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Hi,

I inherited some 233MHz rs6000 604e's. They seem to have a PCi slot. However, if I insert
a "standard" (Matrix) PCI VGA card in it, I get so video output. Is this by design
or is there some software trick or hw jumper I need to set?

Marko

"Marko NIINIMAKI" <man@nospam.cern.ch> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:slrnc340qd.4sb.man@pcephc23.cern.ch...
> Hi,
>
> I inherited some 233MHz rs6000 604e's. They seem to have a PCi slot.
However, if I insert
> a "standard" (Matrix) PCI VGA card in it, I get so video output. Is this
by design
> or is there some software trick or hw jumper I need to set?
>
> Marko
>
Hi Marko,

if "standard" VGA means that you are using PC equipment it is very likely
that it will not work. Since there are PCI AIX servers IBM took quite some
parts from the PC shelf but changed few things in the adapters ROM or layout
to make it work on IBM servers only. E.g. you could buy 3COM 905TX network
adapters for PC and for 43P but you cannot use a 905TX from the first for
the latter and vice versa. (This is just an example, don't try to get one as
it will not work from 5L on) You could get S3 Trio64 for PC and for IBM PCI
AIX servers but you cannot use ... and so on. You are getting the picture.
Why? Well, the 905TX for the PC was about 70 Euros while the one for the 43P
was about 350+ Euros....
What to do? If you do not use Linux you might try to use Cygwin or Exceed as
X-Server and pull the X-Windows from your workstations onto the machine you
are working on while you could connect a terminal (even Windoze hyperterm)
to the serial port (S1) 9600-8N1 for installation and/or login from console.

HTH,
andreas

In article <c0t48v$9sb2@news-1.bank.dresdner.net>, Andreas Schulze wrote:

> Why? Well, the 905TX for the PC was about 70 Euros while the one for the 43P
> was about 350+ Euros....

Ok, I get the picture. Hmm, if anyone happens to have some useless PCI
graphics cards (like Power GXT255P PCI) for rs6000's, I'd be happy to pay
a couple of Euros/Swiss Francs/Pounds + the postage of course.

> are working on while you could connect a terminal (even Windoze hyperterm)
> to the serial port (S1) 9600-8N1 for installation and/or login from console.
Yes, this works. But it's boring to drag my portable along.. and the rs6000
would make a great X terminal.

Marko

Marko NIINIMAKI schrieb:
>
> In article <c0t48v$9sb2@news-1.bank.dresdner.net>, Andreas Schulze wrote:
>
> > Why? Well, the 905TX for the PC was about 70 Euros while the one for the 43P
> > was about 350+ Euros....
>
> Ok, I get the picture. Hmm, if anyone happens to have some useless PCI
> graphics cards (like Power GXT255P PCI) for rs6000's, I'd be happy to pay
> a couple of Euros/Swiss Francs/Pounds + the postage of course.
>
> > are working on while you could connect a terminal (even Windoze hyperterm)
> > to the serial port (S1) 9600-8N1 for installation and/or login from console.
> Yes, this works. But it's boring to drag my portable along.. and the rs6000
> would make a great X terminal.

You can try to use a Diamond Viper (Weitek P9100 based) with removed
BIOS ROM.
AFAIR I've seen one running with AIX, but my personal experience is with
MCA machines only.

Gereon Wenzel

Gereon Wenzel <wenzel@ibh.rwth-aachen.de> wrote:
> > Yes, this works. But it's boring to drag my portable along.. and the rs6000
> > would make a great X terminal.
>
> You can try to use a Diamond Viper (Weitek P9100 based) with removed
> BIOS ROM.

Works ok, but the /VP isn't supported as the primary framebuffer
in some machines. Besides that, it gives only 8 Bit color depth
and performance is rather slow.



Martin.

--
....Rabotai pomalkivai

Marko NIINIMAKI <man@nospam.cern.ch> wrote:

> Ok, I get the picture. Hmm, if anyone happens to have some useless PCI
> graphics cards (like Power GXT255P PCI) for rs6000's, I'd be happy to pay
> a couple of Euros/Swiss Francs/Pounds + the postage of course.

Can't promise anything, but maybe I have a spare GXT800P somewhere
around here. Just a matter of finding it and digging it out.
OTOH, buy a Diamond Viper/VP at ebay fuer 1.00 EUR, if 8 bit color
depth is ok for you.


Martin.
--
....Rabotai pomalkivai