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KSU92ME
n00b
Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 4
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 Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 6:54 pm Post subject: Noob: reformat Sparc Classic, install Gentoo - How? |
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I have an opportunity to get an unused (~8 years) Sparc Classic Model 447 (microSparc chip?) file server setup at work for free. Am I right that a 32 bit version of Gentoo will install and run on this hardware?
However, the company wants to make sure that all the old data is wiped off the drives (two external and I assume one inside the 447 box). I rarely messed with this computer when it was running, rebooting by carefully following some written instructions. I think we still have the password to login to the system, but I can't find a clear method online as to how to wipe the system clean (running Solaris 5.1 IIRC). I read a little about the Format command, but I am such a noob I don't know if this means from within Solaris or not. So if there is a source of how to wipe clean this type of Sun hardware, let me know.
My main questions are:
Is there a 'Knoppix' equivalent that would boot the computer off the CD drive and allow me to wipe the hard drives clean?
Would the installation of Gentoo take care of reformatting the hard drive(s)?
Do I have to login to Solaris to access the external CD drive?
If I placed the Gentoo CD in the drive and fired up all the hardware, would it boot off the CD prior to starting Solaris? |
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Colonel Paneek
n00b
Joined: 06 Mar 2003
Posts: 42
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| Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 10:32 am Post subject: Re: Noob: reformat Sparc Classic, install Gentoo - How? |
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| KSU92ME wrote: | | So if there is a source of how to wipe clean this type of Sun hardware, let me know. |
I would reccomend:
Download the gentoo minimal sparc cd & boot it
(I used Stop-A to acess the Sun bootloader prom on an Ultra 10)
from the ok prompt:
boot cdrom
When the cdrom has booted, find your drives from dmesg and use fdisk to check the partitions.
To erase a partition:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/_partition_label_
| Quote: | | Would the installation of Gentoo take care of reformatting the hard drive(s)? |
When your partitions are correct, use mkfs from the cdrom to do this.
| Quote: | | If I placed the Gentoo CD in the drive and fired up all the hardware, would it boot off the CD prior to starting Solaris? |
Yes, if you tell it what the boot device as described above. |
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KSU92ME
n00b
Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 10:58 pm Post subject: Re: Noob: reformat Sparc Classic, install Gentoo - How? |
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Thank Colonel!
I've come under the impression the current gentoo is just for the Ultra (64 bit) Sparcs?
| Colonel Paneek wrote: | | KSU92ME wrote: | | So if there is a source of how to wipe clean this type of Sun hardware, let me know. |
I would reccomend:
Download the gentoo minimal sparc cd & boot it
(I used Stop-A to acess the Sun bootloader prom on an Ultra 10)
from the ok prompt:
boot cdrom
When the cdrom has booted, find your drives from dmesg and use fdisk to check the partitions.
To erase a partition:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/_partition_label_
| Quote: | | Would the installation of Gentoo take care of reformatting the hard drive(s)? |
When your partitions are correct, use mkfs from the cdrom to do this.
| Quote: | | If I placed the Gentoo CD in the drive and fired up all the hardware, would it boot off the CD prior to starting Solaris? |
Yes, if you tell it what the boot device as described above. |
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Colonel Paneek
n00b
Joined: 06 Mar 2003
Posts: 42
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| Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2005 8:19 am Post subject: Re: Noob: reformat Sparc Classic, install Gentoo - How? |
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| KSU92ME wrote: | | I've come under the impression the current gentoo is just for the Ultra (64 bit) Sparcs? |
There are 32bit stage 1-3 tarballs here. There is an experimental 32bit sparc boot CD. Netbooting is another option, but I haven't tried it. |
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