** 1st Aug 2009 **
Ok, so the challenge ended last night - I was supposed to post my summary then, but guess what happened...
Anyway, what have I learnt. Well, for one that an old Apple UNIX from the 90's (early 90's at that) was easier to install than the very latest of Linux distro's (2009 edition) that I have tried. Whats more, the interface on the old Apple UNIX from the 90's is the best UNIX interface I have ever used (including the X interfaces on the latest Linux Distros of today) - to be fair I have never used OS X - so I assume this is actually the best UNIX based OS in existence. To be doubly fair, the only reason I see A/UX as having such a great interface is because its the System 7 Finder - and to be honest it largely doesnt interact with the UNIX sub system - but thats the damn beauty of it.... and its UNIX!!
so I really like A/UX - even tho I havent tried the X-Windows interface yet (I'm guessing that will be interesting on my 9" SE/30 CRT). Speed wise, I find the SE/30 fine. Havent really done too much with it tho - although I can tell you that the NSCA web server runs great on it.
I'm going to keep playing with A/UX on my SE/30 - I installed bash the other night (thank god) and will probably next have a crack at getting GCC installed - then I might look at compiling some other stuff.
So didnt get as much done as i might have liked - but I had fun with what I did do.
The end.
** 28nd July 2009 **
Cant talk...must sleep...drink gin.... anyway, now showing for a short time only, the amazing A/UX, SE/30 web server... woohoo http://dvnzhomer.dyndns.org/
** 27nd July 2009 **
All hope is not lost - well sorta. Time is running out, but tonight (although disheartened at my default in the RetroChallenge HUNT competition) I am looking at my AUX install again. I've started to work through the FAQ to "secure" the box as much as possible. The Jagubox site referred to all over the web is long gone (source of great things for AUX) and most mirrors seem dead also, but one site lives on - http://www.aux-penelope.com. I cant say enough about this site - loads of great info, and an archive of software for AUX - including the Jagubox stuff.
Anyway, I am slowly working my way through the list of updates and recommended tweaks - I am happy to report that retro-net.org is quite handy in this regard. The aux-penelope web site is, well, just that - a web site, so rather than mucking around too much I am downloading the bits and pieces to my PC via HTTP and then uploading them to RetroNET via FTP, where I unTAR and unGZIP them, then I connect via FTP on my A/UX box and suck them down to install.
I have to say tho, I've just spent the last 30 minutes trying to figure out how to get into single user mode - after fiddling with important files and changing things without knowing why, I cave'd and decided to check the manual - who'd have thought Apple would still have the administrators guide on thier web site and in PDF no less. Literally less than 5 minutes later I had the answer. Thanks Apple.
Anyway, that update is now done but so am I. Its good night kiwi for me.
** 22nd July 2009 **
Wah-ha-ha-ha. After finding the telnet daemon (thanks 68kmla), I discovered that the reason it wasnt working was cause it was turned off - duh. So, a quick edit of the /etc/inittab to enable both inetd and portmap and wa-hey! I can log on via telnet, as root.... with no password.... ahhhh the good old days.
Sadly however, too much aclohol has dulled my senses and I must sleep. More tomorrow perhaps.
Nite nite.
** 19th July 2009 **
Wow. No updates between the 6th and the 19th. I cant believe how slack I've been (actually I can). I'd like to say that I've been working away but just havent had time to post - but that would be a complete lie.
Anyway, I havent been completley out of touch - I have continued to compete in the HUNT - although after my defeat in the first round I was having second thoughts - still, much like the All Blacks, I have bounced back to dominate the subsquent rounds (you'll notice I'm not as humble as the All Blacks) - although I have to say, once the numbers dwindle I start to lose some of my edge. Still, a wins a win! Take that you dam Canadians.
Anyhoo, back to my SE30 running A/UX. After having done basically nothing with this since I built it, I decided tonight to get back into it. Unfortunately for me, the box is on the floor, under a desk, in a very crowded room - so not the easiest to work on directly. No problem I thought, I'll just telnet to it - this will be fine because I need to follow through on all the recommendations in the FAQ which are mostly shell driven.
