Configuring an SLC w/4.3.0.3c

[Paul Orphanos]

After spending a full night, and all today working to reconfigure our
Sparc1 to serve a new SLC we got, I'm putting a question to the publc at
large.  Our Sparc1 is configured as a server (4.0.3c, 16Mb RAM, 600Mb
Disk), and I set up the whole client stuff. However, when I tried to boot
the SLC over the ethernet (also new, and only two nodes...Sparc1 and SLC)
with the generic kernel, I was told the floppy was unexpectedly busy, and
asked what floppy should it boot off. It loads the kernel fine. So, I took
the floppy driver code out of the kernel, and now it says 'no device to
boot from' (panic: getblkdev, or something like that), after the kernel is
loaded and is running through the devices it has drivers for. From there,
it reboots over and over again. Me and another administrator decided the
kernel does'nt know to go to the ethernet to boot. all the /etc files are
ok (exports, bootparams,...)  and have been checked against the entries of
another network of single server, multiple diskless clients (but no
SLC's). I'm the campus guinea pig I think.

The questions I have before calling the 1-800 number (and waiting
until I turn blue) are,

1. Has anyone been through this?

2. Must I upgrade to 4.1 (and spend big bux for manuals in three ring
   binders...a feature according to sun, common courtesy to me)

I hate asking for help, but I'm really at wit's end. This thing is a
downright pain, and I want to get it over with. If I call Sun, hell might
just actually freeze over. I'll post a summary if alot of you respond.

Thanks Alot,
Paul Orphanos
Grad Student/System Administrator/Slave/Peon (not necessarily in that order)
porphano at lehi3b15.csee.lehigh.edu