I've got an SGI- Should I keep IRIX on it?

[UnixFreak]

Ok, here's the deal. I just picked up an SGI Indy workstation. It has IRIX on it right now, a really basic desktop, and one other application to
do what the machine was intended to do (RIP server). This thing has a SCSI drive, but no CDROM, or ethernet connector (though that can be worked around)
and I am wondering: Should I leave IRIX on it?

I know Linux and BSD will go on it, but I am kind of worried about all the proprietary hardware, and if something goes wrong- I have no IRIX disks to restore it. My only reason for removing IRIX anyway, is because there are no applications for anything I would like to do. I don't even know the first place to get IRIX software anyway, and I am not good enough to write my own. As it is, to replace the OS, I will have to locate a SCSI CD-ROM (which it will boot from, I've found out) and install it from that, but if things go sour, I end up with a useless peice of junk.

Of course right now, I have an IRIX desktop, a clock program, a text editor, and a RIP program, so its not really useful as it is, either. Just wondering what some of you thought. I'd like to put NT On it and install 3-D studio and AutoCAD on it, but I haven't fully researched that, either.

 

[erikistired]

email sgi and see what they say? they should be able to tell you. or try and find specs on your machine, heck you might even find a HOWTO on installing linux on that particular machine.

~erik

oh, i personally wouldn't keep an OS on it i couldn't use. such a neat machine too.

 

[n0cmonkey]

If you arent going to keep IRIX (plenty of software at both sourceforge and freshmeat will compile just fine on IRIX) go with NetBSD. NT is a joke, especially on that hardware.

 

[UnixFreak]

yeah, my only reason to run NT on it, would be to run 3D studio, Autocad, and maybe use it to encode mpgs.

I think I am just going to buy another disk, and play with that.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: UnixFreak
yeah, my only reason to run NT on it, would be to run 3D studio, Autocad, and maybe use it to encode mpgs.

I think I am just going to buy another disk, and play with that.

You can get an athlon for pretty cheap.

 

[ProviaFan]

Huh? I didn't even know NT worked on that hardware. Oh yea, I guess they did have a MIPS port of NT, didn't they? Finding applications might be a problem, though. :Q

Anyway, Linux on SGI had some issues the last time I read about it. Supposedly you have to boot through a serial port, and the display is not usable (that kinda defeats the purpose of an SGI workstation anyway). NetBSD might be different, but I'd suggest keeping IRIX on there and grabbing yourself some free apps from SGI's site for IRIX software.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: jliechty
Huh? I didn't even know NT worked on that hardware. Oh yea, I guess they did have a MIPS port of NT, didn't they? Finding applications might be a problem, though. :Q

Anyway, Linux on SGI had some issues the last time I read about it. Supposedly you have to boot through a serial port, and the display is not usable (that kinda defeats the purpose of an SGI workstation anyway). NetBSD might be different, but I'd suggest keeping IRIX on there and grabbing yourself some free apps from SGI's site for IRIX software.

NetBSD is the same. Chances are NetBSD is one of the places the Linux guys are getting some of their information since the BSD license isnt tainted.

 

[AkumaBao]

Keep IRIX!!!!!

 

[UnixFreak]

I don't know much about IRIX licensing. I have 5.3, which I have decided to keep. However, most any apps I find want 6.x. Can I get updates or a new OS? is it free? If anyone knows, lemme know.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: UnixFreak
I don't know much about IRIX licensing. I have 5.3, which I have decided to keep. However, most any apps I find want 6.x. Can I get updates or a new OS? is it free? If anyone knows, lemme know.

You may be able to get a nice discount on ebay or something, especially since this isnt a work thing.

 

[Wintermute76]

What proc does your Indy have? I think the only troubles have been with the R10000 (big endian) procs needing to be run thru a serail console. Linux is supposed to work fine on the R4x00 as far as I know. I have a pair of Indigo2's, both with the R10000 which makes me kinda SOL.

One has IRIX 6.2 and the other has IRIX 6.5, tho the 6.5 machine won't get to a desktop, it keeps looking for an ethernet connection. You don't happen to know how I can get it to stop, do you?

Hope it helps you out.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Wintermute76
What proc does your Indy have? I think the only troubles have been with the R10000 (big endian) procs needing to be run thru a serail console. Linux is supposed to work fine on the R4x00 as far as I know.

Do you think the processor being "big endian" actually has something to do with this, or are you just showing off that you know big words? Showing off is fine, just curious.

I have a pair of Indigo2's, both with the R10000 which makes me kinda SOL.

If I had 2 Indigo 2s I would not consider myself SOL at all!

One has IRIX 6.2 and the other has IRIX 6.5, tho the 6.5 machine won't get to a desktop, it keeps looking for an ethernet connection. You don't happen to know how I can get it to stop, do you?

Plug in an ethernet cable?