But wheres the telnet daemon? /etc/services shows no sign of it, and a "find / -name telnet -print" only finds me the telnet client app in /usr/bin. I know I've been drinking - but am I missing something?
I suppose this could be a good reason to download and install the SSH package, but telnet would do me just fine - if I could figure out how to enable / install it.
Instead of thinking about this any more, I've posted a message over at 68kmla. I've had far too much to drink to even think about anything else at this stage. Good night.
** 6th July 2009 **
Ok. A bit depressed. My 3.1 update image is bad. On the positive side, I tried Gin, and although not impressed with the taste am happy that it gets you pissed quite quickly. Anyway, last night I posted on 68kmla asking if anyone knew how to get a working 3.1 update. Some bloody kiwi (damn kiwi's) suggested that if I had any UNIX skills I could just use the image I had and install it manually without using the Apple installer - yeah right. Still, after having a couple, I thought I'd give it a go as I had nothing to lose right. F*@#*k me - it looks like its going to work. I found a "Unix Files" directory with a script and a .cpio.Z file in it - checked the script, saw it wanted to be run from /tmp so copied the files there and set it a running. That looked like it was doing its thing, so while it was I copied the Mac updates across to the MacPartition from the finder - this is bloody cool. I also opened up a second terminal window to do stuff while the install was running - I am liking A/UX! While I was waiting for the install to complete, I decided to update my HUNT score ladder - which I did - of course I noticed that Luddites line was out of alignment with everyone else - he has complained of that previously. Secretly I thought that is what happens when you have a big long pretentous alias like "Luddite", but being the reserved person I am I let it go. Still, I had some time to kill so I decided to tackle it. Oddly enough it was quite easy - I should have been pissed when I wrote the rest of the script - it probably would be a lot more efficent and taken me half as long to do. Still, mostly done my HUNT script and the A/UX update looks to have finished - a reboot later and a uname -a reports A/UX 3.1 (yes I did check prior to the update and it was 3.0.1) - sure the script complained about a missing "touchsec" file, but hey, you cant have everything right - so this is good enough for me! When I'm a bit more sober, I will start looking at what I can do to secure this thing (as far as it possible) and then get it onto the net! WhooHoo! Did I say I am loving A/UX? Anyway, back to my script - I left it running on RetroNET - FFS its slow! What am I paying for?! Still, I guess it could be my code... or the retro platform its running on... no this is the internet and 2009 - I want everything for nothing, now wheres L8's pager number.... BUGGER! didnt work - looks like a typo - ok, one more try before I pass out....Hmm, well, half fixed - close enough for now - nite nite.
** 5th July 2009 **
Bad day. First Luddite smashes me in the HUNT (although I did enjoy stabbing an intoxicated wgoodf in the back every time he popped in on his iPhone from the pub), then I'm not able to update my A/UX installation to 3.1. You might be thinking AHA! its not all beer and skittles with A/UX - but after some googling it would appear that there is corrupt update image floating around the internet - and thats the one I have. Bloody internet. I want my money back.
** 4th July 2009 **
Well, I didnt get around to posting last night, but the short version is - its all fine. There was a moment of concern however. I had wandered off to leave A/UX installing and when I returned, the CD had ejected and there was a mass of errors running up the console basically complaining (in UNIX speak) that it couldnt access the CD. I tried to re-insert the CD (its caddy based), but was physically unable to - the drive was somehow jammed and not accepting disks. Uh-Oh. I was unable to gracefully shut down the SE/30, so I figured, "hey, this is a mac, it'll sort its shit out" and so powered off both the SE/30 and the drive. I powered them both back on, the drive started accepting caddys again and the Mac booted into what looked to be the final stages on the A/UX configuration (where the kernel reconfigurated itself - without asking me any questions! Good kernel).
So the conclusion so far - this is FRECKEN AWESOME! The Mac takes a little longer to boot than with say MacOS 7.5, but once its booted - if you just looked at it you wouldnt know if was running UNIX!! Thats right, you arrive at a normal looking System 7 finder. There are some clues however... the main hard drive is called "/" (very UNIXy), there is a "Logout" option in the "Special" menu, there is a "Command Shell" option in the "Apple" menu, and "About this Macintosh" tells you there is a command shell running.
