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First Sparc..Ultra 2: Tips on starting? New Gentoo 2004?
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cayenne
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 1:58 am    Post subject: First Sparc..Ultra 2: Tips on starting? New Gentoo 2004? Reply with quote

Hello all!

I just got in the first of 2 Ultra 2 boxes...both are dual 300 Mhz processors...one has 1G ram, the other will have 500M ram...

I've got the first one here...got a monitor, keyboard, and mouse..and it came up with solaris and root with no pass set. So, it is up and running. I want to put Gentoo...I just looked for the install docs..and they have apparently all just been changed to one doc for all processors that Gentoo supports. I'm starting to dig through this...but, a couple questions.

I went to the mirrors...looking in the sparc area...and looking for the new 2004 release...but, I see nothing in the sparc or sparc 64 folders out there...is it not released yet...or is the new release only for x86? Should I just get the iso for 1.4 gentoo for sparc?

Also...I'm guessing I should get the spac64 version? I'm just confused in I saw a post or two that said sparc 64 was only so-so as far as stability?

Last...and I'm from the x86 world...first sparc...how do you set the box to boot from the CDrom? When booting...I don't see the equivalent 'bios' prompt to hit a key to set parameters like this....

And...any tips or gotchas you can think of on this...just so I can try to get this box up and sidestep any landmines..?

Thanks in advance...

cayenne

ps. I just got in a sparcstation20 and sparcstation 10 I got off eBay for like $30 for the two..I'll eventually want to do something like a dedicated firewall or something with them..but, that's later after the ultra2's are up and going...
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Weeve
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 3:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you look on the mirrors, in release/sparc/2004.0/livecd/sparc64 you should see the sparc64 LiveCDs. If you have trouble finding them, you can always get them at http://gentoo.oregonstate.edu/releases/sparc/2004.0/livecd/sparc64/.

Using the 2.4 kernel, sparc64 is stable, even for SMP. I use it on an Ultra 2 with similar specs to yours, as well as a Blade 100 and an Ultra 5 workstation at work and have had great success and stability with them.

As for booting from the CD-ROM, when the box is booting up and you see it display "initializing memory" hold down the stop key and press the A key (sometime referenced as stop+a). this will put you at an "ok" prompt where you should be able to type in "boot cdrom" and it should start booting off the CD-ROM.

Let us know how you make out :)
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phygradmarko
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 3:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

Also...I'm guessing I should get the spac64 version? I'm just confused in I saw a post or two that said sparc 64 was only so-so as far as stability?


Stability is Great! Don't know where you saw that... Anyhow, since the U2 is an UltraSparc, you should run sparc64 (the kernel is compiled 64-bit but the majority of the OS is 32-bit). The debates between running a pure 64-bit OS or 64/32-bit have been debated quite a bit and usually the overhead with a full 64-bit OS doesn't out weigh the benefits (at least for Linux).

Quote:
Last...and I'm from the x86 world...first sparc...how do you set the box to boot from the CDrom? When booting...I don't see the equivalent 'bios' prompt to hit a key to set parameters like this....


After the machine resets, but before it boots into Solaris, hit Stop-A (the stop key on the upper left of the keyboard and the "a" key together). This will drop you into the openprom which is like a PC bios on steroids. Typing "help" here (you may type help and a keyword such as "help diag" which gives extended help on the diagnostic routines provided by openprom) will return quite a bit of info. To boot from the CD type:

Code:

boot cdrom


This will instruct the machine to boot from the cdrom.

I am sure you will have many more questions in the next few days... Keep them coming!
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johnmc
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 3:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

type "boot cdrom" at the OK prompt
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johnmc
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 3:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can also use the "eeprom" shell command to see all your prom values. If you end up going headless, pay particular attention to the autoboot setting :D
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cayenne
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 4:08 am    Post subject: Thank you!! Reply with quote

Thank your for all the quick replies!!

I see the iso's for gentoo 1.4, but, the folders for the 2004.0 release that was announced...is blank on the mirrors.

I'd heard there was some trouble getting stuff out to mirrors..so, do ya'll think this is just that problem...or is the 2004.0 latest release of Gentoo not for the sparc processor?

Again..thanks for all the replies...I'm really excited about getting these boxes up and running.

cayenne
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Weeve
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 11:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The sparc64 release is out there. The sparc release is still in progress, been running into a few snags building things. Hoping to have it out soon but have no real ETA yet.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 4:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Thank you!! Reply with quote

You're not crazy - they weren't there:). Weeve put them up yesterday.... at which point I was able to get my u10 running on gentoo... very nice... I *like* it...


cayenne wrote:
Thank your for all the quick replies!!

I see the iso's for gentoo 1.4, but, the folders for the 2004.0 release that was announced...is blank on the mirrors.

I'd heard there was some trouble getting stuff out to mirrors..so, do ya'll think this is just that problem...or is the 2004.0 latest release of Gentoo not for the sparc processor?

Again..thanks for all the replies...I'm really excited about getting these boxes up and running.

cayenne
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ccurran
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 4:50 pm    Post subject: Re: First Sparc..Ultra 2: Tips on starting? New Gentoo 2004? Reply with quote

cayenne wrote:

And...any tips or gotchas you can think of on this...just so I can try to get this box up and sidestep any landmines..?


1) Be careful following the install doc *too* closely. I botched my first attempt by specifying "/dev/hda3" in my fstab (and other places). Since we're doing sparc, the correct mount point for root is "/dev/hda4" (assuming you follow the doc recommended disc layout for sparc). Don't forget that when you're reading the install docs and it refers to hda3 as root...

2) If you use the built-in video....

Console Drivers--->Frame-buffer support--->Support for frame buffer devices
Console Drivers--->Frame-buffer support--->ATI Mach64 display support
Console Drivers--->Frame-buffer support--->Mach 64 CT/VT/GT/LT (incl. 3D RAGE) support
Console Drivers--->Frame-buffer support--->PCI framebuffers
Console Drivers--->Frame-buffer support--->ATI Mach64 display support
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cayenne
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 9:50 pm    Post subject: Re: First Sparc..Ultra 2: Tips on starting? New Gentoo 2004? Reply with quote

ccurran wrote:



2) If you use the built-in video....

Console Drivers--->Frame-buffer support--->Support for frame buffer devices
Console Drivers--->Frame-buffer support--->ATI Mach64 display support
Console Drivers--->Frame-buffer support--->Mach 64 CT/VT/GT/LT (incl. 3D RAGE) support
Console Drivers--->Frame-buffer support--->PCI framebuffers
Console Drivers--->Frame-buffer support--->ATI Mach64 display support


My box says Ultra2 Creator 3d...that would be the ATI card?

K
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 9:59 pm    Post subject: Re: First Sparc..Ultra 2: Tips on starting? New Gentoo 2004? Reply with quote

Nope - follow the online install doc. wrt this item...

cayenne wrote:

My box says Ultra2 Creator 3d...that would be the ATI card?

K
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