Hi all and sorry for my poor english!
One week ago I bought a Sun Ultra 5 on Ebay.
Yesterday it arrived but because of my monitor (it can handle 1024x768x75
and below resolution(s)) I can't see anything, so I spent yesterday evening
searching for informations in this newsgroup and on some forums.
Today morning I built two Null-Modem Cables (following instructions at
http://www.sunhelp.org/unix-serial-p...ces/serial-pin
outs/#nmdb9.link) and tried the serial connection from my linux box! Here
is an example of what I got with both cables:

$ cu -l /dev/ttyS1 -s 9600
Connected.
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Ï ŽŽŽŽŽŽÆŽÎÇÆç;çwsss3³³33»³››ÛÍÙmÛ%I ím*-?***¥µµõµõ×UþUUÿúÿÿúÿªªú«êjk{Z?
?ZÖÒ¶¶Ö¶¶6fìfîÌÌÜœ9yR! øcu: Got hangup signal

Disconnected.
$

(Got hangup signal = I forced power off with the switch on the power supply)

Obviously the keyboard is disconnected when I try to get the serial
connection.

More details:
When I turn up my U5 by the switch on the power supply, I can see that HD,
fans, cdrom are workin and keyboard leds flashing (sometimes I hear also a
beep, sometimes not) but if I press the power button on the keyboard or on
the frontside I don't see any activities and the power led is constantly
off.
I can hold down the Stop and N keys for five minutes, but nothing happens
(POST doesn't start, no led blinking on the keyboard).
The video card is the one on-board (PGX24).
I checked if hw components were right plugged in their slot...OK
Tried with cu and minicom on the linux side...
Tried with hyperterm and teraterm on the windows side... (with different pc
too)
Tried with different baud rates and parameters...
Tried with another ATX supply (even if the one shipped in appears to be good
(I can open the cdrom tray, for example))...

NOTHING!

A very strange thing: I can get the "strange characters" output even if the
keyboard is connected to the U5! This sound very very strange to me!

Another thing that I want to point out: Power LED is ALWAYS off and, when I
turn on the system with keyboard plugged in, I DON'T HEAR the beep (I've
read in many articles on the net that the beep means "hey, I'm booting
well").


So... is my Ultra5 dead?

Bye/Antonio
Milan/Italy

dianemx wrote:

> More details:
> When I turn up my U5 by the switch on the power supply, I can see that HD,
> fans, cdrom are workin and keyboard leds flashing (sometimes I hear also a
> beep, sometimes not) but if I press the power button on the keyboard or on
> the frontside I don't see any activities and the power led is constantly
> off.

This usually indicates that there is some kind of problem.


> I can hold down the Stop and N keys for five minutes, but nothing happens
> (POST doesn't start, no led blinking on the keyboard).

The POST is executed by holding [STOP]-[D] during powerup.

To reset to default settings (can be wise) is to hold down [STOP]-[N] during
powerup.

Useful information can be read at
http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/805...7a77hf7?a=view


> Tried with different baud rates and parameters...

Think the default is 9600

> Tried with another ATX supply (even if the one shipped in appears to be good

If you use a none "Sun" ATX, then you need to modify the AUX connector, as you
will be feeding the wrong voltage.



//Aho

J.O. Aho wrote:

>
>> I can hold down the Stop and N keys for five minutes, but nothing happens
>> (POST doesn't start, no led blinking on the keyboard).
>
> The POST is executed by holding [STOP]-[D] during powerup.
>
> To reset to default settings (can be wise) is to hold down [STOP]-[N]
> during powerup.
>

Sorry, I intended [STOP]-[D].

>> Tried with another ATX supply (even if the one shipped in appears to be
>> good
>
> If you use a none "Sun" ATX, then you need to modify the AUX connector, as
> you will be feeding the wrong voltage.
>

Even if I don't use a Sun ATX supply, it behaves EXACTLY as above (HD on,
functionally cdrom tray, etc...)

