Re: Old Alpha machines - are they suitable?

[Andrew J Patterson <ajp@cs.monash.edu.au>]

> > > I've had a chance to take a quick look at the Alpha boxes we have in the
> > > graveyard - 
> > > DEC 3000 model 400 with CD no floppy
> > > DEC 3000 model 300x no CD/floppy
> > > 
> > > We have one DEC monitor to hand that 'fits' - I think the other is in use on
> > > a PC somewhere.

There is a switch on the back to make them use just a serial console (though
of course you then need to find one of those cursed DEC serial plugs)

> > > I gather they are 2xx MHz and use the Turbo Channel Bus - I gather the last
> > > bit may be the decider - does LINUX support it?

You are right.. linux has no turbo channel support (well not when I looked 6 mnths
ago and I think it would take a fair bit of hacking for it ever to be supported..)

> > Can you tell me if these machines can be used with Linux?

So I guess the answer is no but luckily NetBSD does work on a DEC 3000/400
and so I've had to settle for that.. (www.netbsd.org for the details)
 
> Are you sure these are alpha boxes? 3000 sounds like MIPSEL to me, I
> may be mistaken, for sure.

I think there is a MIPS machine with 3000 in the name but the 3000/500, 3000/400
and 3000/300LX are definately alphas (running at ~150 MHz from memory)

Andrew