Am at a conference just do a search on 386i and I should pop up
On May 30, 2024 9:06:48 AM EDT, Stefano Sanna via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: >Hi. > >I thought about using the serial connection (which should be enabled only if >the video card is removed). > >Thank you for the advice about the battery: usual issue with SGI, Sony >News.... :-) > >Unfortunately, the hard disk was been removed before I collected the >workstation. > >Could you please share the link to your post on the VCF Forum? > >Thank you. >-s > >On 30/05/24 11:53, cz via cctalk wrote: >> I have one around here somewhere. Sun built two cables, one was for the >> color boards (CGThree and CGFive) and the other was for monochrome systems >> (the D15). >> >> In the meantime you can hook a computer to the RS232 port and start running >> the thing headless to see what's there. Note, you're going to have to >> replace the timekeeper chip (or hack a new battery into it, there's docs on >> how I did that 30 years ago). I recommend wiring in a dual AAA adapter, that >> way you can replace the batteries every 15 or so years. >> >> Last time I fired up my three 386i's, two of the power supplies had blown up >> and one of the boards would not pass diagnostics. Of the supplies, one was >> hopeless so I hacked in a standard PC-AT supply board and got everything >> running (you don't NEED the -15 volts, but heck some ISA board you plug in >> will want it :-) and I figured out how to fix the other one by wiring in a >> new 12 volt kick starter supply to get the main supply up and running. >> >> I wrote up all of this on the vcf forum. Worth a read. >> >> If it's got a hard disk and it spins I'd recommend hooking it up to a SCSI >> adapter and doing a dd image of it first. Then you can figure out the >> partitions by whacking away at the image (I did this), then mount the >> volumes on another system, grab /etc/passwd, and crack the passwords in >> about 4 hours with john or a related tool. >> >> Once up, put it on the public internet and confuse the hell out of hackers. >> >> Have fun! >> CZ >> >> >> On 5/30/2024 4:59 AM, Stefano Sanna via cctalk wrote: >>> Hi. >>> >>> I recently bought a Sun Microsystems 386i and I discovered (too late...) >>> that monitor and keyboard are connected to the same D15 connector on the >>> back using a "Y" cable (I had experience with other Sun workstations, this >>> was first contact with Intel-based hardware). >>> >>> Unfortunately, I have not such a cable neither I was able to find any info >>> on the web about the pinout/wiring; probably it would be possible to create >>> the cable from scratch (assuming that no other circuitry was inside the >>> original Y cable). Moreover, I discovered that there is more than one >>> option for video boards (mono and color): therefore, there is more than a >>> single Y cable to connect monitor and keyboard. >>> >>> Looking at the official Sun's hardware list, I found this item: >>> >>> 630-1621 386i video/keyboard cable >>> >>> but it does not specify whether it is the mono or the color cable. In any >>> case, it seems impossible to buy it on eBay or similar. >>> >>> Does anybody have some information on how to rebuild it? >>> >>> Thank you. >>> -s
