I just thought it was amusing (about no optical drive).
I've got servers on my mind, because I moved my old AlphaServer DS10 out here, started it up once and it was fine, put it away for a few months and then when I wanted it again, it wouldn't boot.
I have 3 SCSI disks in it and two of them are bootable. The disk currently set at the boot disk seems to have failed.
I mention this because -- as in my optical drive comment -- I no longer have any way to get onto the boot sequence and change the boot ID to a drive that should work. I can only do that via the console port, DB9 RS232. I don't have a terminal. I don't have a PC that I can borrow a USB-RS232 stick for. I don't have a PC with a serial port.
I don't have any way to talk to my DS10 -- I'm locked out.
Sure wish I had firmware with a network port!
I'm going to have to go down to the local used computer store and see if I can scare up a terminal (but what are the odds that in little Hilo I'll find a DEC terminal) or failing that, an old laptop with a DB9 port. I have a CD with my favorite terminal emulator (Hummingbird) and if I could find something to run it on, I'd be good.
Ugh.