[rescue] Ultra 1 boot from install CD fails

[Mike Spooner]

Hi Todd,

Are you using a serial console or the Creator framebuffer with a Sun keyboard? Whichever, I would be inclined to try it the other way around.

If you had been using a serial console via an intermediate device such as a reverse-TELNET concentrator or external port-multiplexer, try a direct connection instead, *some* of those middleware-serial boxes can trigger all kinds of trouble.

I have also seen cases before where eg: a well-worn Sun keyboard socket with a loose connection to the cable can cause these kinds of hard-hangs. It might also be worth trying with the Creator removed.

I would also detach any Ethernet cable from the on-board Ethernet socket, whilst installing Solaris: the unpatched Solaris HME NIC hardware/driver often doesn't successfully negotiate duplex mode with some network switches, which can result in a veritable tsunami storm of interrupts that may result in a hang.

Finally, which PROM revision does the console display when the system is powered on?

Regards,
Mike

On 4 April 2024 15:59:41 BST, Todd Vernon via rescue <rescue at sunhelp.org> wrote:
>Agree that NetBSD is ignoring something that Solaris is not.  I feel like
>the last message in the boot before it hangs is a clue,
>"using default device instance data”
>
>Im not exactly sure what that means so I reset the IDProm and reprogrammed
>it using 80 as the machine type but no luck.  Im not even completely sure
>that “default device instance data” is what is stored in there but some
>google searches seem to be tied to that.
>
>NetBSD boot seems completely normal with no warnings or messages I would
>not expect.
>
>I’ve moved all the sims around and removed different sets and like
>clockwork it always hangs at the same place so im pretty sure its not a
>memory issue.
>
>Im down to just the CDROM drive or just the Zulu to take everything else
>off the SCSI bus.  It’s a head scratcher.
>
>Thanks for the reply!
>
>-t
>
>
>
>
>Todd Vernon
>Entrepreneur | Investor
>Email: todd at toddvernon.com
>LinkedIn: toddvernon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddvernon/>
>
>
>On Apr 3, 2024 at 11:03:25 PM, vom513 via rescue <rescue at sunhelp.org> wrote:
>
>> Apologies for asking the likely obvious - have you booted this machine
>> with diag-switch and let it run through the tests ?
>>
>> Since you have tried real CDs as well as ZuluSCSI virtual, it sounds like
>> perhaps something that Solaris is “touching” that NetBSD is not ?
>>
>> Have you actually tried to follow all the way through and install/run
>> NetBSD ?
>>
>> I guess a hail mary would be to start removing hardware and components one
>> by one and try a Solaris boot after each step.
>>
>> Sorry for the obvious things, just wanted to reply with what I would try.
>>
>> Please do let us know if you make progress or figure out the root cause.
>> _______________________________________________
>> rescue list - http://sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue_sunhelp.org
>>
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