I am looking for a free or inexpensive VAX. I have an ALPHAstation 255/233 (with (currently) 64 MB RAM and 3 GB disk), and no VAX can compete as far as speed goes, so obviously I don't need the VAX for speed. Although I worked on a VAXstation 3100 M76 for years and REALLY like the machine, I'm not interested in nostalgia either (well, not enough to make me maintain an extra machine). I DO need a VAX for a number of tasks (obviously a second ALPHA would be OK for some things as well, but probably too expensive): o set up a cluster, which would - give me some experience in running a (mixed VAX/ALPHA and/or mixed version) cluster - provide the usual redundancy clusters are designed to provide - let me use old periphery (tape drives,...) which work OK with a VAX but not with an ALPHA o run an http server, since - running it on the ALPHA only has the disadvantage that, when the ALPHA moves, the links are out of date (I could just rename the VAX to the ALPHA's name and have the server just redirect everything to the new location for a transition period after the ALPHA moves away) - I could keep a mirror on the VAX, so that web pages would be available even when doing upgrades etc on the ALPHA (I would run stable versions of software on the VAX and not upgrade unless absolutely necessary (which might be never)) o use the VAX as an email front end, again so as to be always online despite (very occasional) upgrades/maintenance on the ALPHA o have an older version of VMS (and perhaps other things such as compilers) so that, when a bug is suspected, on has an easy possibility to compare (don't even need to copy the files etc) The minimal requirements of the machine are as follows o 7 VUPs or faster (a VAXstation 3100 M76 is 7.6 VUPs which is fine but I really don't want anything slower) o 14 MB RAM o enough SCSI disk for the system + an additional 300 MB o no other drives necessary, but DAT or exabyte (or even MO) drives would be very welcome o no monitor, keyboard, graphic capabilities required (but would be put to good use if present) o ethernet connection I'm looking for a more or less complete machine, and don't want to get into building it from parts, but WOULD be interested in DAT or EXABYTE drives which would work with a VAX. I WOULD ALSO BE VERY INTERESTED IN DAT OR EXABYTE DRIVES WHICH WOULD WORK WITH MY ALPHA MACHINE, preferably fast SCSI 2 but any SCSI which would work at all would be welcome. I would be happy to collect the machine from anywhere in Britain on a short time scale (say, within a few days at most) or on a somewhat longer time scale (within a few weeks at most) from anywhere in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands of Belgium. This is just a rough guess; one has to draw the line somewhere, but if you have something for me I'll be able to pick it up if at all possible (we can talk about France or Switzerland, but not Japan or the USA). The machine will be used only for non-profit purposes, if you have any qualms about letting it go for less than it's worth (preferably nothing at all). This text or rather the current version of it is available at http://multivac.jb.man.ac.uk:8000/helbig/vms/vax.txt (it is text and not html so I can more easily post it to newsgroups, send it via email and so on). Feel free to distribute it as widely as possible. Phillip Helbig -- Kapteyn Instituut Email .............. helbig@astro.rug.nl Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Tel. ................... +31 50 363 4067 Postbus 800 Fax .................... +31 50 363 6100 NL-9700 AV Groningen Web ... http://www.astro.rug.nl/~helbig/ ******************************** formerly at ******************************** this will still work for a while -----> Email ......... p.helbig@jb.man.ac.uk University of Manchester Tel. ... +44 1477 571 321 (ext. 2635) Jodrell Bank Observatory Fax ................ +44 1477 571 618 Macclesfield Telex ................ 36149 JODREL G UK-Cheshire SK11 9DL Web ... http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/~pjh/ My opinions are not necessarily those of either of the above institutes. Let me add to the standard disclaimer by saying that although I work at NRAL and would use the VAX exclusively for work connected in some way to my work at NRAL, I'm looking for someone to give ME a machine. For a variety of reasons, I own the ALPHAstation on my desktop---although I use it exclusively at work---and the VAX would be in a similar situation. In no way are my own computers connected with the other computing activities at NRAL or the University of Manchester, except physically in that they provide the ethernet connection.