Trusted Solaris Operating System - Technical FAQs

Question

I have an Ultra 5 (or 10) with the PGX24 onboard graphics card. The following message scrolls continually on the console: "NOTICE: m64: fifo error." The bug report for Bug Id: 4031745 says that this notice can be ignored, but the console is useless. These messages also interfere when I try to connect to another host. Is there a fix?

The Sun Ultra 5/10 Software Note that came with my Ultra says that if you are using an earlier version than the Solaris 7 operating environment, you need to install patch ID 103792-14 from the Supplement CD for the PGX24 graphics card. Solaris patches are not supposed to be installed in the Trusted Solaris environment. What should I do?

Answer

On Sun Ultra 5s and 10s with the PGX24 Graphics card, error messages are generated by the m64 device driver. The messages do not indicate any actual error. The only problem is the messages that are continually scrolling in the console.

Do not use Solaris patch 103792-14 from the Ultra 5/10 Software Supplement CD. You can, however, use the -25 version of the 103792 patch, which works in the Trusted Solaris environment when properly installed.

Follow the steps in the Procedure to obtain the patch and to preserve the correct extended Trusted Solaris security attributes when installing the patch.

NOTE: In every other case, we advise against the use of Solaris patches, but this patch is unique in that it overwrites only a few device driver files that have not been modified for Trusted Solaris environment. We have tested it and proved it works.

Procedure

1. Log in as a normal user.
2. Download the patch and install it in a directory that is accessible in single-user mode. Do not put the patch in a MLD (multi-level directory). Our test used /var/tmp.
   Customers with Sun Spectrum contracts can access patches 24 hours a day through SunSolve Online. If desired, see the FAQ about patches for alternative ways to get the patch.
3. Shutdown the system using the Shutdown option from the Trusted Path menu.
4. Bring the host to single-user mode.
   
   

   # boot -s

5. Go to the directory where you downloaded the patch, change the label of the tar file and uncompress and extract it.
   
   

   # cd /var/tmp # setlabel -s admin_low 103792-25.tar.Z # zcat 103792-25.tar.Z | tar xvf -

6. Change to the patch directory and install the patch.
   
   

   # cd 103792 # ./installpatch .

7. Assign all allowed privileges and no forced privileges to the /usr/sbin/m64config file.
   
   

   # setfpriv -s -a all -f none /usr/sbin/m64config. # getfpriv /usr/sbin/m64config /usr/sbin/m64config FORCED: none ALLOWED: all

8. Find out the resolutions supported by your card and monitor.
   
   

   # m64config -depth 24 -res \?

   
   NOTE: The card supports any resolution value up to 1152x900. See the monitor guide and the m64config(1M) man page that comes with the Ultra system for more information.
9. Set the PGX24 graphics display mode to 24-bit and set the resolution.
   
   The resolution shown is for example. Your setting may be different.
   
   

   # m64config -depth 24 -res 1152x900x66

10. Reboot.
    
    

    Control D

Applies to Trusted Solaris Release

2.5.1