[rescue] ultra-1 question

Thomas Gallaway tgallaway at comcast.net
Sat Oct 19 16:03:01 CDT 2002


I just installed Solaris 9 on a Ultra1 170

First it came up bitching that it will run in 32bit mode.
Then after it was installed and rebooted it asked me if
it can flash the firmware now! Kick ASS! hehe
I start liking Solaris 9.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lionel Peterson" <lionel4287 at yahoo.com>
To: <rescue at sunhelp.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2002 4:23 PM
Subject: Re: [rescue] ultra-1 question


> Fromthe file cited below:
> 
> # Copyright 1998 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
> # All Rights Reserved.
> #
> # /platform/sun4u/boot.conf
> #
> # name/value pairs used to augment boot(1M) policy.
> #
> # ALLOW_64BIT_KERNEL_ON_UltraSPARC_1_CPU
> #
> # On systems containing 200MHz or lower UltraSPARC-I processors,
> # it is possible for a user to run a 64-bit program designed to exploit
> a
> # problem that could cause the processor to stall.  Since 64-bit
> programs
> # cannot run on the 32-bit kernel, the 32-bit kernel is chosen as the
> # default boot file on these systems.
> #
> # The code sequence that exploits the problem is very unusual and is
> not
> # likely to be generated by a compiler.  Assembler code had to be
> # specifically written to demonstrate the problem. It is highly
> unlikely
> # that a legitimate handwritten assembler routine would use this code
> sequence.
> #
> #
> # Users willing to assume the risk that a user might accidentally or
> # deliberately run a program designed to cause a processor to stall
> # may choose to run the 64-bit kernel by uncommenting the following
> item:
> #
> ALLOW_64BIT_KERNEL_ON_UltraSPARC_1_CPU=true
> 
> The above shows the line uncommented, thus allowing the Ultra 1 to boot
> in 64 bit mode. As shipped by Sun, that file has the last line
> commented out.
> 
> OBP needs to be 3.11 or greater, and as Dave said, if that is an issue
> with the machine in question, the OS will offer to update it - but, a
> jumper will need to be set allowing the OBP to be rewritten.
> 
> Enjoy,
> 
> Lionel
> 
> --- Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> wrote:
> >    Other folks have adequately explained why this machine defaults to
> > 
> > 32-bit mode...as far as actually changing it to 64-bit mode though, 
> > edit /platform/sun4u/boot.conf...The variable to set will be obvious.
> > 
> >    As others have also mentioned, you may need to upgrade OBP for
> > this 
> > to work.  A Solaris install will offer to do this for you, though I 
> > don't know offhand how to do it manually.
> 
> 
> =====
> Lionel
> 
> "Nothing would please me more than being able to hire ten
> programmers and deluge the hobby market with good software"
> Bill Gates, in "An OpenLetter to Hobbyists" dated February 3, 1976
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