Hey guys I am new here and like this forum alot. I went to get into Solaris and would like to buy a sun box on ebay. NON rackmount. Problem is there is so many diff types. I am looking for one under the $800 range that can support solaris 10 and have the basics and decent ram.
Can you guys help?
thanks!
Ralph
I'd suggest a Sun Blade 150 or 100. They had roughly half-gig processors and could hold over a gig of RAM. Don't let the slower clock speed bother you, Sparc chips have always run at a slower clock speed than Intel chips. They are fast enough we have a few CAD engineers where I work still using them, although most are switching to newer/faster Dell workstations with Red Hat on them instead. I use one as my Unix desktop in my job as a sysadmin, and I run Solaris 10 on it no problem.
These came out around 2001 or so, which means they should be quite cheap on ebay. They used Sun USB mice and keyboards, but I believe other USB models will work too. This avoids a huge hassle with the older Ultra workstations that needed keyboards and mice with a specific connector that only worked for those particular machines. They also use a standard VGA hookup for the monitor which some of the older Ultra machines didn't.
Thanks alot ! I appreciate the help. I am going to be looking on ebay for that particular model. I am also looking for a easy to understand solaris book for amateurs, do you know of any? I have been a windows guy for 8 years and would like to go on the other side/
Ralph
I don't have any specific book recommendations I guess. When I first started doing Unix support at my helpdesk job years ago I bought "Unix for Dummies". Maybe they have a Solaris version, but that is probably too basic for you.
One thing to check out is docs.sun.com. It is Sun's online documentation site where they have just about everything Sun provides that you can see without a service contract. You might be able to find some introductory level stuff there, and if nothing else you'll want to bookmark the manuals for the model of workstation you end up buying for reference.
May I suggest, if you intend to keep the machine for a while, to look on eBay for a Sun Blade 1000 !
You can get a single 900 MHZ with good config (RAM, disk, etc), or a dual 750 MHZ similarly configured for right around $ 800 (US).
The reason I recommend these is longevity. They are newer and will last longer, they are REAL Sun machines. The Blade 100 & 150 are PCs, with a SPARC stuck on them, and are not built as well as a "Sun Server". The Blade 1000 & 2000 use the same CPU as the servers, and the same ECC memory, power supply, (type of) motherboard, etc.. They are built WAY better.
Also, the Blade 1000 accepts a USB keyboard, so if you use a PC or Mac, you can have a KVM switch that works with all the machines you have !
you guys are awesome I appreciate it and looking at ebay as of now for a good deal, got to becareful of the shipping some these guys are charging. I ordered a bunch of used books on amazon.com and cant wait to start. I am hoping I will get a entry level position in the near future in the GA area, I need to start somewhere. Thank you for the PM's , I will reply back to them...
dsbeerf, 512MB ram good?? or should have 1gb??
thanks!
Ralph
Oh. A Sun machine running Solaris ?? Especially Solaris 10 ??
MINIMUM of 1 GB RAM. The more the 'merrier'. Solaris LIKES memory, and uses it quite well (speed & efficiency)
Actually, unless you're running a decently used web server, or a database, 1 GB should be good. You don't need to 'break the bank'. :>D
thanks man, yes it is solaris 10. That link you sent me is the best deal I could find, dual 900.72gb,4gbram for $875 is sweet. I can use my usb keyboard anfd mouse,correct??? And whats a smart card reader? 
sorry for the stupid question.
Ralph
Smart Cards :
:>D
You can buy and program them yourself with this (and many other) machines. American Express Blue card is a smart card. LOTS of credit cards are, today.
B.T.W.: I sent you an EXAMPLE LINK to ONE OF the machines available on ebay.
There are OTHERS. They MAY be better deals. I am NOT guaranteeing ANYTHING with that link, just showing you that they are EASY to find.
!!
I know it was an example and I apprecaite it. I have browsing for a better deal, this one seems to be good. Thanks for the link on smart cards, I appreciate it. BTW, can you build your own computer by using sparc parts and others that are linux compatible (notx86)?? and is it worth while.> I am so used to building my own. I also noticed alot of UK companies sell built computers for linux.
thanks!
Ralph
I do not know for SURE, but it seems to me that when I try to 'total up' the price of a Sun box, from parts, I would be paying WAY MORE than the price of a 'used' machine. After all, I can pick up a whole Sun Blade 1000 for around $ 850, but just buying the video card & a couple of disks, puts me in the same 'ballpark'.
When I bought my Ultra 60 (3 years ago) and it broke (late last year), it was cheaper to buy a whole machine ($ 350) for parts than to replace the bad board.