[SUMMARY] Sparc 4 won't auto boot

From: Marcos Assis Silva (assis@npd.uel.br)
Date: Wed Oct 30 1996 - 01:41:23 CST


Hi
        The original question
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        I browsed the manuals which comes with a Sparc 4 Station to no avail
(Solaris 2.5.1 Desktop), so I'm calling for HELP. The "problem": when power
fails, the station will NOT auto reboot. It's necessary to click the power
switch on to bring the station back on line. I also tweaked EEprom settings
around ... useless. Any tips? TIA. Best regards ...
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        I got answers from (thanks very much) ....
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From: Davin Milun <milun@cs.Buffalo.EDU>

You're out of luck.
That's that the power supplies in the SS4's do: they do not turn the machine
on after a power-loss. Other than possibly trying to replace them with a SS5
power-supply, I don't believe that there is a solution.
..............................................................................
From: "Craig L. Gruneberg" <clg@csph.psu.edu>

The power supplies used in Sparc 4's ( at least the 50watt variety )
are devoid of power-state memory. Thus it does not know that it
was previously powered-up.
..............................................................................
From: Michael Wright <michael@whitewolf.msfc.nasa.gov>

Autoboot has to be set in the boot monitor and then saved.
autoboot-enable? true
nvramrc
My syntax may not be right, but that is the command sequence.
..............................................................................
From: Steve Mowbray <S.Mowbray@ma.hw.ac.uk>

That's the way Sparcstation 4s are made. Nothing you can do
about it. Stupid, isn't it?
..............................................................................
From: john <john@usa.nai.net>

That is the problem of Sparc 4's. Get another powersupply (the
one for Sparc 5 works)
..............................................................................
From: Ray Trzaska <rtrzaska@uk.mdis.com>

check if you have the nvram parameter 'auto-boot?' set false - it probably is.
        as root do 'eeprom | egrep auto'
if auto-boot?=true then I don't know, and you can ignore the rest.
bring the system down to the OK? prompt ( init 0 ) or (shutdown -i0 -g0 -y)
OK? setenv auto-boot? true
auto-boot?=true
OK? boot
and that sets it until you change it. It should have been true as the default.
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        AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS ....
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        Yes, there's a way out. Firstly, as I pointed out in my original
question I had already tweaked nvram parms to no avail and sure enough that's
not the answer. Thanks anyway (I'll keep this for another ocasion, maybe ? ).
The culprit is the RIDICULOUS power supply shipped with Sparc's 4 (my
appliance can do better than that). The trick that lead me out: hold the
power switch at the ON position and insert a small paper clip between the
bottom of the switch and its frame ... this will prevent the swicth from
going back to its neutral and USELESS position. In this situation, if power
fails the station will boot normally when power is restabilished. Very cheap
solution. If it spoils the power supply? I really don't know and don't care.
If it gets broken it will be replaced by a REAL one anyway. Till there I can
save some bucks and get some peace (I can go home without worrying about
power failures). BTW, this is the Brazilian way guys :-))) Thanks again and
best regards ....

                                                             ...
          . . . -(o o)-
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                                             =
  UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DE LONDRINA - UEL .:. assis @ npd.uel.br
  Nucleo de Processamento de Dados - NPD <*> Marcos Assis Silva
       Gerencia de Software Basico - GSB ":" Analista de Suporte
               Parana - Brasil o
          . . . = .
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