IBM Risc System/6000 390

From: Patrick Finnegan <pat_at_computer-refuge.org>
Date: Sun Feb 13 09:54:23 2005

On Sunday 13 February 2005 08:59, Jules Richardson wrote:
> Just had one of these show up at the museum; looks healthy (running
> AIX 4) but of course we don't know the root password.
>
> Questions:
>
> 1) Does the system have a notion of a operator's console which'll
> bypass root password security? (I seriously doubt it, that seems to
> have gone out with the ark...)

You need an install CD. Seach comp.os.aix for "Lost root password" or
similar for directions. You'll need a copy of AIX 4.x install media
for this, using a newer or older version likely won't work.

> 2) Can someone confirm that the disks are single-ended SCSI and not
> some differential crap? Linux supports AIX's filesystem (although I'm
> not sure about the partition table) so an edit that way might be
> possible (or worse-case a manual disk block edit). The drives in the
> machine are covered in barcodes but nothing by way of a model number
> for me to look them up!

If the drives are internal, and connected to the motherboard, then yes.

If you want to get a hardware inventory, but don't have root access yet,
you can turn the keyswitch to "service" mode (all the way clockwise),
and boot it up, and then find the correct menu item (I can't remember
the exact steps right now). There's also a "root shell" option in
service mode boot, but that requires you to enter the root password
still.

Pat
-- 
Purdue University ITAP/RCS        ---  http://www.itap.purdue.edu/rcs/
The Computer Refuge               ---  http://computer-refuge.org
Received on Sun Feb 13 2005 - 09:54:23 GMT

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