Hi 3000 community,
 
after spending a few more thoughts on this issue, a 3rd approach comes
to my mind that minimizes the need to create new software (on the 3000
and on the PC side)...
 
Why not simply convert the LaserROM CD to an MPE/iX file system format?
 
Being at home, I cannot explicitly try the following, but it seems to
me that there is a pretty large chance that it would/will work...
 
1. Pick an unused 670 MB "Eagle" disc (7937) or similar and create
   a user volume set with VOLUTIL "NEWVOL LASER_SET MEMBER1 LDEV=xx".
 
2. Create an MPE group on that volume set with "NEWGROUP LASERROM.SYS;
   ONVS=LASER_SET" and "NEWGROUP LASERROM.SYS;HOMEVS=LASER_SET".
 
3. May create an optional HFS link with "NEWLINK /lasercd,/SYS/LASERROM".
 
4. Mount the CD in your favourite Unix box or PC and transfer the whole
   directory tree from the CD to /lasercd or /SYS/LASERROM on the 3000.
   Use tar or find | cpio or temporary NFS mount or recursive Reflection
   file transfer or whatever tool is preferred.
 
Now the manuals are on the 3000 and inside an MPE/iX file system. Can be
accessed locally (e.g. by a job that converts them to HTML on the fly and
plugs into a local httpd server as CGI script) or exported to LAN clients
by NFS/iX (server part) and thereby visible to all who speak "NFS client".
 
If you now copy the 7937 contents to a CD with one of these fancy new
CD writers, you might even get the whole stuff on CD media... (okay, I
guess this step is not that easy because the CD might need some special
disk label attributes but it should be possible as update CD's are also
delivered as MPE/iX user volume set look-alikes).
 
I bet you would violate the copyright if you did all the above, but what
if some SIG or IPROF could convince HP to deliver LaserROM manuals on the
current CD format as well as on MPE/iX CD format? Maybe add an option to
the update service contract "want PC-based CD or host-based CD"...
 
Greetings from a rainy sunday morning ;-)
 
Lars/iX
 
([log in to unmask] -- only lappel on sunday, not speaking for hp.com)