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gsdali
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 9:19 am    Post subject: Headless install and other Ultra 150 queries. Reply with quote

I'm off to pick up an Ultra 150 tomorrow and I'd like to give it a stage 1 gentoo install. I don't have a sun monitor or keyboard and I'm trying to avoid buying them.

I have a pentium 200 running gentoo 1.4 with the 2.6.1 kernel and two empty serial ports waiting to be the console. I'm hoping that getting a console is as simple as pluggong in a null modem cable pointing 'console' at /dev/ttyS0. Banging in the stage one cd and away I go.

I suspect this won't be the case.

A few pointers, warnings and tips would be of great help.

Thanks in advance

Ed
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hardave
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 10:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's not that hard really, I just did a stage1 serial install on an Ultra1 this weekend.

Even though you have two serial ports free on your PC, chances are there's a login getty running for ttyS0. So use ttyS1 on your console box, otherwise you'll notice a very unexplained load on your system when you boot the sparc up. Took me a couple minutes to figure that one out. On the sparc use serial port A if there are two ports. If there is one A/B serial port you can use normal cables for port A, you only need the splitter to use port B. And as you said for a cable, all you will need is a null modem cable in there somewhere.

When you boot the sparc make sure you don't have a keyboard plugged in. By default sparc's boot up on serial port A if it doesn't detect a keyboard. I'm not sure what your sparc experiance is, but to boot from cd you have to get to openprom, the 'ok' prompt. On a serial console all this involves is sending a break signal. After the system banner has displayed (telling you what kind of system it is, how much ram, etc) is when you can send the break, in minicom it is a 'Ctrl-a f' key combo. Then if you're using the built in cdrom just issue a 'boot cdrom'.

At the SILO prompt remember to include the serial argument to the kernel. And after that it's like any normal gentoo sparc install.

For software on the console, I've used minicom and it works pretty good. Just remember to set the serial port to 9600 8N1. That's the default for sparc serial. I recomend though that once you've booted off the cd, to start sshd up and do all your work throught ssh. Trust me, working on a 9600 baud connection is not fun.

That's all I can think of for now, have fun with your sparc.
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gsdali
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 12:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One more question; where do I find a manual for the Ultra 150? all I can find on sun's site is a hardware guide, but sun's site is so badly organaised.

thanks, hardave
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hardave
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 4:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just to confirm, you are getting a "Ultra Enterprise 150", and not a "SunBlade 150" right?? There's about a 7 year difference between these two machinces, the Ultra 150 being the senior.

For an Ultra 150 you probably won't find much docs other than the Owner's Guide. The SunSolve handbook is usually the best reference for Sun hardware, but not in this case.

The Ultra 150 is kind of a weird machine, I don't think it sold very well because at it's core all it is, is an Ultra 1 170 with multipack disk cage glued onto it. So for documentation, Ultra 1 manuals will work as well. Things won't be in the same place, but they all should be there somewhere. :D

Good luck.
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gsdali
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 11:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So I got it home, powered it up and the case fans as does the lcd display, nothing else does, the discs don't spin up, no activity on the console. I appear to have the world bulkiest thermometer. Good job I didn't pay anything for it. Anyone got any tips on troubleshooting power supplies?
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gsdali
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No idea what was up wi the psu but it was nothing that taking the machine to pieces and putting it back yogether scartching my head along the way wouldn't solve.

Anyway now i have my next problem, or few. First How do I change the display size on the console machine to match that of the sparc box. I.E. my gentoo PC doing time as the console displays the shell at 800x600 or maybe even 640x480, how do I make this bigger.

Next question; I send the break to the sparch and get the Open Boot Prom, i type in boot cdrom it resets comes back up with a path which I assume is the path to the cdrom the says File and Args : and the only way of getting out of that is by sendign another break. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong here?

I can't check the cdrom in sunos because I don't know how to mount it. I can't even inspect the mnttab properly as I can't set the terminal to display enough, when I look at vi. I can't login over the network either as I have no idea what the ethernet interfaces are called in sunOS; assuming even ifconfig works in the same way. If I could do this then maybe I could try the netboot images.

any help greatfully received.
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hardave
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 7:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

gsdali wrote:
How do I change the display size on the console machine to match that of the sparc box.

I'm not quite sure what you mean. This is not vga redirection that you are doing. A serial console acts just like an ssh or telnet connection would. All I do is expand my xterm and minicom gets bigger. But there are some limitations. In affect what you are doing is imitating an 80x24 character display, just like a hardware serial terminal. It's just the type of thing you have to deal with when using serial. This is why I say use serial just to boot and start sshd, then do everything with ssh, way easier.

gsdali wrote:
i type in boot cdrom it resets comes back up with a path ... and the only way of getting out of that is by sendign another break.

