> Bob ---
> 	Thanks for the notes. Couple points inline...
> 
> -> > ...2 SPARCStation 1+ boxes, a SPARCStation 2, and I'm
> -> > awaiting delivery on a SPARCStation LX...
> -> 
> -> The LX is the fastest box, so probably concentrate on that first.
> -> 
> -> 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...
> 
> What about adding a well-placed fan or two?

That helps, but there is very little space to do this.
They added one small fan in the SS2 case up near the front,
and some screening to help.  It does, but is still a bit
problematic with Barracudas and those kinds of drives.
Best is to use low power drives that don't run hot to the
touch.  I prefer DEC RZ26L's when I can get them or RZ28L's.

> -> 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.
> 
> I assume that they boot headless alright? I only have one K/V/M setup...

Yes, I use a mac modem cable on the ones with the round sun serial
port (LX should have that).  The rest use a straight db25 low7 modem
cable (maybe null, forget which exactly).  Pull the video boards and
keyboards and they should come up in serial A.  If you leave the
keyboard on it will try that first, unless you set a nvram with
the correct bits.  A VT100 emulation on a DEC terminal with a DEC
mmj dongle cable and connector works straight through.  Else, use
a null modem cable, if memory is correct, today.

> -> Pick and choose the best nvram chips and use those.
> 
> Huh? I don't have the boxes on front of me. A touch more info might be
> helpful. Also, since I know nothing about Sun-specific hardware, I'm worried
> about screwing up :-)

It won't.  The batteries on the SS1 SS2 IPC IPX and same age machines
are going.  Thus the nvram chips will boot with FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF
as the mac address.  That means the battery is dead.  IFF any have
a good boot that shows a real mac address, then keep those nvram chips
in your good machines.  If you follow the sun nvram.faq you can see how
to wire up external batteries to the chips to reuse them.  I have done
tha to several and they seem to work just fine on 3.5 volt batts.  Modern
replacement chips are also of an age that the batteries in them may be
problematic.  Also recut dies in the modern chips prevent them from
working in some of the sun crates (can't remember which ones, exactly).

That is all I can think of, offhand.

Bob