Any IBM Power / AIX fans out there?

[Doc Shipley]

Jeff Davis wrote:

> To pre-answer one question:  no, I didn't get any operator keys for the boxes.
>  Are they difficult / expensive to find?  If so, I'll go back on thursday and
> dig thru the storage bins I found the machines in and look for a key...

   mknod /dev/big_screwdriver

   The keys are possibly available from IBM with the machine's serial 
number, IFF you can find the person who knows how to order it.  In other 
words, fat chance.

   That's a Schlage lock, and non-trivial to pick, or even to break. 
You need the three-position switch, or a replacement, anyway.

   I have been successful at unscrewing the 3 thumbscrews at the back of 
the machine and *gently* levering the front edge of the "lid" up enough 
to clear the lock tab.  Pretty easy to disassemble the barrel from 
there, and if you look carefully at the lock barrel itself, that brass 
strip running the length of the barrel holds the pins in.

   I've also resorted to a 3/8" carbide bit a couple of times when I was 
in a bad mood.  That *always* works.

   Re the software, IBM released 4.3.2 and 4.3.3 for the price of the 
media for non-commercial use.  It was damn nigh impossible to order it, 
but it was available.  I did finally get a copy for $50, after ~18 hours 
on the phone with AIX Sales Group and the signing of a 17-page license 
contract that boiled down to "I realize I don't own nothing here and I'm 
not allowed to do nothing with it".

   In any case, IBM's unwritten rule concerning AIX is that the more 
folks there are who play with it, the more folks there will be who tell 
their boss to buy it.  If it's not running in a business and you don't 
make a lot of noise about it, they won't send the BSA after you.

   I'm not sure, but I think v5.0 and v5.1 will run on that box, in a 
very leisurely fashion.  v4.3.3 is your best bet.


	Doc