[ghost180sx]

I've just received two Indys in the mail, and I've decided (for now) to keep 5.3 on them, as that's what they were sent to me with.

I can definitely see it's a little bit more primitive than 6.5.30 I'm used to using. By primitive, I mean some of the more modern UNIX features are not there. Like `top` for instance is more old fashioned, and has less features, whereas 6.5.30 is more like the modern Linux equivalent.

So far I've got Illustrator and the IDO + Workshop 2.5.1 software on it. It dosen't have 24 bit graphics or the XZ card, so for now i'm just enjoying it for what it is: a fantastic UNIX system from the mid 90's!

[dexter1]

IRIX 6.2 is a very decent version for R4k systems, especially when having less than 256MB of memory. IRIX 5.3 is, i admit, quite fast on the Indy and Indigo and is the last supported version on my Personal Iris and R3K Indigo.
Unfortunately i never had the chance of enjoying IRIX 4.0.5 simply because i lacked an install disk for many years. 5.3 seemed to do the trick on most old systems (even though i fell into the trap of installing 5.3 on my PI and found out that init sometimes eats 100% CPU on my PI: I should have left it at 4.0.5 :( )

I agree with Jan-Jaap and Raion about the reason not transmogrifying your SGI into a pseudo Linux machine. Many of the old software stuff were current at the time of SGI systems, are still useful and have its own charm. This is why i ported Python 2.7 and SDL 1.2.15 and found and revived the FORMS library.

That doesn't mean that we should not port/refactor current software on these system. There is excellent work being done on SDL2 and GemRB and many other stuff in nekoware and newer package systems. It's just another expression of our hobby. But we do have to keep in mind the limits of our machines.

[callahan]

Where does one get software for 4.0.5? I just built a working install for my new Iris Indigo, but the OS is pretty spartan.

[Raion]

IRIX 4.0.5 didn't really ever have any FOSS development AFAIK, but I recall Larbob was working on some stuff. Jan-Jaap may know any commercial stuff that 4.x had.

[jan-jaap]

I've got some older GNU software on FTP: ftp://ftp.jurassic.nl/pub/irix/gnu/irix-4.0/

As far as commercial software goes: basically everything before '93 or '94. Alias, WaveFront, AutoCAD (R12), CoreDRAW, SoftPC 3, ElasticReality, even the earlier versions of CaseVision/ProDev were COFF. And the original SimCity of course 

[callahan]

I've got some older GNU software on FTP: ftp://ftp.jurassic.nl/pub/irix/gnu/irix-4.0/

As far as commercial software goes: basically everything before '93 or '94. Alias, WaveFront, AutoCAD (R12), CoreDRAW, SoftPC 3, ElasticReality, even the earlier versions of CaseVision/ProDev were COFF. And the original SimCity of course 

Any ideas where to find SoftPC 3 and SimCity?

[ginza]

I've got some older GNU software on FTP: ftp://ftp.jurassic.nl/pub/irix/gnu/irix-4.0/

As far as commercial software goes: basically everything before '93 or '94. Alias, WaveFront, AutoCAD (R12), CoreDRAW, SoftPC 3, ElasticReality, even the earlier versions of CaseVision/ProDev were COFF. And the original SimCity of course 

Any ideas where to find SoftPC 3 and SimCity?

You can find the demos of both (and some more Irix 4 software) on my HotMix page. http://nixzone.nl/hotmix/ . Still looking for HotMix 2, 3 and 6 CDs - please PM if anyone would like to help! (PM me regarding SoftPC licensing if you need it).

[GeekLucanis]

I have 4.0.5 running on my Crimson, but itll get 5.3 treatment as 4 is sparce on FOSS and commercial software.

[BackPlaner]

I'm still running 5.3 on my Indigo Elan R4400. So pleasant to reminisce about when the whole install fit on a single CD.

[saq]

Thinking it might be time to pull out the old "5.3-XFS for IP22/24" project that I started before work change and kids put it on hold. IIRC there was a hangup with SolidIMPACT support, probably due to that being a later release from High/Max. Yes, it has 2MB SC support as well.