Getting Started, Documentation, Tips & Tricks

Good day.

I got my new O2.
I hooked it up to a TFT Sony display.
The machine powers up (green light on the front) but no boot beep sounds and nothing comes through on the display.
The display LED also turns green, indicating *somthing* going on, but nothing other then that.

What am I doing wrong?

Best regards
Shlomi.

There is some good O2 Diagnostic/troubleshooting info over in the neko-wiki:
http://www.nekochan.net/wiki/index.php/ ... _Flowchart
http://www.nekochan.net/wiki/index.php/ ... _Procedure

But before you start doing anything that involves hardware disassembly, I'd take a close look at the possibility your monitor isn't compatible - a green LED at power up is a good sign.

You can connect a serial terminal to your O2 and receive the output of the power-on-diagnostics, and even boot and run the O2 in that fashion. http://www.nekochan.net/wiki/index.php/ ... l.29_cable

That'd be the best way to determine exactly what's going on with your O2.

Do you have a keyboard and mouse plugged in?
I seem to recall on my O2, i trued to plug the keyboard in after i turned it on and i never got video.

I've verified (to the best of my knowledge) that my TFT is sync-on-green capable.
It's a Sony SDM-S74 and the manual (I've downloaded from the net) states under "SYNC Signal":


Unfortunately, I don't have a PS2 keyboard right now, I'll scavenge something tomorrow, in the mean I've tried one of those USB-to-PS2 connectors (usually ships with mice) with a USB keyboard, and a PS2 mouse, but it's a no go.

I'll give the PS2 a shot, and if it won't fly, I'll go the serial cable route.

the Green usb/ps'2 adapters only work with mice, you would need a purple one for a keyboard. atleast, i've never had any luck using the green one on a keyboard.

further you shouldn't need a SoG monitor with an o2 Since the o2 uses a standard HD15 connector.

Are you sure about the o2 not needing a SOG? (I'm a totally noob, but I recall reading SGI needs SOG)
At any rate, will try the purple one.

I had another thought:
I've read @nekochan wiki pages, that for o2 to handle >= 128MB ram they need a eprom update.
Mine has 256 (2X128 in bank A) which I've put them (my o2 came with only a single dimm which made the system not boot at all)
I scored those 256MB, but never thought it might pose any problem.

This might be a cause for a problem? will it render it self to that problem (i.e green light, disk spin-up, no screen output), will I see if this is the case using a serial console?

Best regards.

I'm almost 100% sure the O2 doesn't require SoG.

I'll have to leave the Prom >=128MB part to someone who has more experience.

Guys ?

START WITH THE BASICS.

You need a keyboard and mouse attached to get graphics mode. Real ones, not some fly-by-night adapters. Keyboard and mouse that you know work. Make sure they are plugged into the correct sockets - wrong-plugging will also screw up an O2.

Then check your startup prom settings. Then check your graphics resolution settings to make sure the monitor can handle what you're running.

If all that fails then worry about the more complicated stuff.

Apparently you guys were right.
(I should have Kept-It-Simple-Stupid from the start)

Hooking a PS2 keyboard and a PS2 mice worked flawlessly, and the machine booted happily.
(using an SOG TFT, just to verify, I'll later test it on a none-SOG TFT).
I'll now go over to the next part of installing an actual OS on the machine.

I appreciate the help mates!

S.

Glad to hear my recommendation of using a real PS/2 Keyboard worked.

O2 display output uses sync on green. Some non-SOG monitors will still display the output reasonably well, but with a greenish tint.

Let's be clear. The O2 outputs standard H/V sync on the VGA connector. In addition, it provides sync on the green signal. Actually, according to the man pages for setmon, the O2 puts out sync signals on the red and blue lines as well!

Many non-SOG monitors will display the output perfectly . Some will display with tint problems.

Just thought to update you guys,
Machine works flawlessly, I looooove it, lust it and want to make little O2 babies to it.
Due to lack of Irix installation set, I resorted to install OpenBSD on it, and while it's not the fastest rig on the block, it's most defiantly the coolest.
(I'm actively looking for recent Irix installation set, though reading through the forums sounds like I'd rather poke my self in the eyes then installing an Irix).

I'm currently trying to get Wifi on it (keyword: trying. I think the OpenBSD enables that, not sure if I can setup usb/wifi on 02/irix. didn't dig anything useful on google).

Question: How/whom do I send confirmed hardware spec (monitors, CD, USB pci etc)?

It's not that bad Plus the benefit is that you actually get graphics with Irix. And a lot of fun utilities and a video interface.


Zahal (?) managed that with a pci card, so it can be done. Use the Search, Luke

oh my, will do O.B.1.
I've just garbage-dug three old usb pci card, all with diff chipset, I'll post my results.

Say, *suppoooooose* I'd rather stick with OpenBSD on O2, is it a blasphemy and I'm banned from nekochan for all eternity, or is it cool to seek for help here?
(btw, openbsd went quite a mileage, you can get X and all, with a fairly decent desktop manager).
At any rate, will try Irix eventually, once I get installation set. ebay has some, but they seem somewhat outdated (and I do want to enjoy alllllll the goodies this site has to offer).

You can ask but the number of Irix users is a lot, the number of OpenBSD on O2 users here, very few. To me, one of the most fun things to do with an O2 is play with video. I don't believe that OpenBSD has support for the O2 video hardware ?


That's not really such a problem as long as they aren't totally ancient, since nekoware runs on 6.5.22 or better. There's not much reason to go higher than 6.5.22 on an O2 and the 6.5.22 download is free from SGI.

Wow! I was totally unaware of that, thx mate! I can now spend that sum on beer, girls and a new hardrive (meh, most probably just a bigger hardrive. women can't host Irix).

Will give it a spin.

Cheers.

Before you start cavorting with the ladies, be aware that the version of 6.5.22 that is freely downloadable from SGI is only an updater (also known as an "overlay"), not a full installer. The free 6.5.22 updater will update any previously installed older version of IRIX 6.5 to 6.5.22.

In other words, you still need to get your hands on a full set of installation media.

What type/speed cpu do you have? The older cpus can work with any version of IRIX 6.5, while certain cpus require newer versions of IRIX. If I remember correctly, IRIX 6.5.4 or newer will work on every O2.

It's a 180Mhz R5K with 256MB Ram
(10G disk which feels cramped already, so I'm going to dial that one up).

I understand now, so no dating, hu?
At any rate, it seems that older 6.5 are quite common on ebay, as long as I can use overlay to update them I guess it's fine, my concern was getting an older Irix and be stuck with it.
In the mean, I've managed to install USB + Wireless on my O2 (on openbsd 4.7, I'll post full detail in separate thread, I'm waiting for bash+fluxbox+firefox+othercoolstuff to compile so I could be ultra smug about my self and post from the O2 )

Cheers.

Okay, that helps. Any version of IRIX 6.5, including the first release from June 1998, will install fine on that system, and all older versions of 6.5 can be upgraded to 6.5.22 via the downloadable overlays.

For planning purposes, a default IRIX 6.5 installation without any extra software should weigh in at around 2 GB on your hard drive.