Sun Sparcstation5 - is it worth it?

[Bungo Pony]

I've got an opportunity to buy a Sun Sparcstation 5, both the CPU and the monitor for $20. However, I read on another thread here that you need the keyboard for it to actually work with the monitor, and I didn't see the keyboard at the store (but I might not have looked hard enough).

Again, on another thread, I read that you can connect via serial cable to the CPU and work that way. Is it actually worth picking up this unit, or will I just be wasting my money? I might like to install Linux on it :D

[mloewen]

I've got an opportunity to buy a Sun Sparcstation 5, both the CPU and the monitor for $20. However, I read on another thread here that you need the keyboard for it to actually work with the monitor, and I didn't see the keyboard at the store (but I might not have looked hard enough).

If the machine had RAM and a hard drive, I'd pay $10 for it without the monitor, but I have a KVM switch and a Sun keyboard/video converter box to run my Suns off a PC-style monitor and keyboard. The Sun keyboard is special and a PC keyboard won't work without a converter. If you can find the keyboard, the whole outfit would probably be worth $20 if you have the space.


Again, on another thread, I read that you can connect via serial cable to the CPU and work that way. Is it actually worth picking up this unit, or will I just be wasting my money? I might like to install Linux on it :D

If you disconnect the monitor and keyboard before powering up, you can connect a serial terminal (or another computer running a terminal program) to the first serial port at 9600 baud and use it as a serial console. Depending on the CPU model and speed, Linux may or may not install on it:

http://www.obsolyte.com/sun_ss5/

If you want something more traditional, NetBSD will run on it.

[carlsson]

Which model of an SS5 is that - 70, 85, 110, 170 MHz? Once upon I time I collected these SPEC'92 marks from various sources:

System CPU ClkMHz Cache SPECint SPECfp
Name (NUMx)Type ext/in Ext+I/D 92 92
================= ========== ======= ========== ======= =======
Mac Q950 68040 33 ? 18 13
DECst 5000/200 R3000 25 64/64 19.5 26.7
Sun SS/ELC FJMB86903 33 64 18.2 17.9
Sun SS/IPX FJMB86903 40 64 21.8 21.5
Sun SS2 RT601 40 64 21.8 22.8
Sun Classic,LX MicroSP 50 4/2 26.4 21.0
Compaq Deskpro i486DX2 66 256/8 32.2 16.0
Micronics M4P PCI i486DX4 100 256/16 51.4 26.6
Sun SS5/70 MicroSPII 70 ? 57.0 47.3
Sun SS10/40 SuprSP 40 20/16 50.2 60.2
Sun SS5/110 MicroSPII 110 ? 78.6 65.3
IBM RS/6000-250 MPC601 66 0/32 62.6 72.2
Simple PC Pentium-1 66 ? 64.5 56.9
Intel Xpress Pentium-1 66 256/8/8 78.0 63.0
Sun Ultra1/170 UltraSP 83/167 512+16/16 252 351

What I'm trying to say is that an old Sun may seem cool and generally have very good bus capacity for multi-user systems (at least the 40 MHz SS10 and upwards), but if you're going to use it for single applications and look for number crunching capacity, even first-generation Pentiums will outperform any SS5 at a lower clock frequency. And frankly, a 66-75 MHz Pentium 1 is something you'd probably hesitate to accept as a gift. :)

[barythrin]

I've only messed with some Ultra1's and Ultra2's not the Sparcstation5 but from the systems I've played on like that if there isn't a keyboard connected it defaults to terminal/serial output instead of monitor output. On my Ultra1's I thought I was required to have this Serial A/B Y-cable to get it to work although someone else told me that isn't true (haven't tried it without it).

The keyboards are proprietary style connections (similar looking to adb/MSbus) http://www.hardwarebook.info/SUN_Keyboard/Mouse and while they aren't really rare they are a bit of a pain to find and will likely cost you a similar price to the computer then if you wanted a mouse it would be the same story (the ones I've seen just daisy chain through the keyboard, not that serial connection they're referring to on the site).

[Unknown_K]

The Mac Q950 is the slowest on that list and is still worth having to mess around with if that means anything to you.