Suggested tools for ComputerBanks after 1999-02-12 working m

[rodneybrown@pmsc.com]

Suggested tools for ComputerBanks after 1999-02-12 working meeting

This is meant as a starting point for discussion.

Keyboard & VGA Switchbox and associated cables.
   - allows testing boxes with known good keyboard & monitor,
       preserves good monitor by avoiding repeated unplugging

PS/2 => DIN (Normal) Keyboard converter

Chip Lifter - can leave corporate one on semi-permanent loan
        (Came with Kingston upgrade - not wonderful).

Linux floppy distribution (Traveller's Linux or whatever)
    with fdisk and format, so we can limit the temptation to look on
    any existing DOS/Windows partitions.
    <http://tx.us.mirrors.freshmeat.net/appindex/1998/08/29/904372728.html>
    [fm] Traveller's Linux
    <http://tx.us.mirrors.freshmeat.net/appindex/1998/10/22/909057722.html>
    [fm] LOAF
    <http://tx.us.mirrors.freshmeat.net/appindex/1998/11/06/910380218.html>
    [fm] tomsrtbt
    <http://tx.us.mirrors.freshmeat.net/appindex/1998/11/16/911270536.html>
    [fm] muLinux
    <http://tx.us.mirrors.freshmeat.net/appindex/1999/01/07/915711740.html>
    [fm] Pocket Linux
    <http://www.trinux.org>  Trinux
    Debian rescue disks?
    MCA supporting floppy distribution

Longer term,
    External SCSI case with CD-ROM, ZIP drive, Drive with filesystem?
    (Either a Standard ISA SCSI Board (Adaptec 1522 or 1542 say) or
    the Trantor (now Adaptec) SCSI over Parallel port if well (& reliably)
    supported under Linux.

    Alternately one of the Removable IDE Disk catridges
    - set up with CD-ROM drive too, so only two plugs to
    provide power and data to CD-ROM and disk?

Vacuum Cleaner - can provide old one

Dentist's style mirror

Probably worth having a magnetic screwdriver set with a large set of 
bits, including the rarer torqx (Compaqs) and maybe the security ones -
depending
what we find we need.

Cleaning agents (longer term)

Anti-static bags for memory, worthwhile boards.
Suitable anti-static containers for CPU chips.


Generally, current version of the Hardware Howto, any
relevant UseNet FAQs ...
If we get appreciable numbers of IBM Micro Channel architecture boxes,
copy of the Linux Micro Channel Home Page,

URLs for Identifying Chips and Cables
<http://peace.me.gu.edu.au/resource/chipdir/n/index.htm> Chip Directory

<http://csgrad.cs.vt.edu/~tjohnson/pinouts/> Tommy's pinout collection

URLs for Disk drive Jumpers, Motherboard Doco ....

<http://theref.aquascape.com/theref.html>
    TheRef (tm) Drive and Controller Guide

<http://www.dgmicro.com/> Micro Channel Linux Home Page

NB Despite their 'different' nature, we may find that Micro Channel <=>
IBM PS/2 Hardware is easy to obtain. As such, having MCA (Debian) boot
disks and some knowlege may be worthwhile

Amazon.com has some 120 books for Repairing and Maintaining MicroComputers,
since as has been pointed out, we don't want to be wasting our time,
we need to find which ones are relevant and useful and maybe try to get
same second hand or whatever.
We could ask PC vendors for documentation and training materiel.


Software for the Target machines
<http://www.cs.rice.edu/CS/PLT/Teaching/> Rice PLT: The TeachScheme! Project
(Needs too much memory - suggestion for those recipients wanting to learn
programming).