Apple Network Server 700 exploration!

[@TSteffi]

SCSI drives don't always spin up automatically when they get power. I had a couple of SCSI drives once, and they had a jumper for auto-start. Without that jumper, the drive waits for a command from the controller to spin up. That is to limit the power draw in a system with many drives. The spin up takes a lot of power compared to just running continuously, and spinning up 6 drives at once would draw a lot of power. So the drives wait for a command from the controller to spin up, and the controller can spin them up one at a time. All this is to say: just because the drives don't spin up doesn't mean they are dead. Maybe they are just waiting for the command to start.

[@KarlHamilton]

The jumper DISABLES autostart.

[@TSteffi]

@@KarlHamilton are you absolutely sure that is the case on every drive? I'm pretty sure the ones I had needed the jumper installed to auto start. But that was many years ago, I could be misremembering

[@twentyrothmans7308]

Your nonchalance at not knowing what you are doing is inspiring 🙂 I took over an Apple office once, that was my first month.

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

I feel like it's related to "fake it until you make it." I don't know everything, and the KZbin audience knows I don't know everything. Why pretend otherwise? Lol.

[@mentaljaundice]

This is great stuff. I think the ANS is a very interesting "UNIX alternate universe" path that Apple might have been able to go down without the NeXT acquisition. Really looking forward to the next episode on this, and good luck with getting it to boot!

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

Apple dabbled in UNIX a couple times. A/UX, AIX, and finally NeXT. I'm already working on getting these actually running an OS. I really, really want to see them returned to their original glory!

[@johnvanwinkle4351]

I didn't know Apple built servers! These are cool! Keep working on these to get them running.....grin

[@minombredepila1580]

Yes please !!!!. Want to see more, in whatever configuration you prefer. Love your sincerity on Apple (exactly like mine). Oh, I could spend so much time with good food and beer messing with those.... If I were you, I would try to make one working with pieces from both (I guess they are the same model) and then try to get another one complete and functioning. I'm getting popcorn for the next episode. Amazing machines. First time I see one naked 🙂

[@DanielRodriguez-ff5cs]

Great video! hope to see more in the future! great work dude!

[@SuperRandomForum]

This was the video where I found your channel, subscribed and will enjoy!

[@johnmay4803]

mazing vid as always pal i really enjoyed it plus ive never seen one of them before! thank you for the upload

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

I had only ever seen one IRL before, and that was at VCF East in 2023. I certainly never had any dream of working on one.

[@johnmay4803]

@@TalesofWeirdStuff i bet they cost a lot of money new! i would love 2 make a house network with 1 and have a load of classic macs hooked up 2 it! 1 in every room even he bathroom!! lol heaven lol

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

According to everymac.com, they were $15,000 in 1996. That's quite a pile of money! I might... have to draw the line at wired networking in the bathroom. Ha!

[@johnmay4803]

@@TalesofWeirdStuff if i had it in my bathroom id never get off the loo or get out of the bath! id turn in to a proone lol

[@memadmax69]

Very nice. When Apple made real computers still. The module underneath the "cache module" is actually a bus terminator for a second CPU card. The two tiny buttons next to the power button are reset and non-maskable interrupt I believe. Good stuff. Long time since I seen one of these.

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

Interesting... any idea what that weird button on the system board is?

[@memadmax69]

@@TalesofWeirdStuff Oops, was wrong about the ROM socket, sorry. Was right about the NMI and reset buttons lol. Button on the system board resets the system management chip. Manual for this is on archive website under retro apple manuals.

[@madigorfkgoogle9349]

@@memadmax69 ...so it is the usual: Never press the button you have no clue what its doing, especially if its RED!

[@computersales]

I didn't realize Apple was making servers way back then. It's a shame they dropped their server line but I'm not surprised considering they don't want their stuff to be repairable anymore.

[@hackmancoltaire]

I have one of these that I'm in the process of restoring as well. I've run linux on this for years and know a lot about it. Happy to connect and help you with your restore.

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

I would definitely like to hear about your experiences. What distro are you running? A friend of mine is a Gentoo maintainer, but... I suspect that may be more of a battle than I want.

[@hackmancoltaire]

@@TalesofWeirdStuff I emailed you

[@reprapmlp]

@@TalesofWeirdStuff having run Gentoo on a DEC AlphaServer for some years in the early 2000s (because nobody was making binary distros for Alpha) I can confirm: if you're not heavily into recompiling stuff Gentoo is WAY more battle than you're after, and even if you are it'll likely eventually wear you down. (Although with `distcc` and cross-compilers running on some significantly more-beefy boxes, the battle becomes more like a sibling back-seat fight.)

[@jeremiahbogner7938]

I’m a fellow ANS owner as well, and am definitely curious to hear more about what version of Linux you are running on it.

