Skip Navigation and Search to Content

This Old Micro
Search Ancient UNIX - Discussion - This Old Micro

Main Content

Ancient UNIX photo

Ancient UNIX

Chesapeake, VA

Back to Topics

  1. Hardware

You need to be logged in to post messages.

Sun Sparc 20

4/1/2010 10:13 PM (edited)
Tom Manos photo

By Tom Manos

I just picked up a Sparc 20 in perfect shape - it looks like it just came from the factory.

Specs:
Single 50MHz processor
96MB Main Memory
2GB internal disk
2 framebuffers (I forget which)
Sun external CD-ROM
Sun external Archive Viper QIC 150 tape drive
Sun external Archive Python DDS2 tape drive
Sun external Exabyte 8mm tape drive
Sun 20" color monitor

This is a crazy good system. Everything is in perfect condition. I hope to be increasing the RAM soon, and adding a couple of Ross 150MHz processors. I would also like to change out the 2GB drive with a 9GB or 18GB.

The overall plan is to get this machine running SunOS 4.1.4, which is a 4.4BSD-ish system. I'll be running it as the main machine in my Ancient Unix collection. It will serve as gateway to the private network, mail relay, and anything else I can throw at it.

This is a very capable machine, that at one time was the machine to have as an Internet server or very high end workstation. I feel very lucky to have it.

RE: Sun Sparc 20

1. 4/8/2010 10:18 PM (edited)
Tom Manos photo

By Tom Manos

Update: The SS20 is up and running SunOS 4.1.4, and there are a bunch of new software packages on it: gcc, emacs, elm, pine, tin, ksh, and several more.

I have just taken dilivery of a new Seagate Cheetah 18GB SCA drive, which I think I will use to replace the aging 2GB drive in it now.

RE: Sun Sparc 20

2. 5/7/2010 8:30 AM
Tom Manos photo

By Tom Manos

More progress over the last couple of weeks.

I've got two 125MHz Ross HyperSparc processors and a PROM to make them work. I've got two 64MB RAM sticks, and I've got a new NVRAM stick coming in the mail. With these and another disk drive, I think I'm about done with the hardware.

Oh, I still need to make the Exabyte 8MM tape drive work, but that's a simple matter of reconfiguring the kernel to know about the new device.

Then it's on to the software. I've been busy with getting some of the usual applications (shells, MUA, news, etc) working, but I still have to get the resolver working right, and get NFS up and running.

All that should keep me busy for another week or so.

RE: Sun Sparc 20

3. 5/21/2010 6:27 PM
Tom Manos photo

By Tom Manos

I've got the SS20 running again after an NVRAM failure. It took me a while to figure out how to reprogram it again.

I picked up a couple of 4.55GB SCA drives and I'm trying to get one of them formatted and partitioned. It's not that straightforward on SunOS 4.1.

I guess after I get that done, I'll try to get the new 125MHz processors running.

Powered by Concursive ConcourseConnect, The Open Source Social Business Software Platform