[Fwd: [SPARCbook] Resurrecting sparcbook 2 ... how?]

[BSD Bob]

> The maintenance key is generated by an alogrithm from the machine's serial number,
> and the maintenance code.  The maintenance code is generated by the machine's serial
> number and the date.  ;)

I hope the date is still valid.


> hint: rip the NVRAM out and boot the machine...  It'll stop with the same error, but
> give you a maintenance code simmilar to the one above.  Use that when you call
> tadpole..  That way, if you need a maintenance key again, you can pull the NVRAM out
> and use the one that you got from Tadpole without having to call them again.

Neat trick.  I will have to remember that.

> Once you're into the machine, select 'Update disk security' from the System
> Administration menu in the bootprom...  That should stop that error from appearing
> (untill the next time that you format the drives).

EVERY TIME YOU FORMAT DRIVES?  Egads, what a thoughtless seeurity key.
IFF the drive is alredy nuked, who gives a flying doggie doo about
security that went bellyup with the nuke.

Oh, well.

> umm..  all the ribon cables to the display are folded up and glued..  carefully
> seperate what you can to get a bit of length, and lay the LCD/Top cover down on a
> desk with something like a couple of matchboxes to support it where the cables go
> into the machine :)

I wound up doing something like that on pillows.

 
> The SPARCbook 2 OS precompiled kernels do not support nfsroot.  You're supposed to
> rebuild the operating system.
> 
> I've built a kernel on my SPARCbook that will support nfsroot, I'll upload it to my
> ftp site oneday.

OK, which url?

> > > Find me a keyboard ;)

I looked at the remains  of my third machine.  It is  really rather sad.
There is probably not enough of the keyboard left to resurrect other than
maybe dissassembling it for the keyparts and membranes.  The whole left
pad area (about 6 or 7 keys worth are broken.  Maybe it got dropped at
one time?  Dunno.

> How much will it cost to ship the hulk of the third machine to Australia?

Probably a lot more than it is worth, considering its shape.  The display
is gone, the drives are gone,  but the power supply and memory/cpu boards
are still there, and the drive cables.  The back  connector panel and
some  of the ribbons are still  there.   You would have to really be
desparate to need bits that far gone.  The case castings are there,
though.

Bob