I have to say I was _very_ excited by all this. I fired up a command shell (from the Finder) and launched vi. Sad to say thats about all I've done with it - I've had no time today, and probably wont have much tonight either. I've just burnt a copy of the A/UX 3.1 update CD, so will apply that and then maybe look at the FAQ and apply all the recommendations there. I'm very keen to get this online, and also to test its compatibility with other "System 7" apps.
** 3rd July 2009 **
Well. Its Friday night and I thought I'd just quickly create that A/UX boot floppy I need. That turned out to be a 5 minute job (SE/30 over ethernet to Linintosh, Diskcopy 6, mount image, create floppy) so I thought, what the hell, I'll boot it up. So, restarted the SE/30 with the floppy in the drive and the A/UX CD in the CD-ROM drive and what do you know - "The Apple Workgroup Server 95" installer launches. Now I'm not so good at history but "Workgroup Server 95".... "Windows 95".... coincidence? Probably. Anyway, what is up with Apple. This is UNIX god damit! The installer fires up and looks just like any other MacOS installer - but easier! The default option is even "Easy Install" - well, I've come this far - Easy install it is! So other than selecting every piece of software I am able (via the "choose software to install" button, I click install and in typical Mac fashion with no fuss, no complicated UNIXy interview type process, it just starts doing it. I should have video'd it. I reckon (excluding marking the extra software check boxes) there must have been about 5 mouse clicks - maybe less!! Anyway, its quite happily copying stuff at the moment, so maybe the dream will end soon but in the meantime I am well impressed...... bloody hell, THIS IS UNIX! but its.... well... easy.
I guess I'll bugger off now and let it do its thing... but ... why is it so easy? I dont get it. UNIX is hard today and its 2009... let alone when this thing was current... I'm confused... maybe these energy drinks are affecting my mind. Still installing is one thing, perhaps using is another.
To be continued...
** 1st July 2009 **
Do I hit July 1 before everyone else? Is that an advantage? Who knows. In any case - my CD-300 (I thought it was a 150) has arrived! I told you that guy was good! Anyway, what a brick - it almost makes my slab of energy drinks look small! So, I have hooked it up to my Se/30 (the drive is deeper than the computer!) and the complimentary World Atlas 6.0 CD mounts up easily on my desktop.
So now, as I type this, I wait for my A/UX install image (a Mac toast image) to burn on my PC under nero. I have no idea if
a. The drive will even read CD-R media or
b. If burning a toast image under Nero on a PC will even burn anything that my mac can use
Oh, its finished burning... wait there a sec - OMG!!!! It appears to have worked!! I feel all warm inside. Man, I feel like I should continue - but despite the large number of energy drinks I have on hand, combined with the large number I have already consumed today, I feel tired. I need to get some sleep. I guess the next thing for me to do is create the boot floppy disk - I have an image for that too, but it appears to be a diskcopy image - which is ok, but I'll have to fire up the linintosh copy it across from my PC, mount it on my mac and create the floppy....nah, sounds like too much work for tonight. Instead I'll finish this blog (including my new picture page) and sign off.
Check out my pictures at Gavos RC 2009 Pics
BTw - last night I authored this page in vi, tonight I'm lazy so am doing it in notepad. Now thats retro! ;-)
** 30th of June 2009 **
Well, I have started my challenge a couple of days early (I sense disqualification looming). Anyway, knowing that A/UX must be installed from a CD, I figured I needed a CD-ROM drive. According to the FAQ (and some dudes on 68kmla.net), not just any drive will do. I knew what I needed to do. I dropped an email to my favourite crack .... I mean retro Mac ... dealer and asked if he had anything that would fit the bill. The good news was yes he did - an original Apple CD-150 with cable, terminator and caddy, the bad news was that he wanted $60 (including shipping) for it. Being the addict that I am, I quickly agreed and hopefully the drive is on its way to me. Now some of you may be thinking that $60 is a bit step, but given the rarity of bits and pieces in these parts I actually think its ok - especially given the guy who I'm getting it from is very reputable. The one thing that I did pause on however was that I could probably get two bottles of bourbon (even more meths) for $60 - but lucky I've given that up for the month.
So now a little boy waits....