Re: [cobalt-users] I need urgent help, my Qube is down

[Bruce Timberlake <bruce.timberlake@xxxxxxx>]

Ben Gunn wrote:
> 
> Hi All
> 
> We are currently using a Qube2 but have been
> experiencing some problems with the email server.
> Users can send emails, but cannot recieve them. I have
> tried to reboot the Qube, but the problem remains. I
> next powered down the Qube following the proceedures
> outlined in the manual. Problem is that when I try to
> power on the Qube, the LCD only displays the 'starting
> up message'.  It has already been quite sometime, but
> the message in the LCD still reads 'starting up
> message'.
> 
> Why wont the Qube restart? People in the office have
> done this before with out any problems.  Why will it
> not work now?
> 
> Hope you can give me a speedy responce.

If it's been a long time since the Qube was powered off, it's possible
the hard drive is having a hard time restarting (drives that have been
running forever develop problems that only manifest themselves when
trying a "cold start"). Or it could be any number of other small
problems.  Or maybe no problem at all -- it could be conducting a normal
file system check ("fsck") which can take some time, and it just seems
like it's taking a long time to come up. How long have you waited for it
to start on it's own??

For more diagnostic info, try connecting a PC/laptop to the Qube's
serial port via null modem cable (not a standard serial cable). Open a
terminal emulator (HyperTerm, SecureCRT, etc) on the PC/laptop, using
9600 bps, N-8-1 for parity.  Power the Qube on, and you should see all
the startup messages (what normally would come to the monitor on a
normal Linux PC) in your terminal emulator. Hopefully that will point
you to where the Qube is locking up during the boot cycle...

(Note - it's possible that the serial port is "disabled" on the Qube and
you won't see any output when trying this. If this happens, power the
Qube off, then power it up again while holding in the password reset
button (small hole next to the LCD panel on the back). You should see a
message "SERIAL CONSOLE ON" -- release the reset button at that point --
and then output should appear in the terminal emulator.  If it says
"SERIAL CONSOLE OFF" you've disabled the port. Power the Qube off, then
on again while holding in the reset button to re-enable the serial
port.)

--
Bruce Timberlake, Sun Cobalt Technology Engineer
Email: bruce.timberlake@xxxxxxx