May 2011 - Roundtable

Winnipeg Harvest donations from December meeting - thank you!
by athompso＠muug.mb.ca 04 Apr '12

04 Apr '12

Thanks to the generosity of our members, we were able to donate three large boxes’ worth of non-perishable food items to Winnipeg Harvest in December 2010. The text of the thank-you letter we just received (see attached) is as follows: January 5, 2011 Manitoba UNIX User Group Attn: Adam Thompson Dear Friends of Harvest, We here at Winnipeg Harvest want to thank the Manitoba UNIX User Group for your support of helping those less fortunate in our community. Over the last few months 743 pounds of food was donated to the food bank. Your donations will go into hampers that will help Winnipeg Harvest feed more than 58,000 people each month, half of those being children. On behalf of the entire team at Winnipeg Harvest, thank you for helping us fight hunger and feed hope in Manitoba. We look forward to working with you again in the future. If I can ever be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me by phone at 982-3670 or by email at tori(a)winnipegharvest.org. Yours truly, Tori Webber Development Associate Winnipeg Harvest Inc. So, thanks again. See you all in another six (6) days, at our next meeting on January 11th, 2011. -Adam Thompson athompso(a)muug.mb.ca

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AGP video card.
by Sean Cody 04 Jun '11

04 Jun '11

I am in need of a decent AGP Video card with DVO for my brother to connect his T-Bird Shuttle PC to his LCD TV. I had purged my collection of legacy gear earlier this year and the cards I have left are fried. I don't need new, just AGP and DVI with basic GPU acceleration (he just watches video at 720p,via DVI->HDMI adapter). If it works/supported with Linspire all the better. -- Sean (mobile)

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Terminal
by Kevin McGregor 31 May '11

31 May '11

Anyone have an old dumb terminal sitting around they don't need/want? Preferably small in dimensions? :) Kevin

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Re: [RndTbl] Need help with serial connection
by Adam Thompson 30 May '11

30 May '11

Usually it's the other way 'round, as the mgmt port is used for remote "lights-out" installs. You can connect to a virtual console port through the sun mgmt port, so you should never need both. Kevin McGregor <kevin.a.mcgregor(a)gmail.com> wrote: >No frame buffer is present. I just want to manage the machine via serial >port for now. You can't use the management port until you've installed the >OS and configured it, is my understanding. > >On Fri, May 27, 2011 at 2:28 PM, Adam Thompson <athompso(a)athompso.net>wrote: > >> Not if there's a frame buffer installed. And that sound like you're in the >> host serial port, not the management port. Which do you want to be >> connected to? >> >> >> Kevin McGregor <kevin.a.mcgregor(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> >> >Do I have the wrong cable? I think it's one of those ones used to attach >> to >> >Cisco equipment, 9-pin RS-232 to RJ-45. >> > >> >I had it working, briefly, but it stopped again. I think it had booted >> from >> >the CD, and was pouring out messages about a buffer overflow plus a >> >language-selection menu (repeatedly) as fast as 9600 bps would allow. Then >> I >> >removed the CD and rebooted and now nothing. With a Sun Fire, shouldn't I >> be >> >able to turn the front-panel switch to "Normal" and press the power >> button? >> >I did that, and I'm getting nothing on the serial interface. I should be >> >getting POST messages at least. >> > >> >On Fri, May 27, 2011 at 10:43 AM, Adam Thompson <athompso(a)athompso.net >> >wrote: >> > >> >> Turn off hardware flow control (RTS/CTS or DTS/DSR) and use software >> flow >> >> control (XON/XOFF) instead. >> >> Also, if you don't want to use minicom, (the modem AT initialization is >> a >> >> pain to turn off completely) just use screen instead: >> >> "screen /dev ttys0 9600" >> >> -Adam >> >> >> >> >> >> Kevin McGregor <kevin.a.mcgregor(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> >> >> >> >This is driving me nuts, since it was working and now it isn't and I >> have >> >> no >> >> >idea what has changed. I hope someone can help. >> >> > >> >> >I have a SunFire V490 at work. I also have a HP ProLiant server in the >> >> same >> >> >rack, which is running Ubuntu Server 10.04. I've got the weird cyan >> serial >> >> >cable plugged in to the lone serial port on the ProLiant and the other >> end >> >> >plugged into the V490 port ("SERIAL"). I've got minicom running on the >> >> Linux >> >> >box configured for 9600, 8N1 on /dev/ttyS0. minicom's status line >> reports >> >> >"OFFLINE", and I get no response to any keyboard input. >> >> > >> >> >What's wrong? I can freely power off/on the SunFire and anything else I >> >> want >> >> >to do with it. I have the keys for the front panel, too. Do I have to >> >> switch >> >> >it to diagnostics mode or something? We had it working before, and it >> was >> >> >quite easy. >> >> > >> >> >Help! >> >> > >> >> >Kevin >> >> > >> >> >_______________________________________________ >> >> >Roundtable mailing list >> >> >Roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca >> >> >http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> Roundtable mailing list >> >> Roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca >> >> http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable >> >> >> > >> >_______________________________________________ >> >Roundtable mailing list >> >Roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca >> >http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Roundtable mailing list >> Roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca >> http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable >> > >_______________________________________________ >Roundtable mailing list >Roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca >http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable

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Re: [RndTbl] Need help with serial connection
by Adam Thompson 30 May '11

30 May '11

What its usually meant by that is that you must physically put the RSC module into the server, and you must cover give it an IP address, etc. before you can do anything with it. Doesn't (typically) mean OS-level config. -Adam Kevin McGregor <kevin.a.mcgregor(a)gmail.com> wrote: >According to http://www.sun.com/servers/rsc.html, "You must install and >configure RSC on the supported platforms prior to using RSC." > >This machine was not bought new from Sun, so I don't know how the boot PROM >is configured. > >I booted the machine with one (or more) of my cable combinations and only >got some output once, with the cyan Cisco cable! > >I tried all of the port and cable combinations I could think of, but I still >seem to get no response. I have what looks like a Sun cable (labelled >530-3623-01 Rev.53 MEI 0803) with an adapter (RJ-45 to RS-232 25-pin), but I >only have 9-pin ports available. I have a RJ-45 to 9-pin adapter, but it may >not have the required pins connected. > >So, yeah, if you have a real Sun cable and it has a 9-pin connector, I would >love to try that! > >Just to be clear, I haven't even seen any boot diagnostic output ever on >this machine, and there is no framebuffer installed. If I was even getting >the diagnostic output, I'd be thrilled. > >Kevin > >On Sat, May 28, 2011 at 11:58 AM, Daryl F <wyatt(a)prairieturtle.ca> wrote: > >> On Fri, 27 May 2011, Kevin McGregor wrote: >> >> Makes sense. I'll try it on Monday. >>> >>> On Fri, May 27, 2011 at 4:01 PM, Adam Thompson <athompso(a)athompso.net >>> >wrote: >>> >>> Usually it's the other way 'round, as the mgmt port is used for remote >>>> "lights-out" installs. >>>> You can connect to a virtual console port through the sun mgmt port, so >>>> you >>>> should never need both. >>>> >>>> >>>> Kevin McGregor <kevin.a.mcgregor(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>> No frame buffer is present. I just want to manage the machine via serial >>>>> port for now. You can't use the management port until you've installed >>>>> the >>>>> OS and configured it, is my understanding. >>>>> >>>> >> An installed OS is not needed to use a Remote System Control card (RSC) >> that runs the LOM firmware. It is a complete "computer" of its own with >> RAM/CPU/etc completely separated from the SPARC system itself. Note this a >> card. If you do have one the jacks will be in the card slots, not on the >> chassis of the server itself. If you think you do have an RSC, rscadm(1M) >> can be used from the Solaris host to manipulate it. >> >> An RSC is not affected by rebooting the server through software or the >> hardware. It runs even when the server is powered off. A/C power must be >> removed on all chassis power supplies for at least 30 seconds to make it >> reset. rscadm can also reset it if you Solaris running. >> >> The serial port is a different critter altogether. The boot PROM uses it >> during boot initialisation right up to the point where the loaded OS is >> given control. What happens then depends on the boot PROM settings. It may >> direct the console to the serial port or the framebuffer. >> >> Any chance someone changed the boot PROM settings from factory default? It >> sounds like they've changed them to redirect the console to the framebuffer >> even if there isn't one installed. In that case you only see the hardware >> diagnostics, then when the loader passes control to the booting OS the >> console output may shifted to the framebuffer if the factory default has >> been changed. >> >> >> >>>>> On Fri, May 27, 2011 at 2:28 PM, Adam Thompson <athompso(a)athompso.net >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Not if there's a frame buffer installed. And that sound like you're in >>>>>> >>>>> the >>>> >>>>> host serial port, not the management port. Which do you want to be >>>>>> connected to? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Kevin McGregor <kevin.a.mcgregor(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> Do I have the wrong cable? I think it's one of those ones used to >>>>>>> >>>>>> attach >>>> >>>>> to >>>>>> >>>>>>> Cisco equipment, 9-pin RS-232 to RJ-45. