Projects

IBM AS/400 Model 170 - April 27, 2025

This machine begins my experience with the odd systems that are IBM Midrange. This is a system that once would have been running financial programs, but is now oddly in my living room. It runs IBM OS/400, now referred to as IBM i. My particular machine runs V4R4. It unfortunately did not have a license key on the clean install, so I am stuck reinstalling the OS every 70 days (thanks a lot, IBM). The system was in operational condition when I purchased it- it came with the base unit, some documentation, cables, a Twinax terminal, and its corresponding battleship IBM Model M keyboard. The keyboard will need to be bolt modded at some point, but it is awesome to type on. There is a small but great hobbyist AS/400 crowd, and they are the ones who helped me through installing OS/400 on this system. I hope to make it do more at this point, but for now it is waiting on its next OS install. Updated 11/06/2025