The only thing left to do is to try with a monitor that can handle a
resolution of 1152x900... By the way, can I try also with a 1280x1024
monitor? I don't have it, but I can go to the computer shop in the
neighbourood and ask if I can do this job with a monitor in the shop!


Thank you for the answer!

Bye/Antonio
Milan/Italy

dianemx wrote:
> J.O. Aho wrote:
>
>>> I can hold down the Stop and N keys for five minutes, but nothing happens
>>> (POST doesn't start, no led blinking on the keyboard).
>> The POST is executed by holding [STOP]-[D] during powerup.
>>
>> To reset to default settings (can be wise) is to hold down [STOP]-[N]
>> during powerup.
>>
>
> Sorry, I intended [STOP]-[D].
>
>>> Tried with another ATX supply (even if the one shipped in appears to be
>>> good
>> If you use a none "Sun" ATX, then you need to modify the AUX connector, as
>> you will be feeding the wrong voltage.
>>
>
> Even if I don't use a Sun ATX supply, it behaves EXACTLY as above (HD on,
> functionally cdrom tray, etc...)

Using a normal ATX PSU without the modification can harm your hardware even
more. Think it's the 12v thats used in the normal ATX PSU has to change to 5v
(you should only have orange ones connected, no red ones on the AUX).


> The only thing left to do is to try with a monitor that can handle a
> resolution of 1152x900... By the way, can I try also with a 1280x1024
> monitor? I don't have it, but I can go to the computer shop in the
> neighbourood and ask if I can do this job with a monitor in the shop!

A monitor that handles better resolution thatn the graphics card, will work.
I don't think the default OBP has been set to max resolution, I would think
you could manage with 800x600 (think this can be more of a default, but I'm
not that sure).



//Aho

dianemx wrote:

> The only thing left to do is to try with a monitor that can handle a
> resolution of 1152x900... By the way, can I try also with a 1280x1024
> monitor? I don't have it, but I can go to the computer shop in the
> neighbourood and ask if I can do this job with a monitor in the shop!

My U5, as far as I can remember, worked with a 1280x1024 flat panel.

So if you can get it going then while you're there you can set the NVRAM
to output 1024x768 so it'll work with your screen at home thereafter, as
long as you do NOT reset the NVRAM!

To do this, use STOP+A to halt and give you an 'ok' prompt...

type 'devalias screen' and make sure you get something back (if not
create the alias - see openprom howto below)

Then type 'setenv output-device screen:r1024x768x76'

Finally type 'reset' to load these values.

(Don't use quotes, I just used them to show you what to type)

(The value of 75 is the refresh rate, lower it to suit your monitor if
needs be - 60 or 66 should get some output and once you can see things
you can always try faster scan rates).

Don't miss out that colon (":") - it's vital!

If you can get that far then you should be able to use the help of
cleverer people here than me to figure out what's wrong with your U5!

I had experience of an ex eBay Sun which was simply set to try and boot
off the wrong SCSI device (I believe Sun defaults to id 3 for some
reason). You'll perhaps see a long string with numbers at the end, in
general terms the number before the ,0 at the end will be the id it's
trying to boot from. Most times

I found this link really useful - ignore the fact that it's for gentoo
linux, the openPROM stuff isn't OS dependent obviously:

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-...preference.xml

Good luck,
John

John Reddie wrote:

> dianemx wrote:
>
>> The only thing left to do is to try with a monitor that can handle a
>> resolution of 1152x900... By the way, can I try also with a 1280x1024
>> monitor? I don't have it, but I can go to the computer shop in the
>> neighbourood and ask if I can do this job with a monitor in the shop!
>
> My U5, as far as I can remember, worked with a 1280x1024 flat panel.
>
> So if you can get it going then while you're there you can set the NVRAM
> to output 1024x768 so it'll work with your screen at home thereafter, as
> long as you do NOT reset the NVRAM!
>
> To do this, use STOP+A to halt and give you an 'ok' prompt...
>
> type 'devalias screen' and make sure you get something back (if not
> create the alias - see openprom howto below)
>
> Then type 'setenv output-device screen:r1024x768x76'
>
> Finally type 'reset' to load these values.
>
> (Don't use quotes, I just used them to show you what to type)
>
> (The value of 75 is the refresh rate, lower it to suit your monitor if
> needs be - 60 or 66 should get some output and once you can see things
> you can always try faster scan rates).
>
> Don't miss out that colon (":") - it's vital!
>
> If you can get that far then you should be able to use the help of
> cleverer people here than me to figure out what's wrong with your U5!
>
> I had experience of an ex eBay Sun which was simply set to try and boot
> off the wrong SCSI device (I believe Sun defaults to id 3 for some
> reason). You'll perhaps see a long string with numbers at the end, in
> general terms the number before the ,0 at the end will be the id it's
> trying to boot from. Most times
>
> I found this link really useful - ignore the fact that it's for gentoo
> linux, the openPROM stuff isn't OS dependent obviously:
>
> http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-...preference.xml
>
> Good luck,
> John

Thanks John!

I know that link! It was my first reference on the net.
Thanks also for the info on how to set 1024x768 resolution! I did already
know them cause I spent so much time (but will be enough?) on sun's support
forum!
Tomorrow I finally will try the beast with the right monitor! I'll let you
know on my experience!

Thanks again!

Bye/Antonio
Milan/Italy

First of all, thanks all of you guys for your answers.
I finally try my U5 with the right monitor... nothing!
There is no activity, screen remains blank, monitor got "No signal"...
I tried every solution on sun support forums and sun newsgroup but...
my U5 is dead, I'll contact the seller for a replacement!

Thank you again!

Bye/Antonio
Milan/Italy

dianemx wrote:
> First of all, thanks all of you guys for your answers.
> I finally try my U5 with the right monitor... nothing!
> There is no activity, screen remains blank, monitor got "No signal"...
> I tried every solution on sun support forums and sun newsgroup but...
> my U5 is dead, I'll contact the seller for a replacement!
>
> Thank you again!
>
> Bye/Antonio
> Milan/Italy

Did you try an assortment of different baud rates when trying the serial
port? The previous owner could have reset these from the defaults.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.

CJT wrote:

>
> Did you try an assortment of different baud rates when trying the serial
> port? The previous owner could have reset these from the defaults.
>

Thanks for your answer!

Oh yes!
Every baud rates (with linux and windows programs), every setting
(hardware,software,none flow control), everything! And on two different
PCs!!!
My cables are self made (one with full handshaking, one with the only TX and
RX pins connected (so called "null terminal cable")).
When I switch on and/or off the U5 I get only scrambled characters!
However I tried also with a monitor (1280x1024, I don't think the previous
owner set an upper resolution) and (like I wrote above) I didn't get
anything on it!

Thank again!

Bye/Antonio
Milan/Italy

dianemx wrote:
> CJT wrote:
>
>
>>Did you try an assortment of different baud rates when trying the serial
>>port? The previous owner could have reset these from the defaults.
>>
>
>
> Thanks for your answer!
>
> Oh yes!
> Every baud rates (with linux and windows programs), every setting
> (hardware,software,none flow control), everything! And on two different
> PCs!!!

Why not switch it off, hold STOP and N, power it on and so reset
everything to the defaults. Then you know it will be 8N1 at 9600.

It seems pointless trying endless combinations of speed, when you can
force it to a known one.

I was not even aware you could change the speed that Sun uses for the
serial port console (i.e. before Solaris loads). Are you sure you can?
But if you can, it seems a waste of time to me.

--
Dave K

http://www.southminster-branch-line.org.uk/

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It is always of the form: month-year@domain. Hitting reply will work
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