Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!bnrgate!brtph3!brchh104!brchs1!bnr.ca!rice.edu!sun-spots-request
From: jan@eik.ii.uib.no
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun
Subject: SS2 - don't need a console
Keywords: Hardware
Message-ID: <958@brchh104.bnr.ca>
Date: 30 Dec 90 01:04:00 GMT
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Organization: Sun-Spots
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X-Original-Date: Thu, 20 Dec 90 19:04:48 +0100
X-Sun-Spots-Digest: Volume 9, Issue 414, message 3
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Thought I'd share this piece of good news for all the console-haters :-)
out there:

We bought 4 SS2's that we intended to set up as a small compute cluster.
(Like: put'em in a rack, and let them share one VT100-terminal.)
Remembering the funny stuff that happens to other Sun's when you take away
their console terminal (instant BREAK), it was with some trepidation I
went to the task.

A Minor Hassle:

First problem: You *have* to have a Sun console to be able to change the
console input/output device the first time.  The SS2 will send diagnostics
messages to serial port A, but will not give you a boot prompt. You must
change the console device before it will let you use serial port A as the
console.

The Good News:

Once you have fixed this, it does not care if you un-plug the terminal.
You don't have to do any funny stuff with pull-up resistors, or buy
expensive 'terminal eliminators'.  You're ordinary $25 data-switch (4 ->
1) will do the job.

So don't throw away your old 19" racks -- they are going to become
invaluable :-).

Jan Berger Henriksen
E-mail:	jan@eik.ii.uib.no