 

[Toro 45]

Originally posted by: UnixFreak


I think I am just going to buy another disk, and play with that.

Thats what I was thinking.

 

[D1vine]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: Wintermute76
What proc does your Indy have? I think the only troubles have been with the R10000 (big endian) procs needing to be run thru a serail console. Linux is supposed to work fine on the R4x00 as far as I know.

Do you think the processor being "big endian" actually has something to do with this, or are you just showing off that you know big words? Showing off is fine, just curious.

I have a pair of Indigo2's, both with the R10000 which makes me kinda SOL.

If I had 2 Indigo 2s I would not consider myself SOL at all!

One has IRIX 6.2 and the other has IRIX 6.5, tho the 6.5 machine won't get to a desktop, it keeps looking for an ethernet connection. You don't happen to know how I can get it to stop, do you?

Plug in an ethernet cable?

LOL @ N0CMonkey. You remind me a lot of a friend that used to work here (with me). Great mentor!

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: D1vine

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: Wintermute76
What proc does your Indy have? I think the only troubles have been with the R10000 (big endian) procs needing to be run thru a serail console. Linux is supposed to work fine on the R4x00 as far as I know.

Do you think the processor being "big endian" actually has something to do with this, or are you just showing off that you know big words? Showing off is fine, just curious.

I have a pair of Indigo2's, both with the R10000 which makes me kinda SOL.

If I had 2 Indigo 2s I would not consider myself SOL at all!

One has IRIX 6.2 and the other has IRIX 6.5, tho the 6.5 machine won't get to a desktop, it keeps looking for an ethernet connection. You don't happen to know how I can get it to stop, do you?

Plug in an ethernet cable?

LOL @ N0CMonkey. You remind me a lot of a friend that used to work here (with me). Great mentor!

We had a Sun at work with a similar error message. I think thats how we solved it...

 

[Wintermute76]

n0cmonkey, no I'm not trying to show off. Big and little endian describe the bit order of the processors and it does make a difference.
Enough anyways that the ftp site at MIPS has 2 different tarballs, one 'eb' endian, big and an 'el' endian, little.Big endians (R10000 and Motorola) aren't supported as well as the little endians (most every other MIPS chip and Intel). tho that might be changing. Also look here Endian order

a quote "A Debian distribution for both little and big endian machines can be found at http://www.debian.org/ports/mips/. At the time of writing (January 2002) we are using a 2.4 kernel; kernel code is shared with the ports being done by people from MIPS Technologies, Inc.). From here

Thanks for the ethernet cable tip, I don't see how just plugging it in will help, but I"ll give it a whirl.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Wintermute76
n0cmonkey, no I'm not trying to show off. Big and little endian describe the bit order of the processors and it does make a difference.
Enough anyways that the ftp site at MIPS has 2 different tarballs, one 'eb' endian, big and an 'el' endian, little.Big endians (R10000 and Motorola) aren't supported as well as the little endians (most every other MIPS chip and Intel). tho that might be changing. Also look here Endian order

a quote "A Debian distribution for both little and big endian machines can be found at http://www.debian.org/ports/mips/. At the time of writing (January 2002) we are using a 2.4 kernel; kernel code is shared with the ports being done by people from MIPS Technologies, Inc.). From here

Thanks. I knew the difference between a big endian chip and a little endian, just didnt know if it really made a difference to the Linux porters. A bit of trivia though, does anyone know where the terms big endian and little endian came from?

Thanks for the ethernet cable tip, I don't see how just plugging it in will help, but I"ll give it a whirl.

I thought about it some more. The sun we were having problems with this on was trying to netboot. We did a stop a and did a "boot disk" to get it working...

 

[Wintermute76]

Other than the difference in the bit order I"m not really sure where the term comes from.

netboot, I think that's what my Indigo2 is trying to do, however I don't have any software for either. I can boot from the HDD on my old one though. Is there a config file or something similar I can edit to boot from the disk, or isn't it that simple?

Thanks

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Wintermute76
Other than the difference in the bit order I"m not really sure where the term comes from.

netboot, I think that's what my Indigo2 is trying to do, however I don't have any software for either. I can boot from the HDD on my old one though. Is there a config file or something similar I can edit to boot from the disk, or isn't it that simple?

Thanks

Note: I have no experience with SGI machines.

If they are anything like Sun machines they use a firmware (similar to a BIOS). In the Sun machines you hit "stop a" during boot to get to the firmware prompt and you can set the boot device there.

 

[ProviaFan]

I was under the impression that SGI's had some sort of "Stop for maintenance" button that could be clicked before the booting of the OS. Perhaps this would help, or maybe I'm just totally confused here (the latter is most likely).

 

[Wintermute76]

Well I tried the ethernet cable, didn't make a difference. I still get a 'no carrier' error.

Poked around the Stop for Maintenance button, nothing in there either. Thanks anyways for the suggestions.