Ultra 10 newbie things 1

[Oceanwatcher]

I got an Ultra 10, 300 from a friend with two 9 Gb drives. What do I need to do to install a couple of 17 Gb drives in it? I tried just plugging them in...

Also, I would love to install Linux on it and have got the latest Debian Sparc version. How do I boot the machine on CD?

When I boot the machine (with the new drives, it takes a loooong time and I get an error - The IDPROM contents are invalid.

Also It says Internal loopback test -- Did not receive expected loopback packet.

I think this is enough as a start...
Hopefully someone can guide me a little.

I hope the machine is ok and that I will be able to use it as a small server. Any thoughts on that?

 

[cndcadams]

Bad news. Your nvram is toast=The IDPROM contents are invalid.
This holds environment settings, host id, mac address etc..
you need a new nvram

 

[Oceanwatcher]

Sooo..... How do I replace it? And where is it?

btw - How do I boot on cd?

 

[SamBones]

Actually, I think if you power on the machine and hold down Stop-N (assuming you have a Sun keyboard) while it's booting, it will reset the NVRAM to it's factory settings.

You can go to the following web site for documentation on your Ultra10.

http://www.sun.com/products-n-solut...raSPARC_Workstations/Sun_Ultra_510/index.html

You should be able to find info there that you need.

Hope this helps.

 

[cndcadams]

There is no hope, resetting the nvram will do nothing.
go to sunsolve.sun.com, look up ultra10, pick mother board and it will show you where the nvram is. The nvram usually has a rust color sticker on top. Also this can be replaced if you can get another one.

Thanks

Chris A

 

[Oceanwatcher]

Well... This is what I have done so far.

I was able to get the system to boot off cd. Not too difficult actually. I just typed 'boot cdrom' at the ok prompt. I tried installing Debian on the drives and it seemed to work ok with a few minor glitches. I had to create a Sun label on the drives.

After trying to boot it with no success I tried typing 'help' at the ok prompt. That gave a few interesting options. One was to set nvram to factory default. I tried that one and the system booted on the drives! So now I can go on with the installation.

Boot I have a feeling that I need to fix the nvram at some point. I managed to download the flashfiles from the net, but will probably have to install Solaris 8 to be able to flash it? Will be an interesting experience anyway.

How will the Ultra 10 perform as a file and printserver for my network? Any ideas or experiences?

 

[Dlweeksjr]

The nvram thing is no big deal. I have a couple of Sparc 10's and an IPX that I have resurected from the dead. The IPX still complains about the OBP but thier are some excellent resources on the web for correcting IDPROM issues. You can even poke values into it including mac address if your so inclined. The OBP is full of tools to work on the IDPROM. 17G drives should be more than adequate. I do not see a reason to upgrade the firmware and Linux is a fine OS tho the Solaris version is typically outdated. Solaris 8/9/10(Beta) is a good choice. BTW, most of my machines at work are Ultra 10's with processors ranging from 300-450 Mhz.