Subject: Re: New life for Sun Ray 1s
To: PORT-SPARC <Port-SPARC@netbsd.org>
From: Don Yuniskis <auryn@gci-net.com>
List: port-sparc
Date: 06/19/2002 12:21:49
"Tony 'Nicoya' Mantler" <nicoya@apia.dhs.org> wrote:
> >The connectors exposed to the rear of the unit are probably
> >for audio in/out, mouse, keyboard, video, network and...
> >maybe a serial port (or AUI?).  So, I doubt any of those
> >can serve double-duty as an alternative means of accessing the
> >Flash (for reprogramming)  :>  Is there still one more rear
> >panel connector that I can't fathom?
>
> From top to bottom:
> Audio
> Audio
> Mouse
> Keybaord
> Serial
> Ethernet
> Power

"Power"?  Then this is obviously a clone -- it is a well known fact
that machines manufactured on Krupp-ton take advantage of
"idle cycles" in the intergalactic teleporter to transport high energy
particles from the Home World to power the device.  Note the
antimatter containment vessel -- the square device adjacent to the
teleporter -- along with the requisite reinforcing "fins" to prevent
the particles from breaching the containment surface...

> GFX

> >Is that a trim pot at the top left of the board?  Possibly to set maximum
> >audio output level?
>
> The blue/white object is the power switch.

Ha!  Further evidence of the device's counterfeit nature!  The *real*
device utilizes predictive algorithms to determine *when* the user
*will* want to power the device back on and does so, by itself,
through the use of an onboard RTC (sync'ed to UKT, of course)

> >The large (40mm dia), circular object in the left quadrant is obviously
> >the intergalactic teleporter -- a dead giveaway due to the red and
> >black plasma conduits running into it from above -- with express
> >service to the home planet Krupp-ton (though I hear their sun
> >is set to explode soon so if you're planning a trip, book your
> >reservations early!)
>
> I hear Krupp-ton is quite nice this time of year.

Just avoid the southern continent -- damn tourists crowd the
methane beaches...

> >> * PCI Boot ROM, i.e. flashprom at ebus
> >>
> >> This is were Krups boots from.
> >>
> >> You can see an empty socket J1203 for an "overdrive" flashprom.  Below
> >> it is the soldered flashprom U1200 - AM29F400AB-90SC.  The jumper
> >> J1202 that selects betweed soldered one and the "overdrive" is above
> >> the upper-left corner of the empty socket.  Factory setting is to
> >> select the soldered one (U1200).
> >
> >So, you could also just burn a *new* Flash device and populate that
> >socket!
>
> Maybe someone could make a boot flash that doesnt send out subtly invalid
> DHCP packets. ;)

Well, if we can figure out how to get *something* into the device, then
it could readily be changed.

Let me back up a step... presumably, the reason you *can't* "force
the issue" of reprogramming the Flash because the "OS" won't let you
have access to the physical hardware?  E.g., does this thing *only* run
Java code?