' all the robots in a > factory to turn homicidal, everyone just stands around goggled-eyed, panics > or tries to sound convincing when they have to explain exactly why they > cannot hit the off-switch. Then it really would be like in the movies. > -- > Neil Calton UUCP: ..!mcvax!ukc!rlvd!nbc Good, good!! You've got the idea! This input will be very useful in the design process. Let me write this down: "Hardware should be unhaltable by outside forces during explosion processing or catastrophe management functions. Attempts to shut down system hardware during such processing must be detected and terminated by the system at the source, preferably using lasers or other ray-gun devices, though cattleprod-style electric shock will do in a pinch." Another example showing the necessity of design reviews. (I personally think that there should be console messages that say "EXP1029 - WARNING: SYSTEM EXPLODING" or "CCH22@X - DANGER: PROBLEM PROGRAM MAY CORRUPT THE INTEGRITY OF THE DATABASE AND CAUSE RANDOM DAMAGE TO HUMAN LIFE AND PRIVATE PROPERTY; PLEASE ISSUE SHUTDOWN COMMAND NOW". Of course, any effort to issue that command turns the operator into liquid/gas/both. However, the system may detect its own confusion in a blatant act of self-awareness and attempt to shut itself down. But then again, if the computer has developed free will...) KYAG729I - INTERNAL SYSTEM INCONSISTENCY DETECTED: UNABLE TO EXECUTE AUTOSHUTDOWN FUNCTION (WATCHOUT) -- "Mrs. Peel, we're needed..." Rich Rosen bellcore!pyuxe!rlr
jmc@ttrde.UUCP (06/04/87)
In article <408@rlvd.UUCP>, nbc@rlvd.UUCP (Neil Calton) writes: > >... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up just > >like in the movies. This is long overdue. "Lay" people are extremely > >disappointed when a program or system grinds/wheezes to a halt with some wimpy > >message like "B037X: USER ERROR IN GAPX TABLE" or "CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE: > >BUFFER OVERFLOW INDICATOR OVERFLOW" or "Bus error - core dumped". They want > >to see explosions! > What I find interesting are the stories involving strange or interesting quirks using computers. Have you ever heard of the Random Glitch? There apparently was this programmer who used the network to invoke his random glitch, this program would roam the network reproducing itself and then sleep for some random interval then come alive and send "I am the Random Glitch catch me if you can... HA HA HA HA", to the computer console and exit. But the Random Glitch was reproduced somewhere else and would continue to infect the network. They could not bring down the whole network to catch the little bugger so they sent out a destroyer program, the repentant inventor of the Random Glitch wrote it, to catch the Random Glitch and destroy all copies of it. Hofstader in a series of Scientific American Articles wrote about the core Wars programs. Have there been any interesting programs or stories lately about similar Random Glitches infecting the known computer network. Maybe some nerd will come up with the equivalent of Computer Aids and bring down the complete Computer world. It would be neat to have network races routing packets to every computer and getting them back the fastest, could be a great execise in Karmarkar Algorithmics eh Sherlock? Miami Jan
nelsons@psu-cs.UUCP (06/05/87)
In article <557@xn.LL.MIT.EDU> kathy@XN.LL.MIT.EDU (Kathryn Smith) writes: > [ ... ] The >AT&T 3B series of Unix machines have NO power switch. The shutdown mechanisms >are all software-controlled. There is a "on/off" switch on the side of the >machine, but all it does is invoke the software. The only way to force it down >if the software hangs (and it does occasionally) is to go over to the wall >outlet and pull the plug. [ ... ] > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Kathryn L. Smith UUCP: ...ll-xn!kathy >MIT Lincoln Laboratories ARPANET: kathy@XN.LL.MIT.EDU >Lexington, MA PHONE: (617) 863-5500 ext. 816-2211 > > "I didn't do it, and I can justify it all anyway." >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Actually, it's probably better to use the little reset button on the upper right hand corner of the back to get the machine's attention. This will work very nicely with the silly little 3b2's. (It's no wonder that AT$T *gave* so many away!) Shannon -- /======\ Shannon Nelson // \\ \\ ...tektronix!psu-cs!nelsons (( go\\to )) \\ \\ // "Keyboard. How quaint." \======/
andrews@bigburd.UUCP (06/09/87)
An old hacker from CMU, I believe (or maybe MIT or maybe ...) told me about how they (whoever "They" are) had calculated the resonant frequency of a hard disk unit; once they knew the resonant frequency, it was a simple matter to program the disk heads to seek at the appropriate times. The end result was a disk drive that, after it started to vibrate much like a clotheswasher does when (as if to verify Dr. Heisenberg) all of the clothes work their way over to one side of the wash bin, "walked" its way across the computer room untill it pulled its own plug.
