[jan-jaap]

Semi-related to this topic does anyone know if an XFS SCSI disk pulled out of an SGI machine can be mounted normally on a Linux PC? Will it just mount like normal assuming the XFS modules and programs are installed? This would be the most difficult way to transfer files but could be useful if an SGI workstation dies.

In short: maybe.

There are at least two on-disk IRIX XFS filesystem layouts. The 2nd format was introduced sometime early in the 6.5.x overlay series, and became the default for new filesystems created in IRIX 6.5.14 and newer. A filesystem created with v1 on-disk layout stays like that even if you upgrade to a later IRIX, e.g. 6.5.30.

Linux only understands the 2nd on-disk layout, and in recent years there have been new XFS features (Linux only) which may make a filesystem created in a semi-recent Linux unreadable in IRIX.

So there is a common ground, but you have to know what you're doing.