[rescue] Sun USB keyboards/mice?

[Curious George]

Greetings!

--- Micah R Ledbetter <vlack-lists at vlack.com> wrote:

> On Sep 12, 2007, at 18:48, Curious George wrote:
> 
> > I've got a Tatung box that is *some* sort of
> > Sun clone (it wants to call itself a Blade 1000
> > but I doubt that!  :<  Physically about the
> > same size as a U10 but heavy as lead!!).  Sounds
> > like a jet aircraft when you power it up...
> 
> How many processors and how fast? Sun made quite a

Two 750MHz "modules" ... I think <mumble>-III's or
somesuch?  I will have to check when I get home.
(they are *much* larger than the modules used
in the U60, etc.)

> few "OEM boards",  
> which may or may not have come with processors. I
> have no knowledge  
> of anything that claims to be a Blade 1000, though,
> so I'd be  
> interested in hearing about yours.

Apparently, the OFW lets you specify what the
login banner will *claim* the machine to be.
So, I am relying on whomever had this before
me...  :-(  The actual case is quite nondescript.
Beige-ish *metal* with gazillions of perforations
in it.  Probably a tiny bit taller than a U10
and a tiny bit *shorter* than a U60 -- but as
*deep* as a U60.
 
> > Unfortunately, it uses a USB keyboard (whereas
> > all my other Sun boxen use the "old fashioned"
> > Sun serial keyboard/mouse).
> >
> > Does such a beast exist?  Or, did Tatung do
> > "something different", here?
> 
> Definitely. I have one; it was like $10 on
> CraigsList. Any PC USB  
> keyboard and mouse will work, though. Blade 100

Yes, as I said, I've been using the keyboard off
the SGI VWS320 temporarily.  :<

> machines and later  
> all use USB exclusively. A Sun USB keyboard sends
> the same signals as  
> the PC ones for all the "normal" keys; however, it
> has a number of  
> Sun-specific keys, and Caps Lock has been relegated
> to its proper  
> place in the world, if indeed it has one.

Exactly.  Can I assume that the "right" keyboard
also allows you to power up the machine via the
keyboard?  (climbing under the workbench to reach
the power switch at the *rear* requires a fair bit
of contortion)

> > For the time being, I borrow the keyboard from
> > my SGI VW320 when I need to "talk" to the
> > Tatung box.  But, this is a bit annoying since
> > the USB connectors on each of the machines are
> > at the rear and both are sitting on the floor
> > *under* my work table (and I'm getting too old
> > to be crawling around on my hands and knees!  :< )
> 
> You need what's known as a KVM :). I bought a cool
> four-port USB 
> +sound one from IOGear's eBay store, a refurb for
> $80, which was $40  
> off new.

I've had problems trying to get KVMs to behave
properly.  :<  Of course, it could be that they
"expect" to be used in certain ways that I
don't always cooperate with (e.g., I run the
video for a Mac Beige G3 through a KVM but
*don't* run it's keyboard/mouse through, etc.)

Thx!


       
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