[SunRescue] IBM 7011 Powerstation 220

[BSD Bob]

>  I've done some Usenet searching, but my findings have been inconclusive.  .
> . does this use PS/2 keyboards and mice, or do I need some IBM specific
> thing?

A PS/2 keyboard will work with it, but won't correctly allow keyboard
remapping for an install, from what I know, although others think
it will work fine.  The RS6000 keyboard is a little different from the
standard PS/2 keyboard.  Once it is up and running, the PS/2 keyboard
seems to work fine.  I have used both, but only could install off the
real RS6000 keyboard, which has a speaker in the underside.  The PS/2
keyboard I could not get to remap into RS6000 mode.

> Also, the MicroChannel video card in the thing has 3 outputs- RGB with no
> separate sync. I have an IBM monitor that came with my RT/11 that has RGB
> inputs (model 5081, if I remember) but firing up the 220 produces only 1-2
> flashes on the screen- otherwise it stays black. What type of monitor can I
> use?

There are some jumpers on the internal video card (you have one behind the
HD, plus a mca video card?????).  The standard video card has a jumper that
needs to be set for the scan rate/monitor used.  I don't remember offhand
how that is set, but I could open mine up and see.  I don't offhand know
anything about mca video boards in the beast.  Use the vga monitor output
on the video card behind the hd, if you have it, and you will better mileage.
If you don't have that board, I dunno what to tell you to get the mca one up.

> The machine appears to run, FWIW, and I'll probably put together a cable for
> a serial console and go from there, but pointers to the above and perhaps a
> source for the proper AIX would be appreciated. I do have the key.

The key is good, and if you can boot it in service mode, single user,
you can probably change the root passwd to suit.  Otherwise some boot
floppies will be needed in service mode to do that.

Note how far it gets in the number on the idiot panel behind the
floppy cover.  There is a whole series of boot/test/etc numbers it
goes through to boot.  The led codes can be useful to tell you exactly
where it is at in booting, and if any problems occur.

AIX loads from tape or cd, although the only one I have is an early 3.1 tape.
Supposedly some 4.x versions run on it, but there is a point at which those
don't run on it.

Pull the keyboard and monitor, and maybe also the video board, to get
serial output forced, although if you have a keyboard and can get it
up into monitor, you can change the output to go out the serial port,
by just monitoring the led sequence and at some point keying some input.
I forget the details of doing that though, since any vga monitor will
work with it if the jumper is set correctly on the video board.
Offhand, I dunno what your mca video board is for.  I have not seen
them in any of the dozen or so machines I have scrapped from surplus,
to make one good box.

AIX 3.2.5 is supposed to work best on it, with y2k patches available
from IBM, somewhere.

The IBM folks said 4.3.x would run on it, but I don't think they know
what they are talking about on the 7011.  One internal IBM person said
that a 7011 would barely run a stripped down 4.3.3.  Others have told
me that video support for the 7011 was dropped from 4.3.2 and up, or
somewhere around that numbering.  Caveat.... and good luck.....

That is all I can remember, offhand.

Bob