Seth "Twylo" Morabito @twylo@mastodon.sdf.org

For the last couple of weeks I've been working on adding Ethernet support to the AT&T 3B2 emulator. It has been a frustrating process, but I think I finally cracked the problem. https://loomcom.com/blog/0118_understanding_the_ni_card.html

Computers are terrible. But at least they let you be miserable while making really good money.

Starting my Norbert Wiener fan club (just got the one on the right yesterday)

Lol, fingerd.

#fingerd

There. Trying “toot” now. Let’s see if I actually get notifications now.

I never get notifications from Tootdon, and it’s driving me crazy. :/

I’m back on my shit again. This time I’m trying to add support for the “NI” Ethernet card to my AT&T 3B2 emulator. It just dumped its first correctly formed ARP packet!

One significant problem has arisen from all this time working on AT&T emulation: I am now totally used to AT&T assembly syntax, and Intel assembly syntax looks weird to me.

I mean yes, why SHOULDN’T the source come before the destination?

Send help.

‪I have learned more than I ever wanted to know about COFF file symbol tables. Each entry is 18 bytes of pure unadulterated C union hell. Parsing them in Rust is... interesting.‬

‪As in “May you live in interesting times” interesting.‬

Working on improving my very janky WE32100 disassembler, which has always been just barely usable. It now knows how to parse System V COFF files! Next up: Handling relocation and symbols.

Anyway that's what I do for fun on a Friday night now. How are you?

I have written a MASSIVE GUIDE on how to install and configure UNIX System V Release 3 on the AT&T 3B2 Emulator. Comments and feedback very welcome. Have fun!

https://loomcom.com/3b2/installing_unix.html

TOOLS OF UNUSUAL PRECISION

Mm, nroff

Tonight, I helped move 1,500 pounds (680 kg) of AT&T 3B2/1000 systems, disks, software, documentation, and peripherals. It’s gonna be fun to go through all this stuff.

Also discovered a CR304 rectifier diode that failed short, probably took the TIP41 with it. I'm going to recap it while I have it all splayed apart on my workbench. So, $55.92 later, I have a big DigiKey order coming my way. We'll get it working again.

‪Finally plugged in the 3B2/400 I’m attempting to restore. Power supply immediately let out the magic smoke. Nothing is visually damaged, but I did find a bad (shorted) TIP41 power transistor. Lots more testing and debugging to do.‬