The collected works of jan-jaap - Page 25

Meat for yesterday's BBQ.

First of the season!

japes wrote: What's the problem with using the converters with a KVM.

The IRIX system wouldn't see the keyboard/mouse on power up if the KVM was in the chain.

So you'd have to attach a real keyboard + mouse to the system, power up, unplug keyboard + mouse and 'hot' attach the system to the KVM. Every time you (re)boot the system.

I tried at least three different KVMs, some of them supposedly working with SGIs ("Rose" iirc). But I think the "working with SGI" means "works with SGI with genuine PS/2 interface and will deal with SOG graphics cards". It's not so hard to find a KVM that will do that.

That sucks

That's one nice looking O2(+)

ivelegacy wrote: my be I am wrong the in title, O2+? O2/R12K?

There's a sticker on the bottom, if it says "O2+" I'd call it that whatever color it has. See: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=16724522&p=7333359

uunix wrote: I'm curious about distscp and wanted to created a tape install of IRIX 5.3. The version doesn't matter really, I could have gone for 6.1, both support boot from tape.

I have Disk 5.3 in the DVD drive on my Fuel

I have a tape drive in an Octane.

From the Octane

Code: Select all

distcp -n 192.168.1.50:/CDROM /dev/tape

So the first part is the FROM, I'm copying distribution from a remote machine [n] 192.168.1.50
The second part is TO.. to my default tape drive.

I'm receiving:

Code: Select all

distcp: unable to get product descriptor(s)

maybe a faulty disk?
I will try 6.1

Couple of things come to mind, but's it's been a few years so I might be talking nonsense

1. Source: the files are not in /CDROM, but in /CDROM/dist. Tapes don't support directories.
2. Target: you're supposed to use the non-rewinding tape device, dev/nrtape.
3. IRIX 6.1? Really? You must be hiding a Power Onyx R8000 somewhere, because I think that's about the only hardware that will run it.

I have a 030-0733-003 rev G (1x 180MHz node) in storage. Put away working but it's been at least 5 years. Somehow I doubt it's worth the effort and cost of trans-atlantic shipping...

Nice!

The monitor and the Crystal Eyes go with the Crimson (but should work with other systems).
The Blue Sonic box usually goes with an Octane -- it's not ADAT but you need a special sound card with "SCSI" (like) connectors in a PCI card cage.
Flame 2009 is probable Linux only -- for IRIX v2008 was the last one. Same for Maya: v6.5 was the last for IRIX.

MrBill wrote: Can you give better info on what kind of card i need to interface with the Blue Sonic box?

I think it's called a Sonic Solutions USP Interface, and it's really seems to be some sort of SCSI board. Have a look at this: http://www.symetrixaudio.com/kb/ADA8824_Sonic_ug.pdf

The blue Sonic box is a version of the Lucid ADA8824, which also works with SGI IRIX and Discreet software, but can be connected straight to an ADAT port on the Octane/Onyx2/Tezro (if it has the audio board). ADA8824's still fetch a couple of hundred on eBay, the Sonic versions much less because of the required I/O card.

NB: I've been looking for that Crimson I/O board, but it wasn't in the storage location where I was hoping it would be, so now it's got to be in the other, except I've got my parents in law visiting next week...

Oh boy, is having a mainframe in your basement going to be the next big thing?

I'm glad I've restricted myself to MIPS/IRIX, or I might have been tempted. A divorce would be the inevitable outcome...

pentium wrote: Now the $10 second hand drum set is a MIDI enabled drum instrument.

Awesome hack!

Nice! Congratulations.

hehe, did you spot his cat in there?

spiroyster wrote: ewww.. that is quite ugly. Almost looks like it could be a prototype.

Not a prototype, they're really supposed to be like that. But yeah, I used to have one or two but I gave them away. Because I like them better in the purple version.

spiroyster wrote: Was there a khaki green Siemens, maybe the Siemens o2 version? Or am I just making that up?

Not that I'm aware of, but the Siemens is not 100% grey, there's a vague hint of olive or dark green in it so maybe that's what you mean?
Here's another one: http://sgistuff.net/collection/systems/1002.html

I've never seen a rebadged Octane or O2 (or newer system)

robespierre wrote: I have never seen another reference to the Mindshare Bundle anywhere, and according to Google it appears nowhere else. (Now it will appear here too, so goodbye Googlewhack.) Any ideas?

I've not heard of a bundle, but "Mindshare" was the old name of what most people know as the Outbox personal webserver.

I've used SAN switches with my SGIs for years. Currently I'm using a Brocade 5000, a 32 port 4Gb switch.

The simple FC case is 1 host to 1 simple JBOD array. It's called FC-AL. This is your average Discreet setup. The advantage of FC here over SCSI is IMHO the use of fibre which means the array can be far away

A SAN shares storage between multiple hosts, but this storage is a SAN server, not a JBOD. A SAN server can configure volumes and share them out to hosts, among many may other things.

A SAN switch has more capabilities than most ethernet switches, it can also configure who gets to talk to who etc. Depending on your switch and it's licensed features you can trunk ports, route FC over ethernet to a remote site etc etc.

A couple of things to keep in mind:
1. SAN switches are usually 1U and can be unbelievably loud. I used to have a Brocade 2Gb switch which was totally unbearable.
2. Most switches in the 4Gb generation have for example 16 or 32 ports, but half of them won't work unless you but a license to enable them. Newer switches also won't accept just any GBICs, but require the expensive ones of the original vendor. If the password to the switch and the it's bootrom are unknown you'll need the manufacturer to unlock it and they won't do it unless you get a service contract first.
3. SAN servers are the same: you may find one which takes SATA disks in brackets with FC-SATA adapters, but the adapters only talk to half a dozen types of SATA disks, now 10 years old and impossible to find. They require licenses for interesting features (snapshots, replication, ...).

If you want to get into SAN hardware you should read a book first to get the concepts.

Dr. Dave wrote: Once you step up to the big iron, you learn all about physics, electrical standards, and first aid - usually all in the same day

Nice catch

Kotomo wrote: Now try hauling an Origin 2000 deskside in a Mark 4 Jetta

I once moved a 4D PowerSeries on the back seat of a VW bug (the old one). I think I had to take the front seat out.

Was easy to take bits and pieces off of that car. Basically, with wrench #13 you take half the car apart. I remember once I got the back bumper locked behind another car's front bumper while reversing out of a parking space. Couldn't go forwards or backwards anymore. Went back into the house, fetched wrench #13 and took the bumper off the bug. Problem solved

Was greeted with this a couple of days ago:

One of the SATA disks gave up after running 24/7 for 6 years straight (this system had not been rebooted in over a year).

I had a spare disk, but this was a stripe so now I'm reloading 3.5TB of data from backups ...

dexter1 wrote: I hope this is not ruining your weekend, Jan-Jaap?

Nope

While this system is hosted at work, I'm not crazy enough to run critical tasks on a ~ 15 year old server with striped SATA disks for storage. With proper backups it's a minor inconvenience, restore completed without hick-ups and the systems is back online.

The rumor seems to originate here: https://www.thