[rescue] AT&T 3B2 revival

[Jerry Kemp]

On 08/18/15 10:53 AM, Alan Hightower wrote:
> Forgive me not quoting a previous email as I just joined the list. I am
> here to stay though. To disagree with Dave M. a bit, the 3B2 isn't very
> well documented at all. Some of the original AT&T user documentation is
> preserved on Al's site and a few others. However there is almost nothing
> about the machine internals nor a comprehensive and verified software
> archive. I've collected bits and peices of software over the years from
> places like yahozna and some VCF personal collections. However I'd like
> to see a shrine of knowledge somewhere eventually. It's a pretty
> important machine in the UNIX timeline.

Thank you for your post.  I've also been collecting 3b2 stuff off of the 
Internet for many years, as it appears/disappears, and I have pretty much zilch 
for internal HW documentation.  I'm sure you are aware that this same discussion 
is taking place over on the Classiccmp mailing list.


>
> Ed Eckert, the cheif archivest for Alcatel-Lucent claims much of the
> original techincal documentation on the machine is in safe hands and not
> in any danger of being lost. But he still considers it
> proprietary,confidential, and not currently suitable for
> reclassification for public release. He suggested I reach out to George
> Kupczak at the AT&T Archives in Warren, NJ which I have not done yet.

That is an interesting bit of information that I was not aware of.

I'm aware that they own the information, but, how long has it been since the 
last 3B2 rolled off of the assembly line? 20, 25 years?


>
> A long time collector in Brunswick, GA allowed me to purchase his
> 1000-80 recently for restoration and investigation. It has a blown power
> supply which I am replacing with an newly made ATX PSU bridge board. I
> normally would not consider that route, but the 600, 700, 1000 series
> had an early hybrid switching+linear PSU. In the interrum, I feel safer
> with a modern OC/OV limited ATX supply than the original until I can
> fully root cause what went wrong and why. Once I get it running again
> and SVR3.2 re-installed on a modern flash drive, I'll return to a few
> project ideas for building up new CIO cards for the old girl.
>
> I'm interested in at least banding together a community and perhaps a
> Google group or mailman list to start.

I would love to participate in a 3b2 mailing list.   I would only hope that we 
wouldn't be the only two on it.

Jerry



>
> -Alan
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