Post the output of these openboot commands.
Code:
ok devalias
ok probe-scsi-all
ok boot cdrom


gsdali wrote:
I can't login over the network either as I have no idea what the ethernet interfaces are called in sunOS


The onboard port, the one under the serial port should be le0, I think. I've never seen a U150, but is should be exactlly like an U1. In Solaris the easiest way to setup the network is create a /etc/hostname.le0 file that contains the interface's IP address. If you wish to use a gateway create a file /etc/defaultrouter which contains the IP of your gateway. Then just reboot and it should be on the network.
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gsdali
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 8:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Code:
ok devalias
net-aui                  /sbus/ledma@e,8400010:aui/le@e,8c00000
net-tpe                  /sbus/ledma@e,8400010:tpe/le@e,8c00000
net                      /sbus/ledma@e,8400010/le@e,8c00000
disk                     /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000/sd@0,0
cdrom                    /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000/sd@6,0:f
tape                     /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000/st@4,0
tape1                    /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000/st@5,0
tape0                    /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000/st@4,0
disk6                    /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000/sd@6,0
disk5                    /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000/sd@5,0
disk4                    /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000/sd@4,0
disk3                    /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000/sd@3,0
disk2                    /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000/sd@2,0
disk1                    /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000/sd@1,0
disk0                    /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000/sd@0,0
scsi                     /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000
floppy                   /sbus/SUNW,fdtwo
ttyb                     /sbus/zs@f,1100000:b
ttya                     /sbus/zs@f,1100000:a
keyboard!                 /sbus/zs@f,1000:forcemode
keyboard                 /sbus/zs@f,1000000
name                     aliases

Code:

ok probe-scsi-all             
This command may hang the system if a Stop-A or halt cSommand
has beeexecuted.  Please type reset-all to reset the system
before executing this command.
Do you wish to continue? (y/n) y
/sbus@1f,0/SUNW,fas@0,8800000

/sbus@1f,0/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000
Target 0
  Unit 0   Disk     SEAGATE ST32171W SUN2.1G7462
Target 6
  Unit 0   Removable Read Only device    TOSHIBA XM-5401TASUN4XCD1036

Code:

ok boot cdrom
Boot device: /sbus/espdma@e,8400000/esp@e,8800000/sd@6,0:f  File and args:


Ignore the first question, i got round that by sshing from my mac to the console box and getting as big a window as I like. Having failed booting netbsd floppies (possibly due to the one and only floppy in the house being several years old and somewhat shonky).

My major limitation is not knowing SunOS and not being able to get any kind of alternative OS to boot right now. I've been working on trying to get RARP and tftpd working so I can do a netboot using the experimental netboot images.[/code]
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gsdali
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

maybe I should mention, I am trying to boot from a cd-rw. I've never had a problem on other architectures, but might the cdrom drive be to old to read a cd-rw. I haven't got a dcr about to test that this evening. I'll have to pick some up in the morning.
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hardave
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, that would be a problem I'm thinking. The 4x cd drive probablly can't read cd-rw's. I've booted off of a cd-r on mine, so that should work for you.
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gsdali
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 20, 2004 9:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

1 cdr and hey presto it works, 1 for the FAQ I think.
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gsdali
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2004 5:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I built up a stage one install, set everything up correctly, or at least I think I have. However when I reboot I get the following error:

Code:
Rebooting with command: boot                                         
Boot device: disk:a  File and args:
The file just loaded does not appear to be executable.
Boot device: disk:a  File and args:
The file just loaded does not appear to be executable.
ok


I've been back in checked, my silo.conf, checked my fstab. Not sur ewhat I am doing wrong. Any help much appreciated
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Pcassimans
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2004 12:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

boot disk0:1 works for me
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charlesnadeau
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 28, 2004 10:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hardave wrote:
When you boot the sparc make sure you don't have a keyboard plugged in. By default sparc's boot up on serial port A if it doesn't detect a keyboard. I'm not sure what your sparc experiance is, but to boot from cd you have to get to openprom, the 'ok' prompt. On a serial console all this involves is sending a break signal. After the system banner has displayed (telling you what kind of system it is, how much ram, etc) is when you can send the break, in minicom it is a 'Ctrl-a f' key combo. Then if you're using the built in cdrom just issue a 'boot cdrom'.

At the SILO prompt remember to include the serial argument to the kernel. And after that it's like any normal gentoo sparc install.

For software on the console, I've used minicom and it works pretty good. Just remember to set the serial port to 9600 8N1. That's the default for sparc serial. I recomend though that once you've booted off the cd, to start sshd up and do all your work throught ssh. Trust me, working on a 9600 baud connection is not fun.

That's all I can think of for now, have fun with your sparc.


How do you exactly set the software? Do you start minicom before or after booting the Sparc? Could explain in details (step by step) how you did configure minicom and the procedure you followed to communicate with the Sun?
Thanks for your help!

Charles
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