[cfarm-users] Rare old Unices and CPUs

[Segher Boessenkool]

Hi!

On Tue, Feb 17, 2026 at 11:01:46AM +0100, Martin Guy via cfarm-users wrote:
> I see that freaknet.org has a dozen or so old boxes currently offline
> until someone puts up the cost of the electric to run them. I'd be
> happy to fund this, maybe for a few months while it's still cold in Sicily.

Solve two problems at once!

> If so, let me know which are of interest.
> 
> Cut'n'pasting https://museo.freaknet.org/en/archivio-2/computer-online
> they are:
> 
> SILICON GRAPHICS
> 
> name address type processor ram os hd usage
> indy 10.10.2.1 Indy R4400 200Mhz 160Mb Irix 6.2 2Gb + 1Gb

I will love all Indies.  But that is just me.  From every viewpoint
they are nice and capable machines, though.

And Irix was very good.

> IBM RISC 6000
> 
> name address type processor ram os hd usage
> ariane5 10.30.1.1 7011-220 RSC (risc single chip) 33Mhz 16Mb AIX 3.2 540Mb
> svi6000 10.30.1.2 7009-C10 PowerPC 601 80Mhz 64Mb AIX 4.3.2 3x 2.2Gb
> ds9 10.30.1.3 7043-140 PowerPC 604e 200Mhz 128Mb AIX 4.3.3 9Gb + 2Gb
> vector / 7012-320H POWER1 25Mhz 32Mb AIX 4.3.3 500Mb

The RS/6000 bmachines are great, too.  These machines are even older
than the Indy, so some of them are less powerful even., but :-)

> HEWLETT PACKARD
> 
> name address type processor ram os hd usage
> apollo 10.30.1.52 Apollo 433s MC68040 33Mhz 16Mb Domain/OS 10.3.5 sys5.3 600Mb

Really really weak.  Bue ineteresting historically.

> NCR Corporation
> 
> name address type processor ram os hd usage
> tower650 10.32.6.50 Tower 32/650 MC68020 25Mhz 8Mb Unix System V Rel. 3 312Mb
Ditto.

> UNISYS Corporation
> 
> name address type processor ram os hd usage
> u6000 10.10.40.1 Unisys 386-20 8Mb? UNIX System V/386/486 Release 3.00 360Mb
> 
> APPLE
> 
> name address type processor ram os hd usage
> cosmos 10.40.1.2 PowerMac 8500 PowerPC 604 133Mhz 96Mb Rhapsody 5.0 1.2Gb /
> name Address typo processor ram os hd usage
> next 10.10.1.113 SPARCStation 5 MicroSparcII 110Mhz 64Mb NextStep 3.3 1Gb
> columbia 10.10.1.111 SPARCStation 5 MicroSparcII 70Mhz 48Mb OpenBSD 3.6 820Mb
> challenger 10.10.1.110 SPARCStation 5 MicroSparcII 70Mhz 32Mb
> Slackware 7.2 400Mb
> slowlaris 10.10.1.112 SPARCStation 20 2x SuperSparc 60Mhz 96Mb Solaris
> 9 2Gb + 1Gb
> amnesiac 10.10.1.115 Ultra 5 UltraSparc IIi 360Mhz 128Mb NetBSD 4.0 4Gb

I would love to have more ancient machines ihn the cfarm, esp. PowerPC
machines, but I have to question the goal a bit.  The way Power is
developed it is pretty much guranteed that older machines will keep on
working as well, so we really only need to test the newer things.

But machines like the Sparcs are welcome no matter what!  I just have
to question how pradtically useful old stuff will be nowadays.


Segher