And to add to all this...

On Fri, 15 Jun 2001, NetBSD Bob wrote:

# > Hello all -
# > 	Some may recognize me from the Alpha or Vax ports...
# > Anyway, I just recieved 2 SPARCStation 1+ boxes, a SPARCStation 2, and I'm
# > awaiting delivery on a SPARCStation LX. Aside from the info I've collected
# > from sunhelp.org (below) and on NetBSD's site, what else can you guys tell
# > me about these boxes?
# 
# The LX is the fastest box, so probably concentrate on that first.

...I will comment that the LX is not the fastest by much; in feel, and in
spite of benchmarks, I couldn't tell the difference between a comparably
equipped SS2 vs an LX, at least as a workstation.  Maybe headless you
might see a difference.  It's a Sun4m without the benefits of being a
sun4m.  Much like the SS5, one cannot truly MP the beast.

If you rip out the floopy drive, you can theoretically put a second
drive in the top half of the case.  We used to do it with IPXen all
the time (3-port SCSI ribbon-style cable required).

Other than that, the rest of this is spot-on.

# The SS2 is the second fastest.  Combine all the best ram/drives/bits
# out of the SS1's into the SS2.  I did that on mine, and it runs
# relatively well on 64mb ram and a pair of internal HD's and floppy.
# Use low power HD's if you have them, since heat can be a problem on
# any of the SS1/SS2 crates.  The sleds out of the SS1 should work in
# the SS2, if you remove the bottom screen (too thick).
# 
# The SS1's are slow, but even those can be usable for some things
# that don't require speed, like webservers or ftpservers or bootservers.

...or nameservers.

# Pick and choose the best nvram chips and use those.
# 
# I have used these as small webservers and they do fine for that mode.
# As a browserbox, they tend to be slow, slow, slow, slow, slow.......
# The LX will run Solaris 8, if you have a need.  Put as much ram in it
# as you can (96 or 128mb), or it will be slower still.


# 
# Good Luck.
# 
# Bob
# 
# 


				--*greywolf;
--
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