On Monday 17 January 2005 3:13 pm, Greg Earle wrote:
> On Jan 17, 2005, at 12:05 PM, Matthis Rouch wrote:
> > On 17 Jan 2005, at 19:06, Manuel Bouyer wrote:
> >> On Mon, Jan 17, 2005 at 06:13:35PM +0000, Matthis Rouch wrote:
> >>> Dear all, I am trying to install NetBSD on my SPARCstation 5, through
> >>> the Netboot method, using as host my Apple PowerBook.  I have a
> >>> keyboard to tell the sparcstation to netboot, but I need to know its
> >>> MAC address to set things up in the host's ethers and hosts files.
> >>> I know I could get a USB to serial cable, or a screen, but my goal
> >>> is to do this without buying anything if possible.
> >>> So, my questions are:
> >>> 1. Is there any may to know the MAC address without a console/screen?
> >>> (would it be written inside or something?? ;)
> >>> 2. Alternatively, is there a way to configure rarpd so that it will
> >>> take any MAC address and put an IP on it?
> >>
> >> You could run tcpdump on another box and look for packets from the
> >> sparc.
> >>
> >> But I'm not sure the keyboard is functional if no screen is connected.
> >> On sparc, if the POST doesn't detect a keyboard or a screen, it
> >> switches to serial port A automatically.
> >
> > I've tested it and the keyboard is functional: when I type netboot, the
> > host UNIX box's rarpd prints: "got a packet".  But arp is not tcp so I
> > don't know if tcpdump will work.  As there is no system on the
> > sparcstation, I would need to generate something from open prom which
> > would be caught by tcpdump ... any ideas?
>
> Just because it's called "tcpdump" doesn't mean it doesn't grok
> ARP and RARP packets.  Try it before making assumptions.
>
> Your "goal" of "to do this without buying anything if possible" is
> called being "Penny wise but Pound foolish".  What are you going
> to do in the future if it croaks (or crashes to ddb, or to the PROM)?
>
> All it takes to turn your PowerBook into a SPARCstation console
> are a null-modem adapter (about 2 quid), a Sun-DB25-to-8-pin
> cable (how much can that be???) and a KeySpan USB serial adapter:
>
> 	http://www.keyspan.com/products/usb/USA28x/
>
> which is about 33 to 40 quid, depending.  Smart shopping
> could keep the whole bundle to 40 quid, tops.
>
> 	- Greg

Or even cheaper if you've got anything with a serial port.  I plug my serial 
consoles into a server that has a monitor hooked to it.  I can always get at 
the server through ssh, and in the rare case that both the box with the 
console cable and the server fail, i've got that monitor hooked up.

alternatively, try and trade someone for a sun monitor and keyboard.  I was 
able to trade an old color pc CRT for a monochrome sun monitor that works 
just fine for the few times i need a monitor hooked up.  Keyboard i got for 
nothing...and those are found cheaply enough on ebay i'm sure.