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I had it working, briefly, but it stopped again. I think it had booted >>>>>>> >>>>>> from >>>>>> >>>>>>> the CD, and was pouring out messages about a buffer overflow plus a >>>>>>> language-selection menu (repeatedly) as fast as 9600 bps would allow. >>>>>>> >>>>>> Then >>>> >>>>> I >>>>>> >>>>>>> removed the CD and rebooted and now nothing. With a Sun Fire, >>>>>>> shouldn't >>>>>>> >>>>>> I >>>> >>>>> be >>>>>> >>>>>>> able to turn the front-panel switch to "Normal" and press the power >>>>>>> >>>>>> button? >>>>>> >>>>>>> I did that, and I'm getting nothing on the serial interface. I should >>>>>>> >>>>>> be >>>> >>>>> getting POST messages at least. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >> Cyan-colored Cisco cables don't work. The signal wires are not the same. >> They work for a bit but the first time the sending rate from the server gets >> too high the serial connection hangs. >> >> You need a DB9-to-RJ45 adapter and a plain RJ-45 ribbon cable (not twisted >> pair -- it freaks out RS-232). I have a ton of them at work if you need one. >> Oracle (nee Sun) ships one with each server but we use only the network >> management port these days. >> >> >> >> On Fri, May 27, 2011 at 10:43 AM, Adam Thompson <athompso(a)athompso.net >>>>>>> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Turn off hardware flow control (RTS/CTS or DTS/DSR) and use software >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> flow >>>>>> >>>>>>> control (XON/XOFF) instead. >>>>>>>> Also, if you don't want to use minicom, (the modem AT initialization >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> is >>>> >>>>> a >>>>>> >>>>>>> pain to turn off completely) just use screen instead: >>>>>>>> "screen /dev ttys0 9600" >>>>>>>> -Adam >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Kevin McGregor <kevin.a.mcgregor(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> This is driving me nuts, since it was working and now it isn't and I >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> have >>>>>> >>>>>>> no >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> idea what has changed. I hope someone can help. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> I have a SunFire V490 at work. I also have a HP ProLiant server in >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> the >>>> >>>>> same >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> rack, which is running Ubuntu Server 10.04. I've got the weird cyan >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> serial >>>>>> >>>>>>> cable plugged in to the lone serial port on the ProLiant and the >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> other >>>> >>>>> end >>>>>> >>>>>>> plugged into the V490 port ("SERIAL"). I've got minicom running on >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> the >>>> >>>>> Linux >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> box configured for 9600, 8N1 on /dev/ttyS0. minicom's status line >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> reports >>>>>> >>>>>>> "OFFLINE", and I get no response to any keyboard input. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> What's wrong? I can freely power off/on the SunFire and anything >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> else I >>>> >>>>> want >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> to do with it. I have the keys for the front panel, too. Do I have >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> to >>>> >>>>> switch >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> it to diagnostics mode or something? We had it working before, and >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> it >>>> >>>>> was >>>>>> >>>>>>> quite easy. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >> Switching the key to diagnostics mode will only get you more diagnostics. >> Never run a production server in diagnostics mode. It greatly slows down >> system recovery in the event of a power outage/restoral. That assumes >> auto-boot? is set True in the boot PROM as it should be in a production >> server. >> >> >> HTH, >> -Daryl >> > >_______________________________________________ >Roundtable mailing list >Roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca >http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable

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Re: [RndTbl] Need help with serial connection
by Adam Thompson 27 May '11

