From owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Sun Aug 30 09:12:49 2020 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@mailman.nyi.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2610:1c1:1:606c::19:1]) by mailman.nyi.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 74EFC3AC02B for ; Sun, 30 Aug 2020 09:12:49 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from SRS0=kDsy=CI=mail.sermon-archive.info=doug@sermon-archive.info) Received: from mail.sermon-archive.info (sermon-archive.info [71.177.216.148]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4BfSKX3jFNz3TKL for ; Sun, 30 Aug 2020 09:12:48 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from SRS0=kDsy=CI=mail.sermon-archive.info=doug@sermon-archive.info) Received: from [10.0.1.251] (mini [10.0.1.251]) by mail.sermon-archive.info (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 4BfSKW4HGpz2fjVL; Sun, 30 Aug 2020 02:12:47 -0700 (PDT) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Mime-Version: 1.0 (Mac OS X Mail 12.4 \(3445.104.15\)) Subject: Re: (very OT) Ideal partition schemes (history of partitioning) From: Doug Hardie In-Reply-To: <20200829202753.443f19ae4b9bce24b9161871@sohara.org> Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2020 02:12:47 -0700 Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message-Id: References: <20200829154417.8dd5f83d.freebsd@edvax.de> <20200829202753.443f19ae4b9bce24b9161871@sohara.org> To: Steve O'Hara-Smith X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.3445.104.15) X-Virus-Scanned: clamav-milter 0.101.4 at mail X-Virus-Status: Clean X-Rspamd-Queue-Id: 4BfSKX3jFNz3TKL X-Spamd-Bar: -- Authentication-Results: mx1.freebsd.org; dkim=none; dmarc=none; spf=pass (mx1.freebsd.org: domain of SRS0=kDsy=CI=mail.sermon-archive.info=doug@sermon-archive.info designates 71.177.216.148 as permitted sender) smtp.mailfrom=SRS0=kDsy=CI=mail.sermon-archive.info=doug@sermon-archive.info X-Spamd-Result: default: False [-2.47 / 15.00]; RCVD_VIA_SMTP_AUTH(0.00)[]; ARC_NA(0.00)[]; NEURAL_HAM_MEDIUM(-0.98)[-0.978]; FROM_HAS_DN(0.00)[]; TO_DN_SOME(0.00)[]; MV_CASE(0.50)[]; R_SPF_ALLOW(-0.20)[+ip4:71.177.216.148]; MIME_GOOD(-0.10)[text/plain]; DMARC_NA(0.00)[lafn.org: no valid DMARC record]; NEURAL_HAM_LONG(-0.99)[-0.994]; TO_MATCH_ENVRCPT_SOME(0.00)[]; NEURAL_HAM_SHORT(-1.09)[-1.093]; RCPT_COUNT_TWO(0.00)[2]; FORGED_SENDER(0.30)[bc979@lafn.org,SRS0=kDsy=CI=mail.sermon-archive.info=doug@sermon-archive.info]; RCVD_NO_TLS_LAST(0.10)[]; R_DKIM_NA(0.00)[]; MIME_TRACE(0.00)[0:+]; RCVD_COUNT_TWO(0.00)[2]; ASN(0.00)[asn:5650, ipnet:71.177.216.0/23, country:US]; FROM_NEQ_ENVFROM(0.00)[bc979@lafn.org,SRS0=kDsy=CI=mail.sermon-archive.info=doug@sermon-archive.info]; MAILMAN_DEST(0.00)[freebsd-questions] X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2020 09:12:49 -0000 -- Doug > On 29 August 2020, at 12:27, Steve O'Hara-Smith = wrote: >=20 > I'm from 59, I used punched cards and paper tape on an IBM-1130 = for > my start in computing, then went on to teletypes and a DG Eclipse = before > encountering one of the first TRS-80s in the UK (I said "Nice keyboard > where's the computer"). Then I went to college and met an IBM-370. I = didn't > meet floppies until after college when I worked on the Torch - if = anyone > remembers it CPN was my idea and Dave Oliver made it good. >=20 I started wiring boards to program an analog computer. Shortly after = that, the college computer center had a stand along printer, IBM 407 = accounting machine. You programmed it using a very large plug board and = lots of wires. Two of us figured out how to make it solve 10 = simultaneous linear equations and actually got it to work. We did have = some help from our IBM maintenance man who showd us how to avoid the = clutch burning out. Once he verified that it worked, he took lots of = pictures of the board from different angles so you could see all the = wires and took it back to IBM. =20 Later we used paper tape (5 level) on a PDP-11/45 which only had an 8 = level reader and punch. We had to send tape to the communications = center and receive it from them. The tape came folded in boxes. I had = to build some aluminum blocks with fairly complex angles to securely = hold 5 level tape in the 8 level reader and punch. However, if you took = the used tape, which was normally thrown away and cut it at each of the = folds and then taped them into circles interconnected, you had a = wonderful chain that was really neat on a Christmas tree. We did that = for several years. Somewhere I have pictures of one of the trees. I also got sent to a micro computer programming class using the KIM-1. = A complete waste of my time, but interesting. The KIM had a = pizoelectric crystal buzzer on it. In the class, someone asked the = instructor if it could be programmed to play music. The instructor was = adamant it would only produce one note. However, as a ham, I had used = crystals for years and you can pull the frequency with capacitors or = inductors. I figured that could be emulated at audio frequencies. I = stayed up the entire night programming it to pulse the beeper with a = single clock pulse at the frequency I wanted to produce. It worked. By = the time the class started, I could make 3 part harmony and went in a = bit early and had it playing some simple Christmas carols when the other = arrived. The instructor was not pleased. -- Doug