IRIX 6.3 installation - Printable Version

IRIX 6.3 installation - Printable Version

+- IRIX Network Forums (//forums.irixnet.org)
+-- Forum: SGI/MIPS (//forums.irixnet.org/forum-3.html)
+--- Forum: IRIX/Software (//forums.irixnet.org/forum-7.html)
+--- Thread: IRIX 6.3 installation (/thread-1133.html)

Pages: 1 2

IRIX 6.3 installation - Jacques - 04-16-2019

I'm giving 6.3 a spin on my O2 (RM5200) for fun. I've copied the install media to my install server and I can load fx.ARCS via bootp fine. When I get to copying the installation files across it finishes the load bar and then drops me a message with "too many strings".

Any idea what this may be?

EDIT - Hmm, is the RM5200 supported under 6.3?

RE: IRIX 6.3 installation - Titox - 04-17-2019

The RM5200 (300MHz) is not supported. I tried in my O2 installing via CD and I was able to install it but it didn't start on reboot, just blank screen.

RE: IRIX 6.3 installation - jan-jaap - 04-17-2019

(04-17-2019, 07:24 AM)Titox Wrote: The RM5200 (300MHz) is not supported. I tried in my O2 installing via CD and I was able to install it but it didn't start on reboot, just blank screen.

I think this works but not using the original IRIX 6.3 discs. You have to boot from a sufficiently new 6.3 "recommended/required" patch CD. If you get one from late '99 it will probably support the RM5200.

RE: IRIX 6.3 installation - dexter1 - 04-17-2019

From the irisware ftp comes the 6.3_O2.tardist which includes Patch 3607 which is a firmware upgrade of the O2:

Code:
The checksum's (found through sum -r) of the files that you have received

(other than this README) are as follows:

38059      2 patchSG0003607.idb

10042      3 patchSG0003607

09454    542 patchSG0003607.ip32prom_sw

==========================================================================

  - 1 -

       1.  Patch_SG0003607_Release_Note

       This release note describes patch SG0003607 to IRIX 6.3-O2-

       R10K.  Patch SG0003607 replaces patches SG0001725 SG0002039

       SG0002489 SG0002774 SG0003015 SG0003106 and SG0003530.

       1.1  Supported_Hardware_Platforms

       This patch contains bug fixes for all O2 systems.  The

       software cannot be installed on other configurations.

       Upon exiting from inst in the miniroot, some harmless error

       messages from cp may appear on the console.  These messages

       are caused by insufficient space in the miniroot and will in

       no way affect the success of the installation.

       1.2  Supported_Software_Platforms

       This patch contains bug fixes for IRIX 6.3-O2-R10K on a

       system running IRIX 6.3 for IP32 The software cannot be

       installed on other configurations.

       1.3  Bugs_Fixed_by_Patch_SG0003607

       This patch contains fixes for the following bugs in IRIX 6.3

       Bug numbers from Silicon Graphics bug tracking system are

       included for reference.

  o 673149 - Support for the 270MHz frequency on the R12000

    processor.

       1.4  Bugs_Fixed_in_Predecessor_Patch_SG0003530

  o 658881 - QED RM5271 processor support.

       1.5  Bugs_Fixed_in_Predecessor_Patch_SG0003106

  o 585268 - Allow for easier PROM builds

  o 596826 - Support for future processor upgrades.

  o 632903 - Support for 1600SW Flat Panel monitor (adds

    1600x1024 @ 50 Hz timing).

       1.6  Bugs_Fixed_in_Predecessor_Patch_SG0003015

  o 577129 - 6.3 options drive not recognized on 6.5 system

    - This prom spins up the drives on power on which

    alleviates this problem

  - 2 -

  o Fix for 225 MHz cpu hinv output

       1.7  Bugs_Fixed_in_Predecessor_Patch_SG0002774

  o 495498 - Power cycling causes RTC time to drift

  o 560422 - O2 Prom displays 250Mhz cpu incorrectly

  o 525788 - NMI support for reworked IP32 boards and

    special symmon.

  o 545255 - Cleaner masking of CRIME register READs to

    support.

       1.8  Bugs_Fixed_in_Predecessor_Patch_SG0002489

  o 510862 - autonegotiation problems in PROM

  o 494014 - no space left in stringtable

  o Fix for 1 gigabyte configuration

       1.9  Bugs_Fixed_in_Predecessor_Patch_SG0002039

  o 445421 - O2 can't boot off external drive.

  o 480343,493351 - fx in the PROM will think that the

    drive "disagrees with existing volume header

    parameters"

  o 457333 - booting external system drive causes multiple

    errors during sash/unix load

  o 498336 - O2 R10K + 12x CD-ROM cannot auto-miniroot

    install

  o 418839,477129 - PROM: Command Monitor freezes when

    capslock pushed

  o 478539 - Changing PROM variable console=g to G causes

    power-on verification failure

  o Fix for 195 Mhz R10k cpu hinv output

  o Fix for video initialization

  - 3 -

       1.10  Bugs_Fixed_in_Predecessor_Patch_SG0001725

  o 453227 - 32MB O2 won't boot.

