# Build your own SPARC workstation with QEMU and Solaris ## Overview ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/074/988/medium800/hacks_sparc.jpg?1556306838) Back in the late 80s and through the 90s, Unix workstations were super powerful, super cool, and super expensive. If you were making 3D graphics or developing applications, you wanted a high-performance workstation and Sun made some of the best ones. But unless you worked for a huge company, university, or government, they were probably too expensive. More than twenty years later, we have much more powerful and affordable computers, so let's emulate the old systems and see what it was like to run some of the coolest computers you could buy in the 90s. ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/074/621/medium800/hacks_install01.jpg?1555690487) Sun workstations started out running SunOS, based on BSD Unix (like NeXTSTEP), but in 1991 they replaced it with Solaris, based on Unix System V Release 4 (like AIX and HP-UX). The first version of Solaris was actually Solaris 2, and to try and make sense they went back and named SunOS Solaris 1, but in the operating system it still refers to itself as SunOS. So Solaris 1 is SunOS 4, and Solaris 2 is SunOS 5, and Solaris 2.6 that we'll run is SunOS 5.6. Confused yet? Ignore the naming conventions and just know that we'll run Solaris 2.6 from 1997. For comparison, at that time a PC would be running Windows 95 and Apple released Mac OS 8 the same year. You'll need: - The latest version of [QEMU](https://www.qemu.org/download/), for this guide version 3.1.0 worked well. - A system to run it on - Windows, Linux, or Mac - [Solaris 2.6 ISO](https://winworldpc.com/product/sun-solaris/2x) - For added fun, a Sun Type 5 keyboard converted to USB with [Drakware's Sun2USB](https://drakware.com/product/Sun2USB) or DIY with the [SPARC keyboard specification](https://sparc.org/technical-documents/specifications/) and a small Arduino like the Trinket M0 - [Next Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/build-your-own-sparc-with-qemu-and-solaris/set-up-qemu.md) ## Featured Products ### Adafruit Trinket M0 - for use with CircuitPython & Arduino IDE [Adafruit Trinket M0 - for use with CircuitPython & Arduino IDE](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3500) The Adafruit Trinket M0 may be small, but do not be fooled by its size! It's a tiny microcontroller board, built around the Atmel ATSAMD21, a little chip with _a lot_ of power. We wanted to design a microcontroller board that was small enough to fit into any project, and low... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3500) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3500/guides) ### USB cable - USB A to Micro-B [USB cable - USB A to Micro-B](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) This here is your standard A to micro-B USB cable, for USB 1.1 or 2.0. Perfect for connecting a PC to your Metro, Feather, Raspberry Pi or other dev-board or microcontroller Approximately 3 feet / 1 meter long In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/592/guides) ## Related Guides - [Adafruit Trinket M0](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-trinket-m0-circuitpython-arduino.md) - [CircuitPython with Jupyter Notebooks](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-with-jupyter-notebooks.md) - [NeoPixel Cyber Falls Wig](https://learn.adafruit.com/neopixel-cyber-falls.md) - [Using MPL3115A2 with CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/using-mpl3115a2-with-circuitpython.md) - [Using DS18B20 Temperature Sensor with CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/using-ds18b20-temperature-sensor-with-circuitpython.md) - [Larson Scanner Shades (Trinket-Powered NeoPixel LED Strip Glasses)](https://learn.adafruit.com/larson-scanner-shades.md) - [NeoPixel GoPro Lens Light](https://learn.adafruit.com/neopixel-gopro-lens-light.md) - [Kaleidoscope Eyes (Trinket-Powered NeoPixel LED Ring Goggles)](https://learn.adafruit.com/kaleidoscope-eyes-neopixel-led-goggles-trinket-gemma.md) - [Using MCP23008 & MCP23017 with CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/using-mcp23008-mcp23017-with-circuitpython.md) - [Build your own NeXT with a virtual machine](https://learn.adafruit.com/build-your-own-next-with-a-virtual-machine.md) - [Glowy Message Crown](https://learn.adafruit.com/glowy-message-crown.md) - [USB Foot Switch Controller in CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/usb-foot-switch-circuit-python.md) - [NeoPixie Dust Bag](https://learn.adafruit.com/neopixel-pixie-dust-bag.md) - [3D Printed Daft Punk Helmet](https://learn.adafruit.com/3d-printed-daft-punk-helmet.md) - [Proximity Based Lighting](https://learn.adafruit.com/proximity-based-lighting.md) - [Trinket / Gemma IR Control](https://learn.adafruit.com/trinket-gemma-ir-remote-control.md)