Server E55 (9000/856)

[Christoph Plattner]

Some points concerning the E55 server (model 9000/856), which I have gotten from an institute in Vienna.
This server machine is used privately for learing and
experimental use only. Learning aims:
* Getting a overview over a kind number of UNIX
operating systems (Linux, Solaris, HP-UX)
* More experience in porting software from Intel
to non-Intel machines (Linux, cross compiling
etc.)
* To experimwnt with Linux on HP PA-RISC architecture
(for this I also have a Apollo 700 (9000/720)
machine

Now my three main items:

1.)

I hava an old version of HP-UX installed on this HP server
machine. It is HP-UX 9.0. Is there a cheap possibility
to get a current version (11.0) or even a 10.20 for my
private and experimental use. For my experiments a core
OS is needed (plus development tool chain (C, etc), but I want to
use GNU tool chain, like under Linux) and/or tools
like "bash", etc....

2.)

At the moment, the installation media is searched in depots
at the institute, where the server comes from. Is there a
possibility to get a set of the HP-UX 9 CDs to have installation
media, if those CDs cannot be find there (the CD set of the
apollo 700 are already found...)
Here the same is true like in point (1). I only need the
core OS plus development or tools like "bash", etc..

3.)

One very important point !
I want to be able to run LINUX on the HP server E55. An
external HP group, the socalled PUFFIN group is working on a
Linux for the HP PA-RISC familiy. See link

http://parisc-linux.org/index.html

On some machines of HP PA-RISC the Linux is already running.
On the HP E55 there is a problem concerning the HP own
interfaces of the SCSI controller and the serial multiport
multiplexer (8-port serial board). For those both components
(and perhaps for others on this machine) I need
documentation to be able to write drivers or that other
people in the Puffin-Group can do that.
The documentation should describe the hardware and the way
to access it. Or perhaps it is possible to get parts of
the device driver soirce codes for these devices. I really
need help in this point !!!

It's quite long, but I hope there are people out there, who can help me, especially in point 3.) !!

With friendly regards
Christoph Plattner

-------------------
private:
christoph.plattner@dot.at
company:
christoph.plattner@alcatel.at

[Steffi Jones_1]

Hello Christoph,

I can definetely see your point, that you want to have a box to "play with". But I guess I have to give you some disappointing news and burst a bubble here.

1. I doubt that you will find 9.x software officially for the box. It has been retired for quiet some while
2. You need to have an official release of the HPUX software. It is illegal to run HPUX without a licence.
3. you should contact your local hp sales office and check how much a licence would be. (If I remember it correctly it is about $1200 in US)
4. source code is not published.
5. there is the possibility to access HP's services via consulting and have them configure your configuration, but that will be quiet expensive
6. one way of maybe getting an affordable licence would be to check if someone will sell you the software including the licence. Anybody who tries to sell (or on auctions) an OS revision wthout a licence is stepping on illegal ground.

One question for you: what happened to the OS which was initially installed on your E-class?

Sorry for not having any promising answers, but it might clear up some of your issues.

Viel Glueck, Steffi Jones

[Christoph Plattner]

Thanks for the answer Steffi Jones !

Of course I have the HP-UX already installed on the machine, and as this machine is correctly taken from the institute, I mast also got the licence of the HP-UX together with the server. But as far as I know, the service periode has run out, so I use an unserviced but official and legal HP-UX license. But an old one...

But the HP-UX stuff is not the biggest problem. I am sure, the CDs will be found in the next weeks, then I have the original HP deliverable.

The bigger problem is the aim of
having the E55 running under LINUX.
I cannot imagine, that nobody can help here in getting technical information of such an "old" machine.
And I cannot imagine, that there is nobody with source code licence at HP, who can help me to write device drivers (alone or with help of the PA-RISC Linux team) for the "undocumented" interfaces (SCSI and mulit-serial multiplexer, and
perhaps parallel port.

With friendly regards

Christoph Plattner

------------------------
private:
christoph.plattner@dot.at
company:
christoph.plattner@alcatel.at

[paul courry]

With a question this long, I will break my answer into several posts.

1. For the Y2K problem HP was passing out free copies of 10.20, I would suggest you check to see if they are still doing that.