[rescue] Sun3, Sunos 4, 3/60 Boot Block ? (Chris Quayle)

[Michael Thompson]

> Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2018 13:07:46 +0100
> From: Chris Quayle <syseng at gfsys.co.uk>
> Subject: [rescue] Sun3, Sunos 4, 3/60 Boot Block ?
>
> Been looking into the disk layout and it seems that the boot
> block is in it's own separate partition at the start of the
> disk, which, afaics, includes the disk label. That partition
> is not normally visible from the OS, nor  shown in the
> partition table within format. The installboot program
> is a binary, not a script and that and the /usr/kvm files
> were  not included in the original install  on the Sun 3,
> for some reason, though they may have been lost or corrupted.
>
> Downloaded the sun3_kvm.tar.Z tape file from www.sun3arc.org
> and unpacked to find the /usr/mdec boot block related files
> Used the installboot program on the Sparc LX (running Solaris
> 1.1.2) to install the boot block on the Sun3 disk. Wasn't
> sure if it would work, Sparc to Sun3, but it does and the
> 3/60 now boots and works fine. Now have a system disk and a
> second identical copy in case either fails. Next thing is to
> build a net boot server on the Sol 10 box and also try the
> S10 installboot program to see if that works. Systems
> spanning several decades and still compatable at some level
> says quite a lot about the original design.
>
> Thanks for all the comments and help with this...
>
> Chris
>

I setup my 3/470 as a boot server for both my 2/120 and the 3/xxx systems.

During a remote installation the 3/60 netboots the miniroot. That lets me
format and partition the disk, and run suninstall. I was able to put the
installation tape cartridge in the drive on the 3/470 and the 3/60 accessed
the tape drive across the network to install the software. It actually used
dd on the 3/470 and piped the tape file across the network to tar on the
3/60. Pretty weird, but it works nicely.


-- 
Michael Thompson