socha@drivax.UUCP (06/11/87)
The following story was related to me by employees of I.P. Sharp Associates (IPS). They, with Scientific Time Sharing Corp. (STSC) wrote APL for IBM back in the early days. It seems that there started to be competitors to IPS/STSC's APL system. These companies would usually use IBMs APL (written by IPS/STSC) on their large IBM mainframes. Sometimes they would add extra bulletproofing so that APL would not bomb, get better performance, etc. Now, IPS/STSC really knew APL (and the IBM implementation) very well. In fact, an employee living in Palo Alto would debug/enhance the production on-line APL system from his home! There were people across North America and in Europe (at that time) using this single mainframe (360/158 I think). The computer was in Toronto Canada. Anyway, a competitor named Manhattan APL (I think) called up IPS and said they were about to come online and if IPS wanted to, they could test the system. Manhattan said they had filled in all the holes and the system was unbreakable. Manhattan APL came online for their customers about 2 months late. It seems that some of their disk drives had thrashed themselves to death. -- UUCP:...!amdahl!drivax!socha WAT Iron'75 "Everything should be made as simple as possible but not simpler." A. Einstein
cy@ashtate.UUCP (Cy Shuster) (06/11/87)
In article <3268@bigburd.PRC.Unisys.COM> andrews@bigburd.PRC.Unisys.COM (Christopher Andrews) writes: >result was a disk drive that, after it started to vibrate much like a >clotheswasher does when (as if to verify Dr. Heisenberg) all of the clothes >work their way over to one side of the wash bin, "walked" its way across the >computer room untill it pulled its own plug. This is classical disk behavior, and is of course known as "putting it into Maytag Mode". Can also be easily done by putting all temporary sort work files on the same drive, and so on. (standard disk-claimer)
dennisg@felix.UUCP (06/12/87)
In article <557@xn.LL.MIT.EDU> kathy@XN.LL.MIT.EDU (Kathryn Smith) writes: > We have nearly succeeded in reaching this level of functionality. The >AT&T 3B series of Unix machines have NO power switch. The shutdown mechanisms >are all software-controlled. There is a "on/off" switch on the side of the >machine, but all it does is invoke the software. The only way to force it down >if the software hangs (and it does occasionally) is to go over to the wall >outlet and pull the plug. Ditto for the Macintosh II, I hear. In an old science fiction book about computers that come alive ("The Adolescence of P1"?), the computer tells a programmer about the new field upgrade that was just installed. The upgrade allows software control over the computer's primary power. "The hard part", said the computer, "was turning the power back on."
hanafee@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Brian Hanafee) (06/12/87)
>The Apple Lisa had (seems appropriate to use past tense) a soft >on/off switch. >js Yeah, that soft on switch would be really helpful! My opinions are mine, and I take full responsibility. So there. (signed) Brian Hanafee UUCP: !ucbvax!cory!hanafee ARPAnet: hanafee@cory.Berkeley.EDU
myers@buengc.BU.EDU (Eric Myers) (06/16/87)
Years ago I was running on an IBM 1130 at Willamette University in Oregon. (Her name was Grendle.) I remember one of the students there programmed her so the disk head would seek all the way across the platter in one pop in one direction, then work it's way back in several increments in the the other direction. Whenever it made that long seek the whole drive would shake, and after running the program a long time he got the thing to move itself across the floor. But sorry to disappoint you, because after running it all night it only moved about a quarter of an inch. -- Eric Myers >>> NO LIGHTS AT FENWAY!! <<< ---------- Physics Department, Boston University, Boston, Mass. 02215 (617)353-9058 ...harvard!bu-cs!buengc!myers myers@buphya.BITNET myers@buengc.bu.edu
gagen@bgsuvax.UUCP (kathleen gagen) (06/16/87)
In article <3268@bigburd.PRC.Unisys.COM>, andrews@bigburd.PRC.Unisys.COM (Christopher Andrews) writes: > An old hacker from CMU, I believe (or maybe MIT or maybe ...) told me > about how they (whoever "They" are) had calculated the resonant frequency of > a hard disk unit; ... I had heard the same tale, except that it was a DEC diagnostics programmer, under RSX-11 (and I don't remember the exact type of drive). --- John D. Bell, UUCP: ...ihnp4!cbosgd!osu-eddie!jdb c/o OSU Comp Sci Cntr (posted via a friend's account) _____
davidc@terminus.umd.edu.UUCP (06/16/87)
A couple of years ago I used to run dumps on a Prime system. In the space of three hours, the disk drives (two big CDC cabinets) would walk about two feet. They would also vibrate like crazy. When I first saw this my immediate reaction was to look for cover, figuring that shrapnel was about to come flying out the cabinets from the disintegrating platters. -drc ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David R. Conrad The University of Maryland arpa: davidc@umd5.umd.edu (301) 454-2946 PC/IP Group bitnet: conradd@umdd.bitnet
psyebh@prcpto.PRC.SID (Elliot Hans) (06/18/87)
oh no, not another meaningless "contribution" to the net... don't you people know the net is in danger of collapse from the prevalence of literary excrement?!
