From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 1996 12:42:34 -0500
From: Steve Kotsopoulos steve@ecf.toronto.edu
Subject: CPU authentication...
Topicbox-Message-UUID: 4191edb4-eac8-11e9-9e20-41e7f4b1d025
Message-ID: <19960327174234.Nf6KjJp_mSilDVFlROORLSpc1sGg_r-okrAKmnEFuA8@z>

> Here's a few questions:
> 2. When I do a cpu command - I get the error 
> cpu: can't authenticate: huygens: refused by server

check /sys/log/auth for error messages

> I'm slightly confused here... doesn't the fact that I have booted my
> terminal and connected to my home directory mean that I have been 
> authenticated?

try typing the _wrong_ password, to make sure it is really authenticating you

> I notice also that /dev/hostdomain is empty when I boot the terminal.

it is empty on my terminal also, so that should be fine (I think)

> The cpu server comes up with
> boot: can't read nvram: unknown device in # filename
> boot: bad nvram key:
> 
> It then comes out and asks for the password... I provide the password
> (The same as the server) - it prompts for the authid, and the domain
> I provide it. - And it seems to work.  
> It then prompts:
> boot: can't write key to nvram: fd out of range or not open.

that doesn't sound good. Maybe take a look at
http://www.ecf.toronto.edu/plan9/info/steve/plan9.install-guide