       1.11  Subsystems_Included_in_Patch_SG0003607

       This patch release includes these subsystems:

  o patchSG0003607.ip32prom_sw.prom

       1.12  Installation_Instructions

       Because you want to install only the patches for problems

       you have encountered, patch software is not installed by

       default. After reading the descriptions of the bugs fixed

       in this patch (see Section 1.3), determine the patches that

       meet your specific needs.

       If, after reading Sections 1.1 and 1.2 of these release

       notes, you are unsure whether your hardware and software

       meet the requirements for installing a particular patch, run

       inst.  The inst program does not allow you to install

       patches that are incompatible with your hardware or

       software.

       Patch software is installed like any other Silicon Graphics

       software product.  Follow the instructions in your Software

       Installation Administrator's Guide to bring up the miniroot

       form of the software installation tools.

       Follow these steps to select a patch for installation:

 1.  At the Inst> prompt, type

     install patchSGxxxxxxx

     where xxxxxxx is the patch number.

 2.  Initiate the installation sequence. Type

     Inst> go

 3.  You may find that two patches have been marked as

     incompatible.  (The installation tools reject an

     installation request if an incompatibility is

     detected.) If this occurs, you must deselect one of

     the patches.

     Inst> keep patchSGxxxxxxx

  - 4 -

     where xxxxxxx is the patch number.

 4.  After completing the installation process, exit the

     inst program by typing

     Inst> quit

       1.13  Patch_Removal_Instructions

       To remove a patch, use the versions remove command as you

       would for any other software subsystem. The removal process

       reinstates the original version of software unless you have

       specifically removed the patch history from your system.

       versions remove patchSGxxxxxxx

       where xxxxxxx is the patch number.

       To keep a patch but increase your disk space, use the

       versions removehist command to remove the patch history.

       versions removehist patchSGxxxxxxx

       where xxxxxxx is the patch number.

       1.14  Known_Problems

In section 1.4 the RM5271 support is mentioned and the patch where it is first included: Patch 3530.
There probably also are OS patches needed for full support of IRIX 6.3, but the above patch should at least get you into PROM and miniroot installations: However, this does require an R5000@ 180Mhz to install the new firmware in the first place.

RE: IRIX 6.3 installation - Jacques - 04-17-2019

Thanks Jan-Jaap and Dexter. My latest patch disc is Oct 1997. I'll go and hunt down the other patches.

Actually, question : Does the patch change the O2's ROM? I'm on the latest 4.18. Or this is an IRIX OS level only patch?

RE: IRIX 6.3 installation - Jacques - 04-17-2019

(04-17-2019, 01:26 PM)JacquesT Wrote: Thanks Jan-Jaap and Dexter. My latest patch disc is Oct 1997. I'll go and hunt down the other patches.

Actually, question : Does the patch change the O2's ROM? I'm on the latest 4.18. Or this is an IRIX OS level only patch?

It must be me but I can't see the 6.3_O2.tardist file on the ftp server?

RE: IRIX 6.3 installation - Jacques - 04-17-2019

I dug out my software pack that came with my 1600FP adapter...it's got a bunch of 6.3 patch CDs, the latest being September 1999.

RE: IRIX 6.3 installation - Jacques - 04-17-2019

6.3 Inst doesn't ask for the subnet mask, given that my install server is X.X.1.110 and my machine has an ip ending X.X.2.62, Inst just keeps complaining it cannot connect to the server. My install server is also my DNS server for my two SGIs.

Swapping the distribution to 6.5 is fine, everything works. Any ideas?

Edit - I can bootp() from the server just fine as I believe it refers to the O2's hardware MAC addresss. Loading the miniroot works fine as well. Inst just won't play along.

RE: IRIX 6.3 installation - Jacques - 04-19-2019

I had to burn the 6.3 base install discs to CD-RW, then boot via the Sept 1999 patch CD, install via CDROM. Swap out my CPU for a 180Mhz R5k and then install all the patches and pop the 300Mhz PIMM back in to get it to run on the RM5271.

6.3 is much faster than 6.5. Most of the demos run about 25% faster on 6.3. It also clocks in at 700Mb for a full base install and uses 70Mb of RAM. I just wish there was a way to achieve the snappiness of 6.3 on 6.5.

Was fun trying it out though.

RE: IRIX 6.3 installation - dexter1 - 04-19-2019

Well done JacquesT.

My previous work had an O2 with IRIX 6.3 whose administration i was responsible for. The R5K@180MHz with 128MB memory fared well with that OS. It was just that lame 2GB IBM SCA disk i so hated that i threw in a Quantum Cheetah as soon as it was decommissioned and installed 6.5.

It was then when i saw the support for the R4600 in the O2 PROM dump of the IRIX 6.3 install. I still wonder if there are any R4600 CPU modules for the O2 out there...