reconfiguring Sun386i

[Glenn Roberts]

> I got a used 386i staring me in the face, which won't boot because
> it is looking for a server to boot it up. Until the manuals arrive
> (when I can re-install) I'd like to play with it.

There is an interesting command included in /usr/etc on the Sun386i.  The
command is /usr/etc/unconfigure and it will take your machine back to the
state it was in when it was new.  I believe that means what it says:
accounts will be deleted, hosts tables will be wiped out, etc.  This is
preferable to a reinstall of the software though!  I used unconfigure once
and it worked fine.

Once you've got the machine "like new" you will probably want to configure
it as a "master" (Sun says you MUST make it the master if it is the only
Sun386i on your net).  If you have other 386i's on the net things get more
interesting.  Currently you can only have ONE Sun386i-based YP domain on
an ethernet.  I think this is "fixed in 4.0.2" though.

- Glenn Roberts, The MITRE Corp., McLean VA (703) 883-6820
  gfr at cobra.mitre.org