[Raion]

Two years ago to the day we lost our home, Nekochan.net, that had been there for the past 15 years. It's been hard, and that's why i came out of self-imposed vacation to say:

We survived. We have survived that, a schism, and several minor scares, losses and battles. Things are not back to "normal" and never will be, but we have survived. 

For posterity, I'm glad I archived the page: http://archive.fo/dJgyQ

The world changes around us. People change. Some people move on. That's what Peter did. A few days ago, he deleted his Twitter account. That's the end of Peter's involvement for sure. Nekochan is gone. I'm sorry that it didn't come back, I deeply am. It's not my fault, of course, but that doesn't change that guilt I feel. Had we known; I would have made an effort to save it. 

That all said, we're in a better position than this time last year. I try to be positive. I have to be strong, as my position in the community is to ensure it doesn't slide into obscurity, and that we keep moving forward. 

I won't say too much, but great things are afoot. I even learned today that someone is decompiling the 7.1 compiler for IRIX: https://github.com/n64decomp/ido

Another person pointed me to this on /r/unix: https://github.com/JohnDTX/irix-3.x-src

Overall, I'm excited for the various projects that are coming forward, both from people here, and those abroad/not directly part of our stuff. 

Keep it cool guys. I'll be back soon enough.

[jan-jaap]

I won't say too much, but great things are afoot. I even learned today that someone is decompiling the 7.1 compiler for IRIX: https://github.com/n64decomp/ido

Interesting. I was using some hacked up python myself on and off to massage 'dis' and IDA Pro output into something that will assemble again, effectively being able to create .o or .a files from ELF binaries, but this looks promising too. Apparently, MIPS support for the HexRays decompiler is in the works as well.

Of course, MIPSpro was released as open source as the Pro64 compiler at some point, but that was an IA64 effort, and the SGI MIPS code generator was stripped off. These people are trying to decompile N64 games into C source so the MIPS code generator is probably the part they're interested in anyway. SGI Pro64 became the Open64 research compiler (which includes an unrelated  MIPS code generator).

FWIW: MIPSpro was C++, not C.

Another person pointed me to this on /r/unix: https://github.com/JohnDTX/irix-3.x-src

Got me excited for a second, but it turns out it's not IRIX, but the source to GL2-W3.7, the UNIX for the 68K IRIS. It's been on BitSavers for more than a decade.

If you want IRIX source code, you're better off studying the RISCos 4.5 source code which is also on BitSavers.

SGI started off with the 68K IRIS, with some 68K port of probably AT&T UNIX, and added their GL2 code to it. When the first MIPS systems (Professional IRIS) were developed, they used a MIPS reference board set (R2300), plus what was largely a VME version of the 68K IRIS graphics. The R2300 came with a MIPS port of AT&T SVR3, SGI ported the GL2 code from the 68K IRIS. This MIPS port of SVR3 is the common ancestor shared by RISCos and IRIX. RISCos lacks the GL bits and EFS, but had X11 when SGI was still in  the NeWS camp.

The RISCos code also includes firmware source for the MIPS systems, including the R2300. When SGI developed the IP4 board to replace the MIPS R2300 board set, they didn't develop a new PROM firmware from scratch. In fact, you can use the R2300 and common MIPS firmware source code to instrument an IDA Pro disassembly of the IP4 firmware   Of course this repeats itself: the PowerSeries IP5, IP7 and IP15 firmware and Personal IRIS derive from the IP4 firmware, as does the Personal IRIS. The Indigo derives from that, etc etc.

Keep it cool guys. I'll be back soon enough.

Take it easy and see you later.

[vishnu]

If you can find it, it's worth a read:

Rocky Rhodes, Paul Haeberli, Kipp Hickman, "Mex — A Window Manager for the IRIS", USENIX Conference Proceedings, Summer 1985, pages 381–392.

As I'm fond of pointing out, in his book "Netscape Time" Jim Clark said "in 1983 Kipp Hickman had singlehandedly ported the UNIX system to the computer we were using at SGI, so I'd always considered him responsible for getting us into the workstation business."

From wikipedia, (link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEX_(windowing_system) ):

MEX (Multiple EXposure) was Silicon Graphics original high-performance windowing system, used on 68k-based IRIS systems and early IRIS 4D systems. MEX was originally loaded over a network through the utilization of GL1 routines kept on a remote host machine, usually a VAX. When the IRIS 1400 workstation and GL2-W (IRIX) were introduced, MEX was allowed to run locally. MEX was used in IRIX from the GL2-W2.1.0 release to the 4D1-2.3 release.

With the introduction of 4D1-3.0 (IRIX 3.0), and the complete migration to MIPS processors, support for the GL / GL2 powered MEX ended in the late 1980s, replaced by Sun Microsystems' NeWS and the 4Sight window manager.

[Raion]

Dang, so they mislabeled it. That's a shame. All the same yeah it looks like there's a full source code to some utilities in there like MEX which is cool, though of limited use. I was wondering why 4sight wasn't included, but that's my answer I guess.

I just got finished with memorial day drinking last night and am hung over. Dropped in to reply to a few posts today.