[rescue] Starting a Sun E450

[Alan Perry]

Found the problem causing no fans. One of the tabs that presses on one of the interlock switches is broken. I put a screwdriver in the hole and the fans come on but it needs to be held in place.

How long after power on should it be before I see something on the console?

alan

> 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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>> 
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> 
> 
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