Getting Started, Documentation, Tips & Tricks

Hello, I have an SGI Indy with IRIX 6.5 and I'm trying to setup it with an internet connection, but can't seem to figure out to successful through the 10Base-T port.

Nothing special is needed to get an internet or network connection through the twisted pair port. Just make sure you aren't plugging into the ISDN port instead.

Whenever I do a fresh irix install I run through these instructions which also cover setting up the network interface.

I don't know if i have a DNS or not and I'm not very good at the DOS thing. This seems overly complicated for me. I wish i could just type in the main IP and then I'm done, but it's not that simple and then they have a FQDN that is just the same hostname of the PC.

the DOS thing

Is this how you call the command line interface?

What you need is:

"Toolchest" -> "System" ->"System Manager" -> "Networking and Connectivity" -> "Set Up and Start Networking"

I got there but the FQDN part that it's called or something doesnt look like this, ''IRIS.home.local'' for example it just show's the full name as it being IRIS (which is the name of the computer). I don't get the FQDN part. I looked on another PC to get the I.P. and the FQDN or the full name is TIMS-PC so i really don't get the thing with the " . " Sorry, I'm a newbie at this networking stuff. I just wanna hook it up to the Internet and it's really hard for me as I've never did this before.

What are the contents of your /etc/resolv.conf file?

I'm not sure, I put it back in the box, but why can't it be as simply as typing in the IP and I'm done?

Because Un*xy things of that era don't work like that.

I just wanted to check my email and simply stuff to play online with it. With the FQDN or the DNS is it as simply as putting the IP in and typing in IRIS.home.local or IRIS.google.com? Can i just use any website? I don't know how to work this. What is the difference between the FQDN and DNS?

Wikipedia wrote: A fully qualified domain name (FQDN), sometimes also referred to as an absolute domain name, is a domain name that specifies its exact location in the tree hierarchy of the Domain Name System (DNS).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fully_qual ... omain_name

Simply means mycomputer.mydomain.org instead of mycomputer.

There is much to setup with any OS's network connection. When DHCP is available from your router or systems in place by your network and system admins it's pretty easy on a modern OS - just plugin. Back when these systems were young you needed to provide the IP address for the system, the subnet mask (how much of the network is yours and not behind a router), the default route (router that gets you to the internet or other networks), and if you don't want to use IP addresses to reach everything - the IP address of the DNS server you use.

It sounds like you might need to get comfortable with google for an evening or two on your modern system. You can see your current settings on Mac OS X with the network control panel - be sure to click advanced. Or with the command IPCONFIG /ALL on Windows. Just remember the IP address for every computer in your network needs to be unique. Since you probably have DHCP running on your router you'll want to find a few addresses outside the range it hands out and keep a spreadsheet or notebook to keep static assignments.

I can't tell exactly how much experience you have with networking, I tried not to get too basic, but cover most the keywords if you need to search for more information.

Just looked at the link pentium provided and that should get you going if you know your network well enough to provide all the addresses specific to your network.

I apologize for sounding dumb, but I think this is just took advanced for me. Can I add anybody on FB or chat anyway to talk more about this more directly?

goldenamber wrote: I apologize for sounding dumb, but I think this is just took advanced for me. Can I add anybody on FB or chat anyway to talk more about this more directly? My FB is: https://www.facebook.com/nicholas.fitzsimons.3

No offense, but sometimes i dont want to live on this planet any more.

Hey, I was a n00b too when I got my first SGI (an Indy) earlier this year. And I'm still learning a lot. Just keep practicing at it . I made a quick graphical guide and this was the way I got on the internet with my SGI machines. I hope this helps.

http://cru.sdf.org/irix-internet/index.html

And this is someone else's guide for doing it all in the command line. Best of both worlds!

http://software.majix.org/irix/network-setup.shtml

goldenamber wrote: I apologize for sounding dumb, but I think this is just took advanced for me. Can I add anybody on FB or chat anyway to talk more about this more directly? My FB is: https://www.facebook.com/nicholas.fitzsimons.3

At the very top of every page on the site:

Official Chat Channel: #nekochan // irc.nekochan.net

You might find somebody kind enough to help you there. Older machines can be tricky for networking if you have never done it before, but it's not hard to use, you just have to learn how to do it yourself. The (dis)advantage is, you only have to do it once and as long as you don't change anything, it will keep working forever. So when you change your router in 5 years you will have to learn it all over again If you are not smart enough to make notes.

Thanks everybody for trying to help me. I'll try the above, but I can't figure out how to join the nekochan chat thing. I tried to copy and paste irc.nekochan.net into the address bar, but it doesn't seem to go there, it just redirects me to the main site again. *edited* I looked on two of my other computer's and does not have a domain name, it's just shows the same name of the computer (like my main pc when I into System in Windows 7 Professional, it simply said's, '' Nicholas-PC'' for both the computer name and the full computer name). Do I just ignore putting the domain name in?

You need an IRC client.

I finally got it hooked up, thanks everyone!

When I got on the internet with the Indy, it would kick me off sometimes when i tried to go to a site. This is what the boxes the I got said, ''Netscape has detected a /.netscape/lock file. This may indicate that another user is running Netscape using your /.netscape files. It appears to be running on host Indy under process-ID 972'' and another box said, '' ALERT: arp,host with MAC address 6c.33.a9.34.c6.1e is sitll using my IP address 192.168.0.4''. Netscape would just completely disappear and then one of the boxes pops up or while Netscape is still running. I did not have any other computer hooked up, just the Indy. Also, it does the same thing when i go to another site when i reopen the browser. What's going on?

Congrats on getting it working. Try turning off some unneeded services with these commands and reboot:



Make a backup of the .netscape folder and restart the browser with a fresh configuration. Be sure to turn off Java & Javascript. Your Indy will thank you . But keep in mind it's an outdated browser and most sites won't load properly.

Thanks toasty! I did the commands, but i'm not sure how to make a backup file and how do i turn off the Java and the Javascript? Also, how do I check my total disk space (the picture of the circle) and how do i delete a home directory (or computer name), because a few days ago I accidently made '' IRIX. '' with the dot at the end or should I not mess with that? I'm using Indy which I just made today and it still has the original IRIX on it.