When I enter the command "boot disk /flash-update-Blade100-Blade150-latest", I get the message "Can't open /flash-update-Blade100-Blade150-latest". But if I enter the command "boot disk /platform/sun4u/kernel/unix", it boots correctly.

The file exists in the root directory and is executable.

Any ideas?

 

 

There is an OBP write-protect jumper on the systemboards of the SB100 and SB150 systems. JP2 is "hidden" under the edge of the drive bay frame, right at the front right corner of the board and next to the NVRAM chip. It's rather difficult to get to, unless you do some disassembly of the system.

The README file of the flash update mentions it.

Did you move it to enable writing to the PROM in preparation for the update?
Write-protect is the factory default [pins 1-2 jumpered].
I suggest you move the jumper to the 2-3 position [write-enabled] and just leave it there permanently.

If you use your Spectrum login account to the Sun System Handbook, you can view the board layout. That information isn't available in the free version of the Handbook.

 

 

Yes, that was one of the first things I did.

 

 

While at a past employer, I had a SB100 on my desk for three years.
I updated the firmware (perhaps) four times on that system and never experienced that sort of frustration.
I can only surmise there is something corrupt with the file you placed into the root of your boot drive. Did your download and unzipping include the use of a Windows system for any of the steps along the way?

I can only suggest you delete what you placed on the hard drive and get a fresh copy of it.
Start all over.

 

 

I tried that but there was no difference.

When I give the ls command after the failure, it gives the message "Not at a device tree node. Use 'dev <device-pathname>'." Is that normal?

 

 

If you're typing that immediately after the error, then maybe yes.
An improperly functional system boot might not "know" anything of the drive's contents.

However, if you're trying to display a listing of contents after a clean bootup, then I am guessing that something's wrong with the disk or a filesystem on the disk. Perhaps a conventional FSCK might see something.

 

 

That was immediately after the error. The system functions normally otherwise. Since I am able to boot to the kernel with the "boot disk" command, it doesn't seem like a problem accessing the disk. It seems like the problem would be with the file, but I don't know what else to try. Is there a way I could try to run it from a cd or from a second hard drive?

 

 

Perhaps other might add their thoughts to this forum thread, per their actual experiences with a flash-update.

I've never had a need to experiment with using anything other than the default boot drive. I do not currently have access to any such system to try this, either.
The update file(s) just needs to be at the root of the root filesystem of a bootable `drive`, then you boot the system with an absolute path instruction. It will start the machine with its own environment that is outside the computer's customary Solarisand the update then occurs. You don't have higher level OS functions getting in its way.

I'm out of additional ideas.

 

 

Well, I got the update installed. Here is what I did. I had an old Sunblade 100 that was sitting unused, so I started that back up again and installed the update on it to make sure it would work. That went fine. Then, I switched hard drives on the 100 and 150 and tried the update on the 150 again. It went fine.

Does that mean that my hard drive is bad, even though it works fine except for updating? Will any hard drive work, or do I need to replace it with a Sun hard drive?

 

 

This is merely a guess but perhaps your original writing of the file(s) to the root of your disk ended up in a sector that wasn't readable during the boot process.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about your current drive.
Delete the OBP files and continue to use it.
Occasionally (monthly?) glance at the output of iostat -En for hard errors.
If you have hours to commit to an analysis, boot to CD and do ...
format --> analyze --> read
(it's non-destructive)

 

 

SunBlade 150 - need to upgrade OBP it's not working
Dec 15, 2008 9:51 PM

I am trying to updgrade my OBP to the 4.17.1 and when I follow the directions and boot the file I get:

Boot device: disk File and args: xxxxxxxxx
Warning: Fcode sequence resulted in a net stack depth change of 1
The file just loaded does not appear to be executable.

or something very much like that and then it also says file not found... The file is in the root directory and
I finally to simplify things named it /flash and I do a:

ok boot disk /flash <---

It twirls / spins for a long time and then the above message, I went in and switched the jumper on the
motherboard as well...

Any ideas?

Tom

Edited by: ConsumerUser on Dec 15, 2008 9:52 PM

 

 

Those were the same messages I got. You read my solution above, but if you don't have another drive, I don't know what you can do. The strange thing was that I misspelled the filename once with the Sunblade 100 drive and it just gave me a "file not found" message, asked me to retype it, and it went on. However, with the 150 drive, it gives the "file not found" message and gives the error messages you listed without asking for any correction from me. Then it goes on and says the file it loaded (which it just said it didn't load) might not be executable.

I think it is strange that it happened to 2 different 150 users. I think it is a problem with the OBP interaction with the drive. Or, could there be a problem with the file block on the drive?

 

 

I actually finally started my own seperate thread but I wanted to address what you say.... I have the OBP 4.10.6 and even switching drives, IDE cables, reinstallintg does nothing I still cant load and get those error messages I posted... It could be the boot block or something I think it's bad firmware and somehow you got it to work.... lucky!!!

Anyways I will continue with my thread and see of anybody can offer more insight at this point I might as well stay at 4.10.6...

Tom

 

 

Was the other drive you tried a 150 drive? The one I got to work was the 100 drive that was only 10 GB in size. Maybe the OBP won't work with the 40GB drive.

 

 

Well I even called Sun Micro and they were useless, for ANYONE having this issue this is the BEST :)
link I found, it requires a network and another machine Sun or Linux... here it is:

http://www.smtps.net/netboot_flash_obp.html

Its pretty simple an str8 forward once you get the tftpbbot stuff to work...

Anyways! Have fun!

Tom