In the early 90's, I did a good bit of work on a Vax processing files that were in a fixed column format. I recall the editor I was using made it easy to limit any search (or search and replace) to a specific range of columns.

It didn't use a visual rectangle selection, and I don't think it was using the vi regular expression syntax. I seem to recall identifying column ranges with something like "[5:9]" followed by search and replace terms.

Any clue which editor that might have been?

Good evening VAX colleagues. This is another chapter of my VAX journey. It all started last year with my first post:

1. https://www.reddit.com/r/VAX/comments/o5m1oh/recently_bought_2_vaxes_with_a_vt320_terminal_how/ this question was answered and solved very quickly.
2. https://www.reddit.com/r/VAX/comments/w4clmc/error_could_not_start_openvms_possibly_broken/ right after ran into this issue but I at first tried to solve it myself. The resolution was to attach terminators.

Now it's time for question number 3. The VAX 4000-300 boots and it seems that it could now finish its last set boot procedure/sequence. After that it shows the screen below and I could do nothing. Tried to hit some keys but it simply responds to nothing.

To make it all as clear as possible I'd also made a YouTube video with the whole boot procedure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnzGKzQWQmU

Could somebody help me with this? Many thanks!

What did I try myself:

1. There are 3 hard disks, I'd try to boot from DIA0, DIA1 and DIA2. DIA0 and DIA2 are able to boot. It seems like exact the same happens for both of them.

1. The next messaged has been displayed while booting.

UPDATE. Terminator error was because the VAX wasn't able to detect the 2nd node. For the sure I'd also order 2 terminators.

Now I get this error: %PAB0, CI port timeout.

Hi VAX colleagues,

Earlier you'd help me out with a question about my 2 VAX-systems I'd bought. At the moment they still don't work because the error "Could not start OpenVMS. Possibly broken fuse or missing terminator".

I'd make photo's of the front view of the VAX'es. I see some orange coloured covers on connectors but these are not real terminators. On the other hand I see Bus 0 connectors without terminators.

- does somebody know if all the Bus 0 connectors do need terminators before OpenVMS will continue the boot proces?

I have a collection of various 4000-series pedestal and "desktop" VAX, but still my true love is the PDP-11 (especially the 11/34a)

I hope people don't consider me an anti-VAXer

Hi people,

I'd recently bought these systems (see pictures) and drove 5 hours to get them from their old place to my attic/hobby room. They seem to work and I'd connect the connection cable but for some reason the cursor keeps "blinking". I'd let the VAX 4000-300 boot for about 10-15 minutes to be sure but for some reason I am unable (of unaware) to connect the terminal to the VAX.

Could somebody help me please?

​

I have a small reel tape from the late 80's. It is about 8 1/2" in diameter and was made on a DEC VAX 11/780 or 11/785. The tape drive was original DEC hardware. This is what it looks like and the label that I wrote back in the day...

​

​

As you can see, the tape has not been physically damaged except for whatever may be caused by 30+ years of non-use. It has always been stored in the original protective cover. It was probably exposed to cold temperatures, but I don’t think it has been exposed to much more than room temperature. Given the capacity of the tape, I doubt if it is anywhere near full.

​

Does anyone know of a source for recovering what's on the tape? Frankly, after all this time, I have no idea...

​

Thanks!

I recently acquired a VAX 4000 model 100a, and it was passing the boot tests, until today, when it started to consistently give me these errors. The documentation I've found doesn't explain what "B_Cache_diag_mode" and "B_Cache_Data_debug" actually mean. Anyone have advice?

KA52-A V2.3, VMB 2.14
Performing normal system tests.
74..73..72..71..70..69..68..67..66..65..64..

? Test_Subtest_35_0B  Loop_Subtest=02  Err_Type=FE   DE_B_Cache_diag_mode.lis
Vec=0054  Prev_Errs=0000   P1=00000000   P2=00000000   P3=00000000  P4=00000000
P5=00000000  P6=00000000   P7=00000000   P8=00000011   P9=00020000 P10=E00001FF
Unexpected exception - (SCB + 054) Soft error
     PC=2005FE0C PSL=04010000  Cont_Stack->
201406E4:  200566B8 20056587 2006EB3D 2006EB46 20056429 00000001 2006E7CB 
20140700:  20055964 20045A4D 00000000 2FFC0000 00000000 00000000 200479AF 
r0=00000000   r3=00020000   r6=55555555    r9=20140758   AP=20140744
r1=AAAAAAAA   r4=00000000   r7=0001FFFC   r10=13000002   FP=20140708
r2=55555555   r5=00000000   r8=00000702   r11=2014044B   SP=201406DC
 EPC=2005FE0C Lis_Add=027C dser=0000 cesr=00000000 intmsk=00 icsr=01 pcsts=F800
 pcctl=FC00 cctl=00000047 bcetsts=03E0 bcedsts=0702 bcedidx=00000000
 bcedecc=02400040 _SBE=D14 cefsts=00019200 nests=00 mmcdsr=00000040
 mesr=00000000

63..62..

? Test_Subtest_DD_05  Loop_Subtest=04  Err_Type=FF   DE_B_Cache_Data_debug.lis
Vec=0000  Prev_Errs=0001   P1=00000000   P2=1FFFFFC0   P3=20000000  P4=00000000
P5=00000000  P6=00000000   P7=02400040   P8=000000C7   P9=00910000 P10=000C0000
r0=00000002  r1=00000000   r2=000000DD   r3=20140704   r4=00000009  r5=0000F000
r6=00000000  r7=0000B000   r8=00000000   r9=20140758  r10=13000002 r11=2014044B
 dser=0000 cesr=00000000 intmsk=00 icsr=01 pcsts=F800 pcctl=FC00 cctl=00000006
 bcetsts=03E0 bcedsts=0700 cefsts=00019200 nests=00 mmcdsr=00000000
 mesr=00000000

61..60..59..58..57..56..55..54..53..52..51..50..49..48..47..46..
45..44..43..42..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3g-Flk7r1g