[rescue] Plextor PX-32TSi and ultra 1

[Skeezics Boondoggle]

On Sat, 14 May 2005, Mike Nicewonger wrote:
> 
> It's simple really. Begin a Solaris 8|9|10 install, make it as minimal as
> hell. After the first reboot it will ask if you want to update OBP [0]. Make
> sure the machine has the jumpers set to allow the flash ROM to be written
> and choose yes. After the ROM gets updated just shut the machine off. [1]

Actually, you can just net boot the flash updater program directly; it can
run standalone.  I just keep the latest versions for all applicable 
machines on my Jumpstart server (in /tftpboot) and

ok  boot net /flash-updater-blah

without having to pop the hood, most of the time.  The disk idea is
interesting, but sounds like a lot more work to set up. :-)

I'm curious about putting the jumper back in the read-only position; I've
known Sun guys who never bother, because it's often too big a pain in the
butt to halt/open the box/reset it/reboot after a flash upgrade.  (I had
44U racks of 420Rs that all needed an upgrade - I can attest to what a
PITA it is to have to climb a ladder to fiddle with hard-to-reach jumpers
during a very tight maintenance window...)  Others insist that it be reset
each time...

I'm generally lazy about it on desktops (especially if it involves lugging
heavy monitors :-), but tend to be more anal about resetting it on
production machines, although it is a chore sometimes.

The Sun flash PROMs are always partitioned into halves, with lots of
safeguards built in to verify that both images are properly updated; I can
recall only _once_ in all my years of messing with flash-based OBP in Sun
hardware having to boot from the "high half" due to a corrupted image.  
Am I just lucky?  Is there some really compelling argument against leaving
the jumper in write mode?

-- Chris