Buying a Sun UltraSPARC 2

[frenkel]

Hi,
I'm planning to buy an UltraSPARC 2 with following specs:
- 2x 300 MHz processors
- 512 MB memory
- 2x 9.1 GB SCSI harddisks

I want to install Gentoo on this box, and still have following questions:
- How many would you want to pay for such a system?
- I this fast enough for a normal Gentoo install with X and Fluxbox?
- Can I use just any (normal pc) vga monitor, in combination with a "sun-monitor-connection-to-normal-pc-connector" ? A few weeks ago I read about someone who had problems connecting a pc monitor to a Sun box...

Greets and thanks in advance,
Frank

[DefconAlpha]

I wouldn't pay more than about $200 for such a system.

I had a dual 333 for a while, and it was okay for performance. It didn't compile too fast, but it's a 333 :P I also could *not* get a kernel to compile at all, but i think that was hardware problems with the computer...

As far as your monitor is concerned, you will have better luck with a trinitron than any other monitor available. the official sun mointors are actually just trinitron's with bnc inputs. Any monitor will work, but it must be able to handle some high frequency modes (not necessarily high resolutions).
_________________
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[frenkel]

Thanks for the quick answer.
I'll just think it over again.

Greets,
Frank

[Ferris]

A bit more information for you. I have 2 Ultra-2 SMP systems; one is
2x400MHz, 2x18GB disk, 1024MB memory, Elite-3dm6. (afb)
The other is
2x300Mhz, 2x9GB disk, 512MB memory, Creator3D+ (ffb2+)

The first system has a Samsung Syncmaster-171v (LCD) monitor, the other
has a Sun GDM-20E20 (Sony) monitor. Both are pretty standard monitors,
I think: The Sony gets its Sun designation because it it terminated with
the Sun 13W3 graphics connector, but the Samsung is connected the way
you are thinking of.

Both systems are very stable, and I am writing this reply on the first one
mentioned.

If you can find a 2x300 U2 configured as you described for $200. that would
be a good deal. I paid someplace between $300 and $350 for such a
system about 18 months ago, and at that time they could not be had for
less. (Unfortunately for you, they are worth more to someone who wants
to sell them as parts, because individually priced, memory, disks, and CPUs
for these things are expensive. Main board at $25, 9GB disks @ $50 each,
CPUs @$100 each perhaps, 512MB at around $100 (all estimates))

Finally:

• Gentoo runs fine on these boxes;
  
• X runs fine; it would take you 5 hours or so to build it (but the X-build
  will use only one CPU unless you manually "help it along")
  
• I don't know anything about Fluxbox, or even what it is. I am using
  fvwm2+mozilla.
  

Hope this is useful.

[frenkel]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply, I just decided to buy it for about $ 200.
The only thing I need to do is get permission of my parents

Greets,
Frank

[Ferris]

A couple more points of interest. If you haven't looked yet, there's a lot
of useful information starting at
http://sunsolve.sun.com/handbook_pub/Systems/U2/U2.html
And especially the reference and services manuals available for free download
at http://sunsolve.sun.com/handbook_pub/Systems/U2/docs.html

Also, if the system you are looking at does not include a sun keyboard+mouse,
or if it doesn't come with a graphics card, you will need them.

Type-5 keyboard+mouse are readily available from eBay or other sources
for very little.

If you need a graphics card, Creator-3D+ (ffb2+) is a good choice, but
be aware: These come in two configurations: Vertical and Horizontal.

U2 uses Horizontal, identified in dmesg as

[frenkel]

Thanks, but I already read those site's you gave me. The Sun I'm willing to buy comes with videocard, mouse and keyboard, so I assume the videocard will work with X?

Greets,
Frank

[Ferris]

So far as I know, the number of choices is pretty limited, and whatever is in
the system should work with X. I know that Creator & Elite do; I think PGX24(?)
does. In any care, Creators are cheap; it's just that the (H) version is not
so common.

[frenkel]

I found some sync rates for SUN videocards, and I think they might not work with my (old) monitor.
I have an old 15" ICL monitor, which support up to 800x600@60Hz. It's a fixed sync (60Hz) and somewhere on usenet I read that this might get me in troubles. Is this true? I might as well buy a new monitor, because 800x600 doesn't work fine .

Greets,
Frank

[AlterEgo]

Frenkel,
check out http://www.nowthatsit.nl/
They regularly have batches of 2nd hand SUN stuff (also monitors),
and they're a nice bunch of people