Sun SS10 networking

Hi Guys !

I am very new to this forum, but I have, for the past year been reading the coms inside. It looks very helpful for peeps like me who like to try many things, don't mind the hard work, but just don't know where to start.

I will start with an easy one (I think)
I am trying to set up an intra-net of 10 machines
2- SGI
2- SUN
2- Winx boxes (windows)

1- Linx box (linux)
1- BSD box

I know, it sounds weird, but I am learning to be a system/ network architect from my home, and that's the only way that I found.

anyways, this was the background info.

I am new to Sun boxes, and I now own one SparcClassic (diskless), and one SparcStation 10.
The probs, is that I want to set up the diskless one as ... (guess) a diskless client, and the SS10, as it's server.
But I don't know the first thing about Suns.
in the SS10, I have an external CDROM drive with solaris 8 CDs, but when I type [boot cdrom] it seems to reboot, and tell me that there is a media error.

I know that the drive is find, cuz it is an SGI one, and works fine. BTW it is detected when I do [probe scsi], in the SS10 PROM.

My questions:

1- where do I get info on SS10 hardware
2- SunOs/solaris install + admin for SS10
3- how do I enable the NIC
on this last one, I note that ONLY when I do [Ctrl+A], then [probe net] or [boot net] does the LED on my hub indicate that the NIC is alive.
then I type [go] to drop into the currently installed OS (N.B the two boxes are bootledged, since I bought them in a computer fair)
the NIC LED is still on, but when I try:

[ifconfig eth0, ec0, qe0, we0 .... + IPAddr] it returns "invalid interface, or interface not found..."

Sorry for the long message, but I thought that by explaining the environment, I would help you peeps out there (who have enough time to read this) to reproduce the scene, and hopefully give me guidelines.

N.B I have looked all over google for SS10 doc: found nothing relavant.

Hence, any help in this direction would be much appreciated.

regards from da Bionic one

You can't load Solaris 8 on a SS10 - the hardware is too old. I'm not sure if Solaris 7 can go on it, but Solaris 2.6 will.

Question 1 - Try this link to sunsolve - SS10 Handbook

Question 2 - You should get info with the Solaris 2.6 on how to install - as far as administration, you can either pick up a book, or read through SUN's documents here

Question 3 - such an old system...try either hme0 or le0. Not sure which as it has been some time since playing with a SS10. One of those should work with the ifconfig command. Check the man page on dmesg and then run the command piped to more or grep for hme or le0 - or just read all that goes by until you see the interface being probed.

Oops, I stand corrected - according to SUN you can use Solaris 8 on a SS10.

I'll keep looking.

BTW - you can do a ifconfig -a which will show you the interface (if you have it booted from the old software).

Also, sunsolve sucks for trying to find solutions - I haven't been able to find anything on your error. Please post the exact error you are getting.

If I remember correctly, Solaris 8 cdrom installations can be done two ways. The first cd give some kind of GUI interface b.s. thing which sometimes works, and sometimes doesn't. You can load either the second or third cd in the pack and it is also bootable - it's actually more like the Solaris 2.6 type of installs. Also, all this is from my memory which hasn't been working as well as usual, so if anyone can back me up on this or completely blow me out of the water, go right ahead. Anyway, try one of the other cd's...worth a shot.