tv@praxis.UUCP (06/19/87)
In article <163@buengc.BU.EDU> myers@buengc.BU.EDU (Eric Myers) writes: > > Years ago I was running on an IBM 1130 at Willamette University in >Oregon. (Her name was Grendle.) I remember ..... Ah! The IBM 1130! Stirs my memory too. We used to have a program that turned all (well most) of the core store on and off at a frequency that could be picked up on a medium wave radio. You stood the radio on top of the processor and could pick up a tune. The particular program I saw turned the keyboard into a sort of piano keyboard, with the case shift providing a semi-tone shift. A bit limited by today's electronic organ standards, but it kept the night watch happy. Why 'watch' and not shift? Well this particular 1130 was built into a container and bolted to the deck of research ships. It worked well provided you didn't open the door just as a green one was washing down the deck :-(
klm@munsell.UUCP (Kevin McBride) (06/24/87)
In article <1739@umd5.umd.edu> davidc@terminus.umd.edu (David R. Conrad) writes: > >A couple of years ago I used to run dumps on a Prime system. In the space >of three hours, the disk drives (two big CDC cabinets) would walk about >two feet. They would also vibrate like crazy. When I first saw this my >immediate reaction was to look for cover, figuring that shrapnel was about >to come flying out the cabinets from the disintegrating platters. Back in high school (mid 70's) I belonged to a computer club. A local BIG corporation would let us in one night a week and give us free run of their computer room which contained an IBM 370/158 and more disks and tapes than I could imagine. We had our own operator's console and card reader/puncher and printer over in a corner behind the disk drives. One night I *did* see shrapnel when an old 3xxx something or other washing machine (wasn't a 3330) type drive had a pack disintegrate on the drive. When the screeching stopped and the dust settled, there wasn't a whole hell of a lot left of the drive. These were the 11 platter ceramic packs (30 pounds or so) and they spun at 3600 RPM. That's a lot of destructive force when it decides to give. Well, that's my $0.02 for what it's worth (probably $0.01) -- Kevin McBride |Disclaimer: These | harvard -\ Eikonix - A Kodak Co. | opinions are mine, | ll-xn ---adelie-----> munsell!klm 23 Crosby Dr. | not my employer's, | decvax -v talcott -v | Bedford, MA 01730 | So There! | allegra ------------encore
jnp@calmasd.UUCP (06/27/87)
In 1972 I was going to grad school, and "doing" 1/2 time as computer
operator in the student computer center - in the basement of one of the
older gyms. It was raining like hell that night, and we weren't aware that
the water sensors under the raised flooring had broken. The water was
apparently rising for several hours before it finally shorted out the power
leads on one of the washing machine shaped disk units (a 3xxx - 12 platter
job).
Anyone seen "The Return of the Jeddi"? - R2D2 gets "shot" outside
the door of the power-generator installation. He goes all blue-sparks and
after vibrating a while falls flat on his "face".
Right - that's just exactly what happened to the drive - just before
all of the power failed - along with the emergency lights.
--
These opinions are solely mine and in no way reflect those of my employer.
John M. Pantone @ GE/Calma R&D, Data Management Group, San Diego
...{ucbvax|decvax}!sdcsvax!calmasd!jnp jnp@calmasd.GE.COM