FA: Sun PCI II Pro Coprocessor card

From: J.C. Wren <jcwren_at_jcwren.com>
Date: Thu Feb 24 21:10:17 2005

Zane H. Healy wrote:

>> These are COOL! Check out the specs here
>><http://sunsolve.sun.com/handbook_pub/Devices/Miscellaneous/MISC_SunPCi_IIpr
>>o.html>
>>
>>
>>Auction <http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5754769132>
>>
>> Joe
>>
>>
>>
>
>Just how do these cards work? Do they expect you to have a second monitor,
>or do they display the Windows desktop on top of Solaris? I've been
>threatening to pick one up for my Ultra 60.
>
> Zane
>
>
>
>
    They do have a monitor port, but they can also export the display to
a window under CDE (Solaris' desktop environment). I don't know if any
other window managers are supported either by the cards, or under
Solaris in general (to wit: I've only used CDE under Solaris). Solaris
provides the disk services. The cards also have an ethernet port, so
you can either have it as a true standalone ethernet device, or Solaris
can proxy addresses for it (IIRC, it sets up a private network between
Solaris and the card).

    They're pretty slick, and it does let you run Windows app on true
x86 hardware under Solaris. That being said, the ONLY support I'm aware
for these cards is under Solaris, so you can't just drop a couple in a
x86 PC as co-processor cards and do anything with them.

    Basically, you can add external everything (video, network, serial,
parallel, audio,USB, maybe keyboard & mouse), but no disk. I've got one
in my Sun Blade 100, and it works. I haven't found a use for it, but it
works.

    --jc
Received on Thu Feb 24 2005 - 21:10:17 GMT

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