I recently came across what I consider to be a classic in a thrift store: a Sun Microsystems SSL Performance Plus computer...and for $5. I made sure it could boot and got it. Then by luck, I found both a serial mouse for it and an AT-to-PS/2 adapter for the keyboard. Sadly after that, I got home hoping for its original image to boot but got Windows 3.1 instead. So my problem is I need to tell this systems BIOS to boot first from Cd-Rom so I can put a Unix Live OS in and play away. But none of the Fuction keys get me in so I can only assume DOS is the only way. This is frustrating because I don't know DOS and don't want to. But can anyone here suggest a way with a CD ROM or a 3.5 floppy to get Unix on here? Or by some miracle if anyone knows DOS commands of old, a quick set of commands to run would be excellent. I can cd to the D: drive or even use the ugly Windows interface to see the CD's files but I don't know what file to click to get the Live Cd booting. And that was a Puppy Linux cd I loaded. Any ideas?

What is that ?

What is what?

Does anyone post in here? Or is Oracle still too proprietary like Sun was, lol

What is a "Sun Microsystems SSL Performance Plus computer" ?

Oh. I am guessing it is pretty much, one of the earliest predecessors to the Solaris OS you are running. Sun Microsystems was bought out by Oracle but through an agreement for Sun Developers to stay on at Oracle, Oracle branded Sun OS as Solaris and designated Solaris to be the continuation. But this SSL Performance plus is a really old, like mid to late 1980s model of computer Sun made. My guess is its function was primarily a middle computer that implemented SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) with a performance enhanced processor. SSL is basically what https is today. How or why it has Windows on it I do not know but Im sure it will run Unix fine and maybe even solaris, if I can get into the bootloader.

Sorry for not understanding your initial inquiry.

Are you talking about a computer or an operating system ?
This is quite incorrect. SunOS was rebranded Solaris about twenty years before Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems.
There used to be a line of product that was named SSxx, like SS5, SS10, SS20 but they were SPARC based so they couldn't run Windows. Later, UltraSPARC workstations were supporting a PCI card containing an x86 and a BIOS, named SunPCI. Is this what you are referring to ?

Not to get in a debate but most of what you said is correct, however it appears Sun had both SunOs and Solaris systems until 2001, and that was when they dropped SunOS for just the Solaris line so we were half right each. This is all according to th Wiki article of Sun Micro., under the history section.

Now, here are a couple of photos of what I got as well as a shot or two of the insignia.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...546225526.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...546297107.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...546481143.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...546364831.jpg/

So Im thinking its a Sun MS for sure but wont know a model # till I crack it open.

Anyway I need dos off it.

To clarify, the SunOS brand was never dropped. Until SunOS 4.x (BSD based), the operating system was named just like that. Starting with the release of the first SunOS 5.x version(SVR4.0 based), the Operation System marketing name changed to Solaris, and this included latest SunOS4 based releases.

SunOS still exists but is now mostly used to identify the kernel version. Latest Solaris release is Solaris 11, its kernel is SunOS 5.11.
Oracle obviously didn't rebrand SunOS as Solaris, however, just like every Oracle software, the official name is now prefixed by Oracle so the latest version is really Oracle Solaris 11.

Interesting. However, despite the similar typeface, I'm afraid this box has absolutely nothing to do with Sun Microsystems. SSL != Sun

I am totally confused now. I will try and crack it open and find a model number on something. Again for only $5 I dont want to stir up dust.