Re: Ultra 60 NVRAM

[Eduardo Horvath <eeh%NetBSD.org@localhost>]

On Thu, 30 Nov 2017, Volker A. Brandt wrote:

> Dave McGuire writes:
> >   If memory serves, these chips are shipped with the clock stopped, and
> > it must be started.  Very dusty neurons remind me that some systems
> > react poorly to a non-incrementing clock.  That might be it.
> 
> AFAIK the OBP will detect a non-running clock and start it.  I used to
> stop the clock inside the NVRAM when I put a sun4m-based system into
> storage, as that would save on battery.

It's not the clock that's a problem, it's that the NVRAM variables like 
`input-device' and `output-device' are stored in there so when OBP starts 
running it will look in there, extract some random garbage, and do 
something crazy.  So make sure you're using the serial port, 'cause if OBP 
manages to do anything at all it will spew out the serial port.

Eduardo