New OS and hardware for IBM server.

[wacrider]

I was recently give an older 1998 RS/6000 IBM machine supposedly called a Shark and once used by either an internet dial up or hosting company from what I understand. Regardless, in talking to the wife of the previous owner who died, and from what I understand, it hasn't been cleared of original company data. Eventually I want to turn it into a web server for my own startup company after using it as a training tool to learn Unix/Linux and administration. Since I don't have a dumb terminal to access the computer, which is probably password protected anyways, I'm thinking I may as well go ahead and and move to another version of an OS and am thinking about Fedora possibly but only because of what I read. I believe, and this is an assumption that the OS is AIX on the PowerPC platform. Right now the problem is a terminal and the pin out is a DB9 male which doesn't match my monitor. I may install a used video card to get around that. One question that I have is about using my iMac in terminal to access the IBM machine. Is it going to be as easy as running a cable between them thru a switch or is there more to it?

[MrKrabs]

Right now the problem is a terminal and the pin out is a DB9 male which doesn't match my monitor

Not to the point, but guess you're new to computing. DB9 male was used (an is still used, albeit for other purposes) to connect mouse, or other external peripheral device to a computer, not a monitor.

it hasn't been cleared of original company data.

Just use

dd

tool that come with any flavour of Linux to delete all data.

[Roxoff]

The 9-way D-type connector is a serial port (it was also used for a mouse connection for many years, but this was not its primary purpose).

If you want to talk to this port, then I suggest you get hold of a serial lead. You can connect another PC to that port and use a terminal emulator to talk to it; you may have to experiment with the connection settings, but a good start may be to try 9600-N-8-1 (if you're unfamiliar with serial ports, dont worry, these settings will be a lot clearer if you look at the terminal config screens).

If you're really lucky, you might be able to get a dumb-terminal (I remember my employers having a VT-100 serial port terminal we used for debugging windwos 95/98 device drivers many years ago) which will take care of all the hassle for you.

[wacrider]

The 9-way D-type connector is a serial port (it was also used for a mouse connection for many years, but this was not its primary purpose).

If you want to talk to this port, then I suggest you get hold of a serial lead. You can connect another PC to that port and use a terminal emulator to talk to it; you may have to experiment with the connection settings, but a good start may be to try 9600-N-8-1 (if you're unfamiliar with serial ports, dont worry, these settings will be a lot clearer if you look at the terminal config screens).

If you're really lucky, you might be able to get a dumb-terminal (I remember my employers having a VT-100 serial port terminal we used for debugging windwos 95/98 device drivers many years ago) which will take care of all the hassle for you.

Is there a terminal emulator out there that can talk to AIX on a Power3 system? At first I thought the server was a PPC but from what I read it's the precursor. Maybe the OS is the same? Btw, I'm a newbie at this so I may ask dumb questions.

[Roxoff]

Any terminal emulation software should do - Windwos used to come with one, but it doesn't seem to be present on any versions I have that were made this century. Linux has a terminal emulator program too, but I forget the name (it must be 10 years since I used one). Maybe google can help?