[rescue] Starting a Sun E450

[Stephen Conley]

Oh lol let me guess ... you have the case opened up wide?

There's a case switch, if the case isn't closed up it won't boot up.  I 
remember having to wedge the switch in when I wanted to open the case 
and run it at the same time.

I do not remember where the switch is, but I think it's near the fan 
cage that's next to the drive cage.  On my unit I eventually just 
bypassed the switch altogether because I found it really obnoxious.  But 
that would explain why your machine won't boot up.

On 11/6/25 13:29, Alan Perry via rescue wrote:
> No fans. I guess I will lookup what the interlock switches are ;)
>
>> On Nov 6, 2025, at 10:26, Peter Stokes via rescue <rescue at sunhelp.org> wrote:
>>
>> Hi
>>
>> Do you mean no fans start up?  If so check the interlock switches on the casing which it has from memory.
>>
>> Peter
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On 6 Nov 2025, at 17:59, Stephen Conley via rescue <rescue at sunhelp.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> If you haven't already tried, pull out the framebuffer and just use the serial console.  I have a vague memory of needing to do something special in openboot to get the framebuffer to be the 'boot device' screen, and having it in there can confuse things.
>>>
>>> If that works, hopefully someone else here can remember the secret sauce to make it boot on a framebuffer because I definitely do not remember.  If it doesn't work, well, it was low effort to try it at least :)
>>>
>>> Good luck,
>>>
>>> Steve
>>>
>>>>> On 11/6/25 12:43, Alan Perry via rescue wrote:
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I am trying to get the E450 that I mentioned previously running. It was running in the data center at work until it was decommissioned a couple months ago.
>>>>
>>>> I collect and rescue sun3 desksides and sun4c and sun4m workstations but have no experience with the E450.
>>>>
>>>> When I turn on the power switch on the back, both power supplies show green LEDs but nothing happens as I turn the front panel switch key through the different positions. It has a frame buffer (PGX32) but I am using the serial console. Nothing appears there.
>>>>
>>>> Any suggestions?
>>>>
>>>> alan
>>>>
>>>>
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