[@hackmancoltaire]

I was running Yellow Dog Linux for many years, but recently started exploring moving to Gentoo. You won’t find a compatible kernel out of the box. I’ve always had to compile mine

[@AK-nb6hz]

You can drill those rivets and easily get in. It'll close right up. You'll need to seal them back up again with something. I just taped mine close in the end.

[@AK-nb6hz]

Also, recap it.. mine had quite a bit of leakage underneath them..

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

The caps in the power supply or in the rest of the system? A little bit of a spoiler... the caps on the CPU board for the other system look like they have leaked a little.

[@AK-nb6hz]

@@TalesofWeirdStuff The rest of the system. Mine had on the CPU board. but a few elsewhere too.

[@Urosaurus]

Cool stuff.

[@drewnewby]

"Device isn't there!" just doesn't have the same ring to it as Device Not Found. Apple, so certain of the fact, we get an exclamation.

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

They sure did like to exclaim things. I especially liked it yelling at me about the drive bay fan.

[@WarLordN1k]

love retro macs but NEVER played with the servers so sad i can not help you at this point... hope and vibes is all i can do nerd.

[@THEtechknight]

Those power supplies come apart when you remove the two pegs that go into the power plane, it should slide apart. These need servicing by the way, ive had to repair a couple of these so far (which can be found on my channel i believe). Also, i didnt see you remove the front cover so i dont know how you straightened out the LCD.

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

I didn't see that in the service manual... but I may have missed it. When I dig into the other server, I'll show the power supply disassembly. I'll also show out to realign the LCD. There are two plastic pegs inside that front panel, and it just needs to be aligned with those. They hold it in place. I suspect during the moving or years in the barn, it just got jostled out of place.

[@johnmay4803]

i liked it that much im watching again lol

[@OverKillPlusOne]

I’ve actually got one of these. I did have it working until around ten years ago. In the subsequent moves the key was unfortunately broken off and lost.

[@OverKillPlusOne]

And it’s not a Mac, it’s nothing like anything else apple ever built. I remember it because the advertising campaign was a sumo wrestler in a tutu and ballerina shoes!

[@andrewdunbar828]

Locksmiths can make new keys by twiddling a blank in the lock and filing it to shape where it is marked. Have had this done for classic cars in the past.

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

That's better than what I was going to suggest.. I wonder how much that would cost. Certainly cheaper if you take it to them.

[@OverKillPlusOne]

They’re a weak wafer lock if memory serves. I’ve picked mine. And yeah, taking the whole machine or, like me, I’d just pick it and pull like the rear one out and take it to my locksmith. It just hasn’t been any kind of priority for me is all.

[@MrZorbatron]

ST15230N is 5 GB. Seagate model numbers are easy. ST (1-9 Form Factor) (Numeric model based on Capacity in MB and other parameters) (interface). N is narrow SCSI

[@TatsuZZmage]

seagate HAWK, that sent me down a rabbithole for a moment. so yeah Seagate aquired what had been CDCs HDDrive side of things. makes me wonder if that dive has any legacy to its ancestor that Usagi has lol.

[@protox07]

Awesome

[@hodgenick]

It is a Shiner!!! (named from Shiner Bock Beer) That was the codename of this box. There was a prototype rack mount version called "Deepdish"

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

I knew the 150 was Shiner and the 132 was Shiner LE, but I didn't know it was named after the beer.

[@hodgenick]

@@TalesofWeirdStuff I was a Systems Engineer in Australia with previous Unix experience, and a potential large customer. So liaised with Product Management: a lovely bunch of people. Good times.

[@leopiipponen7693]

That's an interesting device... Why did Apple have to make its own version of IBM servers? They both used the same AIX system... ?

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

They wanted a slice of that pie, of course. :) It's very similar to a PowerMac 9500, and they enhanced AIX with some extra software to make it play better in an all-Macintosh environment. It was also an experiment that didn't last very long.

[@leopiipponen7693]

@@TalesofWeirdStuff Of course it is. IBM is not compatible with other hardware manufacturers... :)

[@Voyager_2]

About the battery: Me getting a Amiga that has been in storage for 20 years: Code red Code red we have a Varta battery! Nurse I need a pair of flush cutters stat! Snip... pfew.... just it time...

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

I have opened several Amiga 2000 computers only to find a wasteland of battery damage. :(

[@Voyager_2]

@@TalesofWeirdStuff Yeah I gave up on buying the A2000 secondhand. I have build 2 floppie209 boards. But it's so recognizable to see somebody's first reaction is like "quick take it out!" :-)

[@chriskeeton122]

I was right there with you when you said you wanted to max it out lol. I have a IIgs that I hope to get everything together for. I've maxed the ram at 13MB and also upgraded the processor (thanks applesqueezer) I've also added a CFFA 3000 and a scsi card. I want an original apple external scsi drive, apple scsi external CD-ROM (one of the caddy loading ones that would be era correct) and last but not least, the original GS RGB Colour Monitor.

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. Amiright?

