Any IBM Power / AIX fans out there?

[Tony Duell]

> But on the devices that mean something to me, I'm not willing to risk ending
> up with a dead box just so I can 'learn something' by potentially farking it

And that, I think, is where we differ. I _always_ want to understand what 
goes on inside the device. If that means risking said device, well, I'll 
do that. Of course I don't do things I do will do permanent damage, like 
cutting the tops off working ICs or hybrid modules, but I can and will 
take things apart.

> up. I'd rather have someone who knows something about the device help with/do
> those kinds of repairs, especially if they're easily available. That's not
> laziness or ennui, that's pragmatism. I can learn on lesser devices.

YEs, you learn on lesser devices in order to fix the rare one.

> 
> Please correct me, but what I perceived you to say loudly and clearly was that
> the original poster should go ahead and 'learn something' by disassembling
> the lock on a machine that means something to him, something that could
> potentially render the machine inoperable if he extracts the lock wrong, or
> messes up with pins, or goodness knows. He can learn to re-pin a lock with

I will admit I've never seen the machine in question, but surely this 
lock (a) locks the cabinent and (b) operates various contacts 
(microswitches?). And nothing more

Function (a) is not too important in a hacker's machine room. And if all 
else fails, function (b) could be replaced by other switches wired 
correctly (and it really shouldn't be beyond anybody to work out how to 
do this!).

Unless this lock is seriously weird, if you remove all the pins and 
springs, it will turn with anything that will engage with the keyway -- 
like a screwdriver. You could refit the lock without pins and use it like 
that I think. 

-tony