SparcStation Questions

I've come a long way from the dead machine I picked up and CPB a few weeks ago. It is running Solaris 2.4 and OPENWindows. Can I install/graft a later version of Solaris on the machine? Perhaps the only thing missing from solaris 2.7 is the direct support for the Sun4 architecture (versus sun4m and sun4u which are supported in 2.7) and I could graft that support onto the cd image? How and where do I find a C compiler for this machine? I see something called YACC (yet another C compiler compiler) on my disk. Is this a C compiler or something else? I would like GCC. This leads me to applications. Binaries are kinda hard to find for Versions of solaris below 2.5 as compiled binaries. I have never compiled anything except for MiNT - a wierd variant of NetBSD for the Atari ST series machines so I lack experience. Any hints on compiling apps? I found X11R6 precompiled but it is in FRENCH. I would rather die than run a French window manager. I feel comfortable with the status quo as far as they are concerned. e don't like them, they don't like us. ;-) FYI I am 1/4 French. The self loathing was hard to deal with at first but after a while I was able to bear it. I would like to find a better window manager than my present version of CDE. Preferably pre-compiled but not required to be. I have gotten my "." files in order and the system now has some scripts to execute at startup which do things like launch openwin, set the paths, etcetera but the Openwin scripts are still a mystery (mainly because I haven't addressed the issue yet). A shortcut in the form of advice would be welcome. For instance, I would like to know how to have the machine issue an "xhost SUNBOX" to it'self when openwindows launches versus doing it manually which is how it is now. Assuming I have a C compiler properly working, am I able to pretty much compile anything I want from say Linux or BSD? What does NetBSD get me on this Sun4 Sparc? Is it worth it? Is the install hell? It was easy as pie to install solaris 2.4 once I got the media on the machine. Does NetBSD require a 'host' operating system ala A/UX on Apple servers, or does it 'do it all'? Is it 'pretty' as Window managers go? I am spoiled by OS/2 but have enough Unix 'sticktime' to forgive it for a weak GUI. I have a Plextor 4x cdrom installed on the machine and it works very well. It is set for 512byte blocks but WILL NOT BOOT for anything. The commands I have tried are various but from the docs I gather "b sd(0,30,1) should do the trick. A hard disk with the cd image on it booted perfectly with this same command but the cdrom just barfs and the systems says ' device not found '. I do not have the FORTH openboot prom and so am limited to the original command set ie 'q xx' to adjust the eeprom and 'b xx(n,n,n)' to boot media. Can I get original docs for the machine? Are there any inobvious things I should know that I don't know already? There are LOTS of things I don't know... What about SAMBA for this machine? Why in the heck di Sun put such a COOOOL led display BENEATH the cover? Would it be sacreligious or reduce the value of the machine significantly if I tapped some holes in the top and mounted opticaly conductive plastic 'extenders' to the leds so I can see them race around with the cover on? Lots of printers and computers use these clear plastic conductors so the mfgr doesn't have to mount the leds directly to the housing. Totally unexplored territory for me is Xwindows on a remote (client) computer vs the console of the machine X is running on. How can I use my clone to run as an Xwindows client to the Sun machine? I am running OS/2 Warp for the most part but I also have Solaris 2.7 and Redhat Linux on my clone box. Windows is out of the question. I fix it at work and that is all I'll have to do with it. Chrissy runs Warp 4 for the most part but our scanner runs in 98 so we use 98 for that purpose only at home. I can't afford a scsi scanner.... Thanks for your time and support. All of you. -- ----------------------------------------------------------- Jeffrey S. Worley Technical Services Bits & Bytes Computer Services Inc. 1979B Hendersonville Road Asheville, NC 28803 828-684-8953 - voice 0900-1700 five days 828-687-9284 - 24hr fax Who is General Failure and why is he reading my hard disk? Technoid(a)Cheta.net -----------------------------------------------------------