running 4.0 on an old-PROM machine

[Mike Caplinger]

Impatient soul that I am, I didn't want to wait for Sun to mail me a PROM
upgrade when I upgraded my 3/160 to 4.0 a couple of weeks ago.  As you all
know, the main problem here is that the older PROMs can't read the QIC-24
format 1/4" cartridges that 4.0 is distributed on.  But don't despair.
All you have to do is copy a few files from the QIC-24 tapes and write
them on to a QIC-11 tape, and then you're home free.  (All this assumes
that you have a Sun already running, but why are your PROMs so old if you
don't?)  The files that need to be copied are the boot program, the MUNIX
image (only if you need to format anything), and the miniroot.  For some
reason you can read the standalone copy program off the QIC-24 tape.  Once
you're up and running, pop the QIC-11 tape out and put the QIC-24 distrib
tape back in.

Sun is now taking two weeks or more to ship the PROM upgrade kits, so this
might save you some time if you don't mind taking a few risks with your
upgrade.  Note that I'm not recommending this, especially if you aren't
pretty savvy about Unix installation, but it *is* possible.

	Mike Caplinger, mc at moc.jpl.nasa.gov