Dell OptiPlex GX300

Dell OptiPlex info on Wikipedia

  • box: midi tower
  • cpu: Intel Pentium III @ 733 MHz, max 2 cpus (must be equal, 2nd cpu needs VRM module)
  • memory: 2 slots, type RIMM, 512 MB (2 modules of 256 MB, max 1 GB)
  • disk: ad4: 476940MB at ata2-master UDMA100 SATA 1.5Gb/s (was: 190782MB at ata2-master SATA150)
  • optical drive: acd0: CDRW at ata1-master UDMA33
  • floppy drive: 3.5 inch 1..44 MB drive (A:, fd0)
  • floppy drive: 5.25 inch 1.2 MB drive (B:, fd1)
  • graphics card: nVidia Riva TNT2 Model 64
  • sound: snd_ich - pcm0: port 0xd800-0xd8ff,0xdc80-0xdcbf irq 17 at device 31.5 on pci0
  • pcm0: [ITHREAD]
  • pcm0:
  • network - wired: xl0: <3Com 3c905C-TX Fast Etherlink XL> port 0xec00-0xec7f mem 0xfafff800-0xfafff87f irq 18 at device 12.0 on pci2
  • miibus0: on xl0
  • xlphy0: <3c905C 10/100 internal PHY> PHY 24 on miibus0
  • xlphy0: 10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, auto
  • usb: 2 ports, only usb 1.1
  • boot: boot from network is supported
  • bios: version A10

More info: FreeBSD, OpenSolaris, Xubuntu on GX300.

kvm: port 3

back to machines page.

event log

2021-08-18: I re-created this page on my self-hosted web server.

2018-07-01: I ran TestFDC on drive A, to see how a 3.5 inch drive differs (if at all) from a 5.25 inch drive)

tingo@kg-t2$ date; cat fdc_dell_a.txt
Sun Jul  1 12:44:29 CEST 2018
Report on FDC capabilities, issued 1/07/2018 12:38:36:
Single-Density at 250 kbps ............................ Passed
Single-Density at 300 kbps ............................ Not tested
Single-Density at 500 kbps ............................ Passed
Double-Density at 250 kbps ............................ Passed
Double-Density at 300 kbps ............................ Not tested
Double-Density at 500 kbps ............................ Passed
Double-Density at 250 kbps / 128 byte sectors ......... Passed
Double-Density at 300 kbps / 128 byte sectors ......... Not tested
Double-Density at 500 kbps / 128 byte sectors ......... Passed

looks good.

2018-03-24: I ran TestFDC from a (Free)DOS floppy in drive A:, like so: testfdc b:, results

tingo@kg-t2$ date; cat dellfdc.txt
Sun Mar 25 00:11:25 CET 2018
Report on FDC capabilities, issued 24/03/2018 23:54:34:
Single-Density at 250 kbps ............................ Not tested
Single-Density at 300 kbps ............................ Passed
Single-Density at 500 kbps ............................ Passed
Double-Density at 250 kbps ............................ Not tested
Double-Density at 300 kbps ............................ Passed
Double-Density at 500 kbps ............................ Passed
Double-Density at 250 kbps / 128 byte sectors ......... Not tested
Double-Density at 300 kbps / 128 byte sectors ......... Passed
Double-Density at 500 kbps / 128 byte sectors ......... Passed

not sure why it shows "not tested" on some of the tests.

2018-03-22: I should run Dave Dunfield's TestFDC (from a floppy) to figure out if the FDC in this machine can do FM.

2018-03-19: perhaps I could use dumpfloppy to figure out a single-sided format. It is for Linux, so must be ported.

2013-03-17: according to the users guide, the machine has two serial ports: "two 9-pin connectors; 16550-compatible" (DTE).

2011-09-25: the machine would not boot; no output on the display at all. No error codes, no beeps. The battery (CR2032) was down, so I replaced that. Still no display output. After re-seating he CPU, the "dummy board" in the second cpu slot, the RDIMMs and the power connectors the machine is alive again.

2009-10-22: I replaced the failing drive. The new ad4 is a 500GB Western Digital (WDC WD5000AAKS-00TMA0 12.01C01), taken from an external WD elements drive. Note: this drive has been getting too hot earlier, better install smartmontools asap.

2009-10-20: the ad4 hard drive (ST3200822AS) is failing. REad errors all over.

2009-10-20: added a 5.25 inch floppy drive (1.2 MB half height) as drive B:

2009-04-12: upgraded bios from version A07 to version A10 (latest available).

2009-04-08: I added a Silicon Image sil3114 SATA150 4 port SATA raid card (I'm not using the raid features). From dmesg:

atapci0: <SiI SiI 3114 SATA150 controller> port 0xecf8-0xecff,0xecf0-0xecf3,0xece0-0xece7,0xecd8-0xecdb,0xecc0-0xeccf mem 0xfafffc00-0xfaffffff irq 17 at device 8.0 on pci2
atapci0: [ITHREAD]
ata2: <ATA channel 0> on atapci0
ata2: [ITHREAD]
ata3: <ATA channel 1> on atapci0
ata3: [ITHREAD]
ata4: <ATA channel 2> on atapci0
ata4: [ITHREAD]
ata5: <ATA channel 3> on atapci0
ata5: [ITHREAD]

I also added a sata hard drive: ad4: 190782MB at ata2-master SATA150

2009-03-12: I got the machine from a friend.