[SunRescue] Re: Hard drive testing

[BSD Bob the old greybeard BSD freak]

> Will a 2000 series DEC box do the format deed as well as a 3000?  I have an
> old 2000 series lunch box with the terminator pack...and nada else DEC.

A VAXstation 2000 will do some kinds of formatting, but it only usually
has an mfm controller, AFIK.  All of the 3100 series machinies had scsi
controllers built in.  The 2000 does have a primitive form of scsi that
might be usable for some things.  I dunno if the standard test 70 prom
formatter will handle scsi, though.  It can run tapes and drives off
the ``tape controller'' port.  NetBSD is supposed to work scsi correctly
off the tape port.

> For those of us without the hardware to outfit one with a monitor/keyboard,
> can you fire it up with a terminal and get it to format?  

Yes, AFIK it can be run with a terminal, but you need to make up a video
cable, to get it out.

The 3100 series machines have a switch to throw and it defaults to terminal
mode out a serial port (SW UP and console on printer port) (mostly how I use
them).

> Resources for the command set?

Check the VS2000 page at: http://home.iae.nl/users/pb0aia/vax/vs2khw.html
or search for VS2000 on the net.  There are good links from there, too.

Bob