Hello. I recently acquired a Sun Ultra 5 in order to get some UNIX experience. The machine boots up to a stage but then gets into a loop repeating a question. Below is the text from the screen showing the issue:

=====================================
SUN Ultra 5/10 UPA/PCI (Ultra SPARC-11 333mhz), Keyboard present OpenBoot 3.15, 256 memory installed, Serial #********. Ethernet Address 8:0:26: a4:z2:1F Host ID....

Boot Device: disk File and Args
Sun OS Release 5.9 Version Generic ID 112233-48 64bit
Copyright 1992-2003 Sun Microsystems, inc. All rights reserved. Use is subject to terms.
Configuring IPv4 Interface hme0.
Configuring IPv6 Interface hme0.
Hostname lucky
The / file system (/dev/rdsk/...........) is being checked.

[the periods are place holders as I cant read the picture I took when it was going on.]
SUNF,hme0 no response from the Eithernet network & link down -- Cable Problem?

SUNF,hme0 no response from the Eithernet network & link down -- Cable Problem?
SUNF,hme0 no response from the Eithernet network & link down -- Cable Problem?
===========================================

It keeps repeating. I think it has something to do with it looking for booth instructions off the network it was on. I also feel one of the boot proms need reseting. It never gets to root / UNIX prompt. I can STOP -A and get to OpenBoot prompt and SETENV / PRINTENV and run baisc diag but no more.

Now I have received some suggestions to forgoe salvage of the current OS installiation and install Solaris 10, 9 or 8. The CD's for Solaris 10 have not arrived so I have downloaded and burned both Solaris 9 and Solaris 8 and get the following error from the system:

==========================================
SUN Ultra 5/10 UPA/PCI (Ultra SPARC-11 333mhz), Keyboard present
OpenBoot 3.15, 256 memory installed, Serial #********.
Ethernet Address 8:0:26: a4:z2:1F Host ID....


Boot device /pci@1f,0/pci@1,i/*****/cdrom@2,0:f File and args
Evaluating boot cdrom

Can't open boot device

Boot device: disk File and args
SunOS Release 5.9 Version Generic_112233-01 64-bit
Copyright 1993-2003 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Use is subject to terms.
============================================

Now I have done some reading in the Sun documentation about labeling the disk, drive and do not understand the comments well enough to know if this is truely what is going on here. I have also recieved on other error where it responds something to the affect of

cdrom [Filename?]:

as if looking for a file to access to start the boot process. Essentially if the forum has suggestions on the easiest way to fix these issues and begin using the machine or knows of a few more things I can try to just start over on setting this machine up for non-networked use just by me, I would apprecaite any and all help.

Regards,
Chris (aquavita)

Have you checked the actual hardware?

Make sure the hardware is properly seated, and check to see if there are any noticable damages.

The problem with the SPARC station you've got there, is that all of the hardware - and I mean all - is proprietary, and friggin' expensive to replace. If you would like to get into UNIX, and you already have 2 different versions of Solaris in your hands - and 1 more on the way - just install them on a PC (x86) based system - that is, if you have the x86-based versions.

Alternately, for UNIX tinkering, I suggest looking into BSD (Berkeley Standard Distribution) UNIX. The three main flavours are FreeBSD, NetBSD and OpenBSD. I recommend starting out with FreeBSD, it's easy to get going, and easy to use.