[rescue] Serial console on IBM RS/6000 250?

[Jonathan C. Patschke]

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004, Janet L. Campbell wrote:

> The 250 shouldn't have a problem with most drives, really.  The internal
> CDROM from a SS5/SS20 (a Toshiba XM-4101B) boots mine just fine, and is
> what I used to install AIX (4.3.3).  A lot of older RS/6k's are very picky
> about their boot drives.

I think I tried the Toshiba, but maybe I'm thinking of another similarly
ancient drive.  I'll try it when I get home.  If I RIPL it, it has to get
5.1, and I'd really rather put 4.3.3 on it.

> I'm not quite sure what you mean.  The 250 works reasonably well with
> normal PS/2 keyboards and mice, boots off of an easy to get CDROM drive,

For some reason, it'll only work with one of the PS/2 IBM Model M
keyboards I have here at the house.  The rest, and the system will hang
during BIST.  Also, like I mentioned, I've had trouble getting a CD
drive it likes.  I'll pull a Toshiba out of one of the Alphastations
tonight and see if that works.  It could be that some 250s are pickier
than others, but this was my first RS/6000, and I almost gave up on the
whole family until I got my 370.

> has most interesting interfaces built in, video is reasonably cheap and
> fast, and memory is not exceptionally weird.

No, just that odd IBM stuff.  At least it's standard IBM weirdness,
instead of the extra-weird IBM weirdness in some of the larger boxes.

> I've not powered mine up in a while, but it made a great little
> software porting box.

Indeed.  That's what I plan on using mine for.  Either that or CVS.  The
horsepower/weight ratio of that system is just right for small tasks.  I
supposed it'd not be a bad interaction workstation if mine had a bit
more memory.

-- 
Jonathan Patschke  ) "Being on the Internet is not the same as being
Elgin, TX         (   famous.  That's like calling Cheetos 'dinner'."
USA                )                                    --Metal Steve