[rescue] RE: Ultra30

[Mark Gill]

> From: "Shawn Wallbridge" <swallbridge at franticfilms.com>
> To: <rescue at sunhelp.org>
> Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2002 17:22:33 -0600
> Subject: [rescue] Ultra30
> Reply-To: rescue at sunhelp.org
>
> So this is probably a stupid question, but I have spent a day and a half
on
> it already.
>
> I picked up a U30 that didn't have a CD or floppy. The only 512byte CD
drive
> I have is a Plextor Burner (12/10/32S) which is 50 pin. So I installed it,
> but when I boot to ok, probe-scsi doesn't show it. I also installed a
Floppy
> (normal generic for a PC) and hooked that up, but during POST it says it
> doesn't find one.
>
> Is their something I have to do to get the PROM to recognize the new
drives?
> Anything I have to do with the Hardware? Any tips on where to read up on
> this stuff (I have looked around on the Sun site, including the U30
manuals,
> etc). I am fairly comfortable with SparcStations, but I have never used an
> Ultra.
>
> shawn

Shawn,

Had exactly the same thing recently after picking up a nice-priced U30 on
auction a couple of weeks ago.

The U30 doesn't need a 512-byte CD drive, any ought to be bootable.  I'm
using a 6/4/16 Yamaha burner, which I struggled with initially.  I
eventually discovered that the parity jumper had to be on, but wasn't.  The
jumper configuration on mine is - ID 6, term off, parity on.  Make sure you
don't have the ID set to the same as the disk or the controller.

On the floppy issue, you need to use the end of the standard PC cable
without the twist in it (just the straight bit).  If you do this and the
floppy light is constantly on, then the cable's in the wrong orientation so
twist one end round.

Really pleased with my U30 now, especially since I managed to get a SunPCi
card for a song on auction too.  Upgraded it to a K6/2-500 with 160MB RAM,
and installed Win2K on it.  Fantastic - I can run Autoroute under Solaris
now.....

HTH,

Mark