[@chriskeeton122]

Absolutely. Especially if a particular computer calls your name lol. I do love seeing the Apple servers. I hate to say it but I never knew they had dedicated servers before the xserve ones. When I was around 10 or 11 in elementary school we had an Apple IIe/GS computer lab that must have run from Apple talk or local talk because they were all daisy chained together up to a IIgs that had an external HDD attached. We never had to use disks either, you just selected it from the menu and there comes Oregon trail lol. I personally would love to run across a stash of Apple II computers. IIgs especially but IIe’s are good too. Ooh I forgot about the IIc+ we had in the classroom til everyone got Mac LCIii’s. I’ll always have a soft spot for old hardware, and I’d love to collect it but I’m in the UK and Apple II computers are rarely seen here. Shame really since Apple has a factory in Ireland.

[@stphinkle]

I wondered if the previous owner erased the hard drives and you need to reinstall the operating system.

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

That will be covered in the next video. ;) Either way... I'm going to install new operating systems on both machines.

[@Ensue85A]

Is it compatible with the BeOS 5?

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

I don't know. In my research, I haven't come across anyone mention BeOS on these systems at all. Surely by now somebody must have tried. Right?

[@lyonadimral]

Were these the two from Minnesota?

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

They were from far eastern Washington. It's not quite as far as Minnesota, but it was still a 6 hour drive each way. I did a video about the rescue back in August.

[@jeremiahbogner7938]

That was my first thought, I was wondering if one of his two was from there, I have one of those two machines. I have the 500 and another person got the 700.

[@reecepeart]

Is that a blue apple prototype sticker?!

[@KarlHamilton]

No

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

I didn't see one. Where in the video did you think you saw that? The machine has an Apple lease sticker on the back, so it seems pretty unlikely to be a prototype.

[@wirelesspackett]

There was a CD in the drive. What was it? Also, was there a floppy in the drive?

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

Well spotted!!! I didn't even notice that there was a CD in the drive. I just checked, and it's the original Apple AIX 4.1.4 installation media! I didn't boot the machine far enough to ask it to eject the floppy disk. These came with system diagnostics software on floppy, so that might be what's in the drive.

[@charding4000]

You lucky bastard...😊

[@3ffrige]

It’s a Seagate drive. Why would you want to have that connected? I’d only connect any seagate drive to my host only if I want to be pissed off in the near future because of drive failures.

[@Wannes_]

Only 2 years before the iMac G3 ...

[@yay4this]

It's this your first Apple Mac-like device from the 90s? Lol

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

No... it's my second! rofl

[@yay4this]

@@TalesofWeirdStuff lol

[@ran2wild370]

Looks cool, but having it with AIX... %-) Wow, it's too difficult today.

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

I fully expect getting AIX running to be... very exciting. Lol. I have a couple IBM pSeries systems of similar vintage that I want to get AIX on, so this should be a good learning experience.

[@billchatfield3064]

I really enjoyed this. Thank you. I just feel the need to complain about a few things. I don't know why people feel the need to take everything apart. Any time you take something apart you run the risk of breaking something or putting it back together wrong. Don't take it apart unless it's broken or there's an error that has to be fixed. There's nothing really interesting on the inside anyway, it's just standard off-the-shelf parts that people have seen a million times. I mean if you want to take the case off, spray out the dust, and look at what cards you have, that's cool. If you do any more than that, you're asking for trouble, especially in an old machine. Just leave it alone and it will last longer. Also, don't boot a machine without the CPU fan, or other fans for that matter. Don't boot it without reassembling it, unless you're debugging a particular failure. It's your machine. You do what you want. I guess if you're catering to people that want to look at hardware, you have to take it apart. But, to me, it's always the same old stuff on the inside. I want to see the operating system and the software. I always have to wait until the last minute of the video to see almost nothing I find interesting. But, like I said, I did enjoy it. I just feel like complaining.

[@2xtreem4u]

you had luck with the battery (they leak)

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

Then I got twice as lucky... because the battery in the other one hadn't leaked yet either. Thank goodness for small wonders!

[@DatBlueHusky]

hearing the cpus are not cross compatible, no wonder not alot of people collect these things, you are pretty much ankle chained to whatever it has way you find it.

[@mglmouser]

Your hardware ignorance of Macs is excusable, especially since this hardware was actually IBM, built under license in a new designed based on IBM RS6000 motherboards.

[@thamwuiyoong8704]

Old junk n granny voice.

[@Saphykitten]

SHUT UP WHEN DID YOU GET ONE OF THESE

[@TalesofWeirdStuff]

Right?!? Not one, BUT TWO! It was back in August. They were in the "Dozens of Apple computers rescued" video from the end of August.

[@ran2wild370]

@@TalesofWeirdStuff lol, I was hunting not so vintage sewing machines (only 70-50 years old) locally, so missed the video I guess :-))

[@JohnMintyTech]

His name is not shut up.