'''This page documents setting up and using an SGI machine with SGI IRIX 6.5 as a primary workstation, in the context of modern, ~2015 desktop requirements.'''
'''Ideally, after completing the procedures listed on this page, the only limitation remaining should be in the hardware -- SGI's max speed of 1 GHz per CPU.'''
'''Where possible, the procedures have been automated, providing pointers to automation recipes rather than individual actions.'''
Where possible, links to specific external resources are provided instead of copy-pasing the information here.
The primary target of this Guide are "modern" SGI machines -- Octane2, Fuel, Tezro, O3xx etc.
'''This page is a work in progress!'''
= Buying the Hardware =
For buying SGI MIPS workstations, browse:
= Supported Hardware =
== Devices and PCI Cards ==
== USB ==
== Disks ==
'''SSD disks can be used as system disks''' by using a 80pin SCSI U160 <-> SATA adapter, such as ACARD ARS-2160 or ARS-2160H.
There is no need to buy U320 adapters since even in the Tezro, the SCSI is limited to U160 bandwidth.
More info at http://forums.nekochan.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16720307
'''SSD disks can be used as non-system disks''' by connecting them to PCI-X SAS/SATA host bus adapters.
Basic Wiki page is at https://wiki.preterhuman.net/SAS_and_SATA_under_IRIX.
More info at http://forums.nekochan.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16720486#p7296095
'''MicroSD adapters can be used on older, 50-pin SCSI machines''' (e.g. Indy).
More info at https://wiki.preterhuman.net/SCSI2SD
'''Quiet SCSI disks''' do exist; the info on vendors and model numbers of quiet disks can be found on first page of http://forums.nekochan.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16720307
'''Diskless operation''' is supported on SGI IRIX. However, an existing IRIX server is required to create the client tree, because the tools used to create the diskless trees are native to IRIX.
If/when a procedure is devised to install a diskless system without involving another IRIX machine, it will be posted here.
= Installing IRIX 6.5 =
= Installing Nekoware =
The basis of a modern IRIX installation is the Nekoware software collection. It brings the usual/expected GNU apps to IRIX.
Nekoware is compiled using SGI's MIPSPro compiler and the packages are distributed in SGI's native tardist format.
Nekoware packages depend on other Nekoware programs and libraries.
To install Nekoware packages with automatic dependency resolution, use the tool:
http://techpubs.spinlocksolutions.com/irix/nekoware-installer/nekodeps.pl
Simply save it into the directory where you want to download Nekoware packages and run: ''perl nekodeps.pl''
(On a clean IRIX install, you can download/save it using Netscape).
To later contribute your own packaging effort to Nekoware, see https://wiki.preterhuman.net/Nekoware.
= Installing Other Software =
= User Community =
'''For Nekochan IRC''', use server irc.nekochan.net and channels #nekochan and #Devel.
'''For Nekochan Forums''', visit http://forums.nekochan.net/ and create your account.
Then, add a SGI system icon to your profile's signature line as described here: http://forums.nekochan.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=16717997&hilit=signature+icons
'''For Nekochan Wiki''', visit https://wiki.preterhuman.net/Main_Page and create your account.
(Wiki accounts need to be approved before use, and this process can take up to 10 days as seen in http://forums.nekochan.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&p=7389422.)
Apart from that, configure your Mozilla Thunderbird to watch all Wiki changes by subscribing to a news feed:
The instructions for creating a new feed account in Thunderbird are on https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-subscribe-news-feeds-and-blogs
And the Atom feed URL to add is http://www.nekochan.net/w/api.php?hidebots=1&days=7&limit=50&action=feedrecentchanges&feedformat=atom
'''For asking advanced questions''', see https://wiki.preterhuman.net/Get_Your_Issue_Resolved_With_a_Forums_Post.
= Posting Your HINV =
After installation, post your 'hinv' to the forum as described in https://wiki.preterhuman.net/Guidelines_for_the_SGI:hinv_forum.
= Tasks =
Setting up the system consists of the following tasks. (These will be provided/converted to idempotent, runnable scripts, rather than having the data as text in the Wiki.)
In the parentheses of each item, there is (XX), where the first letter indicates whether the script has been written, and the second whether it has been tested.
The scripts are not available yet, but will be soon.
= Misc Notes =
An up-to-date subsection of all Nekochan Wiki pages which are not suitable / not needed to be converted to runnable scripts, but are still handy to be aware of:
= Links =
'''IPFilter'''
'''Icons'''