[tech] Getting 5 x "Mr Coffee" Sun Thin Client Machines working

[David Adam]

On Mon, 4 Feb 2019, Melissa Star wrote:
> I'd like to pass on what I've done so far towards getting the five little
> Sun "thin client machines running".
> 
> We have located a guide here, which includes both the full set of
> instructions to configure and network boot the machines, and Linux kernel
> images:
> 
> http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/html_single/JavaStation-HOWTO.html
> 
> 
> If you want to see what the machines have inside and look like starting up,
> go to:
> 
> https://hackaday.com/2018/04/10/the-forgotten-workstation-sun-javastation/
> 
> The effort to get these machines booted would probably be a half day to
> whole day of work, but once done ALL FIVE machines will work, and any
> simple PC, even a window box, can serve them the O/S images they need in
> order to boot up.
> 
> They are fairly low spec, with 100Mhz CPUs, 32MB of RAM, and a 10Mbps
> ethernet port as well as a serial port. But they can definitely run Linux
> and perform certain tasks, such as being a low-end X-terminal.
> 
> Each needs a PS/2 style mouse and keyboard, and a VGA monitor.

Cool. These were donated to us back in 2006 by CSSE, along with a Netra 
server to run them. I don't remember how far we got; there's some work in 
murasoi:/tftpboot/javastation (including a Linux image dated 2009). It 
looks like it's still set up to serve the PROLL and image to 130.95.13.93, 
if you want to try, though DHCP isn't set up.

Meersau (the Linux terminal server) was originally an LTSP endpoint, and 
is the logical X server if you are looking for one.

David Adam
zanchey at ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au