Help please for a 3b2 neophyte...

[Mike Morris]

I have a chance to pick up a 3b2-300 with a very dead hard disk drive for
very little money.  It's been dead for over a year.  I've seen it with
the cover off, and as I remember it has 4 serial ports on a card
in the card cage, and blank plates over two slots.  The console
plugs into a port on the back.
Does anybody supply aftermarket cards (memory or otherwise) for this machine?

The disk is (was, really) a full-height 5.25" CDC Wren.  Knowing a little
about how AT&T designed hardware, I'm wondering if this is a standard 
ST-506 interface, or do I need to look for a specific flavor of hard drive?

Also, if my source can't turn up the docs/floppies, how available
is the needed software?  Also a AT&T "DMD" terminal will come with it.  I
understand that it is a "semi-smart" terminal, but orphaned...

My environment/planned use for this system will be polled mail & news
(I'll do the polling), a semi-public "BBS" environment for a ham radio 
club, a little C language development, etc.  i.e. a home unix system.
Is there a pd/shareware/cheap BBS for it?  How about a starlan card for it?
If I can turn a starlan card for my XT will they talk?  Can the 3b2 be a
file server & a print server?

As I recall the system is vintage 1983-1984 or so...

Am I getting in over my head?
Is there something I should be asking and am not? 
My background is CP/M (since IMSAI days), lots of MS/DOS, and a little unix.
This will be a learning experience, I guess.

Any replies, either posted if you feel it's warranted, or e-mailed will
be _very_ welcome - even if it's "Pass it up - you _don't_ want the 
headaches or the problems! - get a copy of XENIX and a 386!"...

Mike Morris                      Internet:  Morris at Jade.JPL.NASA.gov
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