Hardware

Hello,

very often asked and equally often answered !

Different system, but not easily accessable applies.

[*Reset Firmware Password for a Sunfire 280R*|http://forums.sun.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5343522&tstart=20]

Without a second systems (e.g. Ultra 1, 2, 5/10) with an easily accessable NVRAM/Timekeeper, you have to buy a new chip.

Michael

If you have access to another SPARC system in the same family (Ultra 30, Ultra2, Ultra 250, Ultra 60 etc) then you can build a generic boot hard disk, put it into your system and run the "/usr/sbin/eeprom security-mode=none" command. This is the easiest method assuming you have access to another system and can do the temporary disk swap.

@swyatt001,

That sounds nice but it's not going to work.
If the solution were as easy as typing an OS command then you'd be able to clear this by just booting to CD. The NVRAM that is expecting a password already has its data registers hard-coded into that security mode.

The only true solution is to replace the PROM, which means opening a support call to Sun and probably incur a deliberately sizeable expense.
(and for some systemboards it's soldered into place, though the U-30's are in sockets)

My suggestion?
Go to eBay or whatever favorite web aution site might be preferred and get another of the same model system, just for its parts.

@rukbat,

You are partially correct. It depends if the security-mode is set to "command" or "full" (and if auto-boot?=true). If it is set to command, he can put in the other systems disk (in the same slot) and enter "b" to boot, then enter the eeprom command as root after he logs in. However, he cannot boot to cdrom because the boot-device is directed to the hard drive and cannot be changed without the eeprom password. I have used this technique to set security-mode=none on several E250s in years past.

If it is set to "full", his only option is to enter the password and log in to get an OK prompt, which leaves him where he currently is.

You dont have to get your prom from SUN. The SUN part number for an Ultra30 prom is: 525-1669, which you get several hits on if you search. IIRC, anysystems.com doesn't list the part but they can probably help you out.

That additional information will help the original poster and those who might read this thread in the future.

My concern was that your initial response might have been...
"+distracting+"
... from an actual solution.

Michael's guidance to the earlier forum post and his contributions on this subject in yet earlier threads was and is to-the-point.