[SunRescue] SPARCsystem 600MP needs an OS

Sun Sep 5 01:56:21 CDT 1999

On Sat, 4 Sep 1999, James Lockwood wrote:

> On Sat, 4 Sep 1999, Chris Sterling wrote:
> 
> > CPU #0 and CPU #2? both 60Mhz. Better than I expected... I got netbsd's
> > miniroot to boot off a CD (though I cannot get it to do anything useful)
> > according to the kernel messges, it's got a pair of 312MB drives. 
> 
> Dual SM61's then.  Those 312MB drives are probably Seagate/Imprimis/CDC
> 327's, they were the drives originally shipped with 4/330's.  You will
> have a much easier time of it if you can install larger or faster drives,
> those are slow by modern standards and a full OS installation will take up
> both of them with little room to spare.
> 
> This will be a very nice machine when you get everything running, each
> SM61 is comparable in speed to a 110MHz Sparc 5.  Together you have more
> aggregate processing power than nearly any single-CPU pre-Ultra.
> 
> > I really don't have any use for the VME stuff. I've got Solaris 2.6 (5/98)
> > on CD. Is there anywhere I can get a cheap copy of 2.5.1? 
> 
> Not sure.  I may have an extra copy but you should probably patch 2.6
> instead.
> 
> > I've got other machines that could netboot this beast, Linux(x86) or
> > Solaris 2.5.1(sparcbook 3GX) and 2.6(SS2). 
> > 
> > So, basicly I could patch the kernel on my SS2 running 2.6, and then
> > netboot the beast from there?  Cool. Where do I start? 
> 
> First step: build an install server on one of the other systems, it
> doesn't matter which.  This is documented in the Solaris manuals, but
> basically you use the scripts in the "Tools" subdirectory of your 2.6
> install CD to copy the files to your local drive and then run
> add_install_client with the parameters for the SS600 (ethernet address, IP
> address, hostname, architecture).  The SS600 is sun4m.
> 
> Next, try to netboot the SS600.  It should give you the exact same
> "unsupported" message that you got before.  This is to sanity-check the
> netboot installation.
> 
> Next, go into the root directory of the netboot image.  cd into
> platform/sun4m/kernel in the netboot area (not relative to your root
> directory) and run the following:
> 
> % echo "startup,500?ai" | adb unix |grep ss600
> startup+0x6fc:  call    iam_ss600
> 
> (this address is from Solaris 7, you will get a different offset for 2.6)
> Next use this address for the next instruction:
> 
> % echo "startup+0x6fc,10?ai" | adb unix
> startup+0x6fc:
> startup+0x6fc:  call    iam_ss600
> startup+0x700:  nop
> startup+0x704:  orcc    %g0, %o0, %g0
> startup+0x708:  be      startup+0x724
> startup+0x70c:  nop
> startup+0x710:  sethi   %hi(0xf007bc00), %l0
> startup+0x714:  call    startup+0x714
> startup+0x718:  add     %l0, 0x1fc, %o0
> startup+0x71c:  call    halt
> startup+0x720:  clr     %o0
> startup+0x724:  call    param_init
> startup+0x728:  sethi   %hi(0x0), %l0
> startup+0x72c:  ld      [%l0], %l0
> startup+0x730:  cmp     %l0, 0x0
> startup+0x734:  sethi   %hi(0xf025e000), %l0
> startup+0x738:  be      startup+0x74c
> 
> Your output may look slightly different.  The key is the "call halt"
> instruction, here at startup+0x71c.  Now we go for broke:
> 
> % adb -w unix
> startup+0x71c?ai
> startup+0x71c:
> startup+0x71c:  call    halt
> startup+0x71c?W 1000000
> startup+0x71c:  0x7fffe945      =       0x1000000
> startup+0x71c?ai
> startup+0x71c:
> startup+0x71c:  nop
> $q
> 
> adb -w opens unix for writing.  The ?ai commands are to sanity check that
> we're in the right place, the ?W command writes a nop into that location. 
> 
> Next step, netboot the SS600 and see if it boots into the install program.
> It should and you should start the install process with your parameters,
> but we're not out of the woods yet.  Tell it _not_ to reboot after
> installation.
> 
> The kernel that is installed is not the same one as the one we modified.
> After the installation is complete, go into /a/platform/sun4m/kernel and
> repeat the previous steps.  The offset should be the same, but
> double-check just in case.  After this, do a clean reboot and it should
> come up with your patched kernel.  You will probably need to repeat this
> procedure after every kernel patch, which is why it's nice to have a
> patched netboot server handy, this makes it easy to recover if you forgot
> to patch the new kernel before a reboot.
> 
> > Thanks man. I really appreciate the help! 
> 
> Glad to help.  The SS600 is my favorite vintage SPARC (followed by either
> the 4/300 or SS2).
> 
> -James
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Rescue maillist  -  Rescue at sunhelp.org
> http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue
> 

The netboot worked like a champ. The address for Sol2.6 is 0x71c, with
halt at 0x74c. 

Unfortunatly, both disks are toast. Which brings me to my next question...
how the heck do I get those monster drives out?

The drives I have on hand are... Seagate, 2.1BG (connor bios), and a old
Barracuda or two, probably 1GB'ers. Do I need drives with SUN bios, or
will these work?  I'll also have to go buy an external drive case I guess.
Can I mount 3.5" drives in the 330's chassis? 

Thanks again! 

--------------------------------
Chris Sterling					
System Administrator
EazeNet					     
lemmy at eaze.net
Office:	817-557-3038
Fax:	817-557-3468