NetBSD Bob wrote:

> > > How can I test a bare 5000/200 chassis with only a serial console?
> > > 
> > > I have a nice 5000/200 box, with what appears to be 3 of the big
> > > ram modules (24mb? or 48mb?), and a PMAG card.  But, I don't have
> > > the monitor for it.  I do have the keyboard and port dongle to the
> > > mouse.
> > 
> > They'll either be 8MB or 32MB modules.
> 
> There are 8 groups of 9 chips of the 41000 size on each board, so I think
> they are probably 8M boards for 24M total.  Is that sufficient to run
> a 5000/200 or should I be looking for more?

It's enough - although X would probably be sluggish.  This goes for X
clients as well as X servers.  My raid5 box is a 5000/240 with 24MB and
11 RZ28's, and it works quite well...

> > > IF I remove the PMAG card, can it be tested with a serial terminal?
> > 
> > That's correct.
> > 
> > > If so, which ports and what wiring is required?
> > 
> > Use the port marked "3" - it's the closest serial port to the reset
> > button.  It's a normal 25 pin serial port - I think you need a null
> > modem if you are plugging it into a PC.
> 
> OK, I will try that.  I am using a VT420 console, so the usual DEC
> dongle on the mmj cable will apply.

Couldn't be easier with a vt420 - nothing fancy needed.

> It seems to walk through the idiot lights on the back panel, but without
> anything  hooked up, it eventually stops.

That's a good sign.  If any of the LEDs say on then there's likely to be
some sort of hardware problem.

> > > IS a scsi bus terminator required on the back of the case, just for
> > > testing purposes?
> > 
> > We run just about all of our diskless machines and most of our 5000/1xx with
> > just an internal disk without SCSI terminators...
> 
> One guy here was saying that it would nuke the motherboard without a
> scsi terminator, so I though  I would check to be sure.  It looks like
> a rather lean and mean machine, if I can resurrect it.

AFAIK we've never had a problem, across a few hundred machines...

Simon.