HW: Sun Fire V240 Server
OS: Solaris 10

I'm trying to get this machine to "boot cdrom", but it won't accept any
typing at the OpenBoot shell prompt {OK}.

I'm reading the "OpenBoot™ 4.x Command Reference Manual," but if I can't
enter any commands at the shell prompt, then what?

I can login to a window manager, open a terminal window, enter init S
(Single-user mode), and then I'm stuck at the screen where it asks for
the root password to put the machine into maintenance mode.

All my keypresses appear to be going off to la-la land (aka the planet
Null). LOL I'm laughing out of frustration, cause this is far from funny.

Suggestions anyone, please?!

Thanks!

John

Hi John, tries the following thing "reboot -- cdrom" to boot from cdrom

see: man reboot

Mariano


John ha escrito:

> HW: Sun Fire V240 Server
> OS: Solaris 10
>
> I'm trying to get this machine to "boot cdrom", but it won't accept any
> typing at the OpenBoot shell prompt {OK}.
>
> I'm reading the "OpenBoot™ 4.x Command Reference Manual," but if I can't
> enter any commands at the shell prompt, then what?
>
> I can login to a window manager, open a terminal window, enter init S
> (Single-user mode), and then I'm stuck at the screen where it asks for
> the root password to put the machine into maintenance mode.
>
> All my keypresses appear to be going off to la-la land (aka the planet
> Null). LOL I'm laughing out of frustration, cause this is far from funny.
>
> Suggestions anyone, please?!
>
> Thanks!
>
> John

In comp.sys.sun.hardware John <sun_powered@cmaaccess.com> wrote:
> HW: Sun Fire V240 Server
> OS: Solaris 10

Local keyboard/monitor attached, or serial console?

> I'm trying to get this machine to "boot cdrom", but it won't accept any
> typing at the OpenBoot shell prompt {OK}.

But you can actually see the OBP prompt...?

From the running OS, what do you get for 'eeprom input-device' and
'eeprom output-device'?

> I can login to a window manager, open a terminal window, enter init S
> (Single-user mode), and then I'm stuck at the screen where it asks for
> the root password to put the machine into maintenance mode.

But the same keyboard works just fine after you get to a multi-user
login prompt?

--
Darren Dunham ddunham@taos.com
Senior Technical Consultant TAOS http://www.taos.com/
Got some Dr Pepper? San Francisco, CA bay area
< This line left intentionally blank to confuse you. >

John wrote:
> HW: Sun Fire V240 Server
> OS: Solaris 10
>
> I'm trying to get this machine to "boot cdrom", but it won't accept any
> typing at the OpenBoot shell prompt {OK}.
>
> I'm reading the "OpenBoot™ 4.x Command Reference Manual," but if I can't
> enter any commands at the shell prompt, then what?
>
> I can login to a window manager, open a terminal window, enter init S
> (Single-user mode), and then I'm stuck at the screen where it asks for
> the root password to put the machine into maintenance mode.
>
> All my keypresses appear to be going off to la-la land (aka the planet
> Null). LOL I'm laughing out of frustration, cause this is far from funny.
>
> Suggestions anyone, please?!


Sounds to me that you are not logged in at the Console but at
some other Screen.

type :

# tty


It should say /dev/console


You may have to set up a connection to the serial console on the
V240
with a null-modem cable to access the serial consol from a Vt220
terminal.

OR

use the "scadm" command to set up the TCPIP console and then
connect a TP-cable from the neworkconsoleport to you switch
and then log in to the console.

My answers are embedded with your questions below. Here's what the
vendor sent me:

--------------
"I'd recommend doing any work in the boot prom (OK prompt) via a console.
Use your laptop - hook your serial port to the console port on the
server, and it should work.
By default, the boot prom does not use the keyboard for input, just like
it does not (by default) output to a video display - that had to be set
up via the console.
Once your are in the boot prom via your console, you'll want to enter
"setenv input-device keyboard" and reboot, which should work."
---------------

Anything you want to add, Darren? I notice he didn't mention the
output-device, which I also want to go to the local display monitor,
since this machine won't be remotely managed.

John

Darren Dunham wrote:
> In comp.sys.sun.hardware John <sun_powered@cmaaccess.com> wrote:
>> HW: Sun Fire V240 Server
>> OS: Solaris 10
>
> Local keyboard/monitor attached, or serial console?

Local keyboard/monitor attached, not using a serial console

>
>> I'm trying to get this machine to "boot cdrom", but it won't accept any
>> typing at the OpenBoot shell prompt {OK}.
>
> But you can actually see the OBP prompt...?

Probably, I'm not. I'm hitting Stop A during boot up, and that seems to
be ignored, too. According to the vendor, all SPARC-based Sun machines
default to using a serial console unless OBP is reconfigured to use the
local keyboard/monitor. At least for OBP management.

>
> From the running OS, what do you get for 'eeprom input-device' and
> 'eeprom output-device'?

I'm not there now, but I'll try those commands tomorrow.
>
>> I can login to a window manager, open a terminal window, enter init S
>> (Single-user mode), and then I'm stuck at the screen where it asks for
>> the root password to put the machine into maintenance mode.
>
> But the same keyboard works just fine after you get to a multi-user
> login prompt?
>

The same keyboard works fine once I login to GNOME or CDE. If I logout
and select, Commandline login, it will drop me to console mode and ask
me for the root password. But I can never login to console mode, since I
have no typing abilities at the console.

tunla wrote:
> John wrote:
>> HW: Sun Fire V240 Server
>> OS: Solaris 10
>>
>> I'm trying to get this machine to "boot cdrom", but it won't accept any
>> typing at the OpenBoot shell prompt {OK}.
>>
>> I'm reading the "OpenBoot™ 4.x Command Reference Manual," but if I can't
>> enter any commands at the shell prompt, then what?
>>
>> I can login to a window manager, open a terminal window, enter init S
>> (Single-user mode), and then I'm stuck at the screen where it asks for
>> the root password to put the machine into maintenance mode.
>>
>> All my keypresses appear to be going off to la-la land (aka the planet
>> Null). LOL I'm laughing out of frustration, cause this is far from funny.
>>
>> Suggestions anyone, please?!
>
>
> Sounds to me that you are not logged in at the Console but at
> some other Screen.
>
> type :
>
> # tty
>
>
> It should say /dev/console
>
>
> You may have to set up a connection to the serial console on the
> V240
> with a null-modem cable to access the serial consol from a Vt220
> terminal.
>
> OR
>
> use the "scadm" command to set up the TCPIP console and then
> connect a TP-cable from the neworkconsoleport to you switch
> and then log in to the console.
>

You're right. It must be set to Auto-boot right into the OS, which is
Solaris 10 w/Java Enterprise System (factory installed).

tunla wrote:
> John wrote:
>> HW: Sun Fire V240 Server
>> OS: Solaris 10
>>
>> I'm trying to get this machine to "boot cdrom", but it won't accept any
>> typing at the OpenBoot shell prompt {OK}.
>>
>> I'm reading the "OpenBoot™ 4.x Command Reference Manual," but if I can't
>> enter any commands at the shell prompt, then what?
>>
>> I can login to a window manager, open a terminal window, enter init S
>> (Single-user mode), and then I'm stuck at the screen where it asks for
>> the root password to put the machine into maintenance mode.
>>
>> All my keypresses appear to be going off to la-la land (aka the planet
>> Null). LOL I'm laughing out of frustration, cause this is far from funny.
>>
>> Suggestions anyone, please?!
>
>
> Sounds to me that you are not logged in at the Console but at
> some other Screen.
>
> type :
>
> # tty
>
>
> It should say /dev/console
>
>
> You may have to set up a connection to the serial console on the
> V240
> with a null-modem cable to access the serial consol from a Vt220
> terminal.
>
> OR
>
> use the "scadm" command to set up the TCPIP console and then
> connect a TP-cable from the neworkconsoleport to you switch
> and then log in to the console.
>

You're right. It must be set to Auto-boot right into the OS, which is
Solaris 10 w/Java Enterprise System (factory installed).

In comp.sys.sun.hardware John <sun_powered@cmaaccess.com> wrote:
> Once your are in the boot prom via your console, you'll want to enter
> "setenv input-device keyboard" and reboot, which should work."
> ---------------

> Anything you want to add, Darren? I notice he didn't mention the
> output-device, which I also want to go to the local display monitor,
> since this machine won't be remotely managed.

Right, you want both.

However if you're actually seeing boot messages on the screen, it's
possible that the output device is 'screen', and only the input device
was redirected.

>> Local keyboard/monitor attached, or serial console?

> Local keyboard/monitor attached, not using a serial console

Okay, the console has probably been directed away to the serial port
then.

>>> I'm trying to get this machine to "boot cdrom", but it won't accept any
>>> typing at the OpenBoot shell prompt {OK}.
>>
>> But you can actually see the OBP prompt...?

> Probably, I'm not. I'm hitting Stop A during boot up, and that seems to
> be ignored, too. According to the vendor, all SPARC-based Sun machines
> default to using a serial console unless OBP is reconfigured to use the
> local keyboard/monitor. At least for OBP management.

Other way around. All SPARC-based SUN machines default to a kbd/screen
console when the keyboard is attached. Since that's not happening for
you, I'm assuming it's been reconfigured.

>> From the running OS, what do you get for 'eeprom input-device' and
>> 'eeprom output-device'?

> I'm not there now, but I'll try those commands tomorrow.

If they're both 'ttya', then do:
eeprom input-device=keyboard
eeprom output-device=screen

>>> I can login to a window manager, open a terminal window, enter init S
>>> (Single-user mode), and then I'm stuck at the screen where it asks for
>>> the root password to put the machine into maintenance mode.
>>
>> But the same keyboard works just fine after you get to a multi-user
>> login prompt?

> The same keyboard works fine once I login to GNOME or CDE. If I logout
> and select, Commandline login, it will drop me to console mode and ask
> me for the root password. But I can never login to console mode, since I
> have no typing abilities at the console.

That's consistent with the console being redirected. If someone had
done that, they should have also modified /etc/dt/config/Xservers so
that the 'console login' option was removed (since it doesn't do
anything).

--
Darren Dunham ddunham@taos.com
Senior Technical Consultant TAOS http://www.taos.com/
Got some Dr Pepper? San Francisco, CA bay area
< This line left intentionally blank to confuse you. >