All of the boot-up messages are displayed, with the only strange
thing being that initially the output stops at "NetBSD/sp".  If I
press return, then the full line "NetBSD/sparc (biorec) (console)"
and a "login: " prompt are displayed.  The problem is that I cannot
login over the serial connection.  I can enter my login name okay.
If I enter my password at the "Password:_" prompt and hit return,
nothing seems to happen.  If I hit return a second time, _sometimes_
I get "Login incorrect", but usually after a long wait I get a new
login prompt (the second time not "console" but rather "ttya") with
the message "Login timed out after 300 seconds."  Input and echo
back after that becomes erratic; sometimes echo back, sometimes not.

The three possible areas I can think of where I may have things set
up wrong are the physical connection, /etc/ttys on the sparc machine,
and tip and /etc/remote on the i386 machine, so I describe them below.
This is NetBSD1.4.2 on both the i386 and sparc machines.

First, I had to make my own adapter cable, indicated on the right.
       Sun cable P/N 530-1662-01   homemade adapter cable  
          DIN-8    DB-25  Signal   Signal   DB-25   DB-9
           Pin      Pin                      Pin     Pin
       -------------------------   ----------------------
connects    1       20      DTR     DSR      20       6   connects
to serial   2        5      CTS     RTS       5       7   to serial 
port "A"    3        2      TXD     RXD       2       2   port 1 (COM1)
Sun 4/40    4        7      GND     GND       7       5   on i386
            5        3      RXD     TXD       3       3 
            6        4      RTS     CTS       4       8 

The first two lines of /etc/ttys on the sparc machine are:
    console "/usr/libexec/getty suncons"    sun     on secure
    ttya    "/usr/libexec/getty std.9600"   vt100   on secure

Before powering on the sparc machine, I run `/usr/bin/tip com0c` on
the i386 machine, where the "com0c" entry in /etc/remote is:
    com0c|com0:dv=/dev/tty00:br#9600:pa=none:dc:

Any pointers much appreciated.  TIA.

henry nelson