27 May '11

Not if there's a frame buffer installed. And that sound like you're in the host serial port, not the management port. Which do you want to be connected to? Kevin McGregor <kevin.a.mcgregor(a)gmail.com> wrote: >Do I have the wrong cable? I think it's one of those ones used to attach to >Cisco equipment, 9-pin RS-232 to RJ-45. > >I had it working, briefly, but it stopped again. I think it had booted from >the CD, and was pouring out messages about a buffer overflow plus a >language-selection menu (repeatedly) as fast as 9600 bps would allow. Then I >removed the CD and rebooted and now nothing. With a Sun Fire, shouldn't I be >able to turn the front-panel switch to "Normal" and press the power button? >I did that, and I'm getting nothing on the serial interface. I should be >getting POST messages at least. > >On Fri, May 27, 2011 at 10:43 AM, Adam Thompson <athompso(a)athompso.net>wrote: > >> Turn off hardware flow control (RTS/CTS or DTS/DSR) and use software flow >> control (XON/XOFF) instead. >> Also, if you don't want to use minicom, (the modem AT initialization is a >> pain to turn off completely) just use screen instead: >> "screen /dev ttys0 9600" >> -Adam >> >> >> Kevin McGregor <kevin.a.mcgregor(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> >> >This is driving me nuts, since it was working and now it isn't and I have >> no >> >idea what has changed. I hope someone can help. >> > >> >I have a SunFire V490 at work. I also have a HP ProLiant server in the >> same >> >rack, which is running Ubuntu Server 10.04. I've got the weird cyan serial >> >cable plugged in to the lone serial port on the ProLiant and the other end >> >plugged into the V490 port ("SERIAL"). I've got minicom running on the >> Linux >> >box configured for 9600, 8N1 on /dev/ttyS0. minicom's status line reports >> >"OFFLINE", and I get no response to any keyboard input. >> > >> >What's wrong? I can freely power off/on the SunFire and anything else I >> want >> >to do with it. I have the keys for the front panel, too. Do I have to >> switch >> >it to diagnostics mode or something? We had it working before, and it was >> >quite easy. >> > >> >Help! >> > >> >Kevin >> > >> >_______________________________________________ >> >Roundtable mailing list >> >Roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca >> >http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Roundtable mailing list >> Roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca >> http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable >> > >_______________________________________________ >Roundtable mailing list >Roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca >http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable

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Re: [RndTbl] Need help with serial connection
by Adam Thompson 27 May '11

27 May '11

Turn off hardware flow control (RTS/CTS or DTS/DSR) and use software flow control (XON/XOFF) instead. Also, if you don't want to use minicom, (the modem AT initialization is a pain to turn off completely) just use screen instead: "screen /dev ttys0 9600" -Adam Kevin McGregor <kevin.a.mcgregor(a)gmail.com> wrote: >This is driving me nuts, since it was working and now it isn't and I have no >idea what has changed. I hope someone can help. > >I have a SunFire V490 at work. I also have a HP ProLiant server in the same >rack, which is running Ubuntu Server 10.04. I've got the weird cyan serial >cable plugged in to the lone serial port on the ProLiant and the other end >plugged into the V490 port ("SERIAL"). I've got minicom running on the Linux >box configured for 9600, 8N1 on /dev/ttyS0. minicom's status line reports >"OFFLINE", and I get no response to any keyboard input. > >What's wrong? I can freely power off/on the SunFire and anything else I want >to do with it. I have the keys for the front panel, too. Do I have to switch >it to diagnostics mode or something? We had it working before, and it was >quite easy. > >Help! > >Kevin > >_______________________________________________ >Roundtable mailing list >Roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca >http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable

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Re: [RndTbl] Need help with serial connection
by Adam Thompson 27 May '11

27 May '11

Unless Sun radically changed their approach since I last worked with current great, the LOM port won't support flow control at all. By definition, software flow control is handled by whatever is processing your input, so either the LOM f/w or the Solaris tty layer. The serial port on the host itself (i.e. /dev/cua0) does support h/w flow control, and would normally be set to 115.2kbps if you're doing a lot of work there anyway. That's one of the rationales to leaving console ports at 9600, no flow control: everything can handle that without buffer overflows, you only need a 3-wire serial cable, and it's transparent to ^Q/^S in case that's important (or in case the connected device handles it, as in UNIX, printers, Cisco IOS, etc.). -Adam JohnD <jd(a)westman.wave.ca> wrote: > >Thirded on screen. > >But if you do a lot of binary xfer, the hw flow control may be worth a bit more patience. >And you can then use Ctrl_S (xoff**) and Ctrl_Q a bit more freely (e.g: scrollstop -vs- /usr/bin/less; since you're only extruding at 9600), and yer scroll >states won't get obfuskomacated. > >Check BIOS/CMOS settings on both machines, for mbrd's integrated UART/ComN (toggles). >Old IBM defaults for primary&secondary were irq4:3F8 and irq3:3E8 > >Check PSU for negative12v on psuPin12 (usu.blue) -vs- adjacent psuPin13 (black:grnd) > >In rs232 terms, the DSR+[D]CD (usu.combined) & CTS signals minicom wants to see asserted from the OtherEnd, ain't. > >Since MrCyan's prolly a NullMdm/CrossoverCable, ThisEnd's handshakes*** are actually coming from OtherEnd's DTR or RTS pins, resp. >You may think MrCyan is weird, but that MrMagenta is a downright reservoir dog. > >Curious my ageing brain still responds to AT&F, but I can't juggle this newfangled capex or optex without fumbling the PON > >John Donovan >planet Brandon > >** pardon my language > >*** speaking of language, would the modern vernacular now be 'Data Daps' ? > >In which case, then let us lower our respective altitudes and engage in pheremonally fragrant activities on the dancefloor >(transl: 'Get down, get funky.') > >_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ > >On ImpossibleDate(01/-10/-28163) 01:59 PM, Kevin McGregor wrote: >> This is driving me nuts, since it was working and now it isn't and I have no idea what has changed. I hope someone can help. >> >> I have a SunFire V490 at work. I also have a HP ProLiant server in the same rack, which is running Ubuntu Server 10.04. I've got the weird cyan serial >> cable plugged in to the lone serial port on the ProLiant and the other end plugged into the V490 port ("SERIAL"). I've got minicom running on the Linux >> box configured for 9600, 8N1 on /dev/ttyS0. minicom's status line reports "OFFLINE", and I get no response to any keyboard input. >> >> What's wrong? I can freely power off/on the SunFire and anything else I want to do with it. I have the keys for the front panel, too. Do I have to switch >> it to diagnostics mode or something? We had it working before, and it was quite easy. >> >> Help! >> >> Kevin > > >_______________________________________________ >Roundtable mailing list >Roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca >http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable

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Need help with serial connection
by Kevin McGregor 27 May '11

27 May '11

This is driving me nuts, since it was working and now it isn't and I have no idea what has changed. I hope someone can help. I have a SunFire V490 at work. I also have a HP ProLiant server in the same rack, which is running Ubuntu Server 10.04. I've got the weird cyan serial cable plugged in to the lone serial port on the ProLiant and the other end plugged into the V490 port ("SERIAL"). I've got minicom running on the Linux box configured for 9600, 8N1 on /dev/ttyS0. minicom's status line reports "OFFLINE", and I get no response to any keyboard input. What's wrong? I can freely power off/on the SunFire and anything else I want to do with it. I have the keys for the front panel, too. Do I have to switch it to diagnostics mode or something? We had it working before, and it was quite easy. Help! Kevin

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Hybrid Flash+HDD - FYI
by Adam Thompson 25 May '11

25 May '11

Just an FYI. I installed a hybrid HDD into my notebook (that's an ordinary HDD with several GB's of flash designed to act as a cache). The middle-tier cache concept seems to work reasonably well, it keeps the most-seeked-to sectors in flash for quick(er) access. I can see a clear difference in disk performance whenever my workload changes dramatically. Mostly, it just helps Windows boot faster, and helps MS Office apps load faster. But the Achilles' heel of any caching design like this is apparent when you do something like, say, boot into another OS. After running Ubuntu for two days, rebooting into Windows felt sloooooow. I guess two days was enough time for full cache replacement, I think this model has 8GByte of flash built in, so that's entirely reasonable. Upon rebooting into Windows, though, launching Outlook and opening a mailbox folder took several *minutes* longer than normal. It stands to reason that these types of disks would excel in areas where there's strong locality of information... like the NTFS File Descriptor table. And this also explains why performance was utterly awful when using btrfs - locality of metadata is almost zero with that FS. So, just a hint if you're considering buying this type of disk - consider your workload. If your workload changes often, you'd be better off spending the additional cash on a slightly faster or slightly bigger non-hybrid HDD. Is anyone using flash as a mid-tier cache in large disk arrays yet? Do they experience the same issue? -Adam Thompson athompso(a)athompso.net

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