Re: Sparcstation 670MP Operating Systems

From: Bill Janssen (billjNOTTHIS_at_ieee.org)
Date: 02/26/04 

Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 01:00:45 GMT

Chris Newport wrote:

>On Wednesday 25 February 2004 10:41 pm in comp.sys.sun.admin Derek
>Konigsberg wrote:
>
>
>
>>>>A while back I picked up a Sparcserver 670MP. I had no idea if it worked
>>>>or not, but it was free so that wasn't much of a turnoff. It sat idle
>>>>for a while until I picked up a framebuffer card, and it fired up and
>>>>tested the memory without issue.
>>>>Now that I know that the thing works I want to go about getting some hard
>>>>disks in it and getting the old beast up and running, but I'm unable to
>>>>find a free (beer or speech) operating system that completely supports
>>>>the
>>>>machine. As far as I know Linux supports SMP but not the VME bus.
>>>>NetBSD and OpenBSD supports the VME bus but not SMP.
>>>>Any suggestions?
>>>>
>>>>
>>Actually, you can run Solaris 8 (maybe even 9) on a SPARCserver 670MP,
>>provided that your MBUS CPU modules are still supported (it's the same
>>type
>>of modules used in the SS10/SS20/SS1000/SS2000). However, you won't get
>>VME support (that's ok, the 600-series also has SBus, and I doubt you'll
>>run across any VME cards you really need anyways). Basically, you just
>>have to hack the kernel to disable a section that essentially says "If
>>this
>>is a 600MP series machine, don't boot". In reality, the 600MP series is
>>just a sun4m /w VME slots. So Solaris 8 will work just fine, albeit
>>without VME support.
>>
>>http://lios.apana.org.au/~cdewick/sunshack/data/sunos_6x0.html
>>(these instructions are for Solaris 2.6, but I've used them (albiet with
>>some poking around, as the addresses in the 8 kernel are different) to
>>successfully hack a Solaris 8 kernel)
>>
>>
>
>It is rather simpler to use Solaris 2.5.1 which was the last to
>properly support these machines.
>
>
>
If the original poster would say if the machine ;
a: Is in the USA
b; Does the machine have a tape drive
c: Does the machine have a CD reader.

I might have a copy of 2.5.1 that it could use.
Don't want the hassle of shipping to other countries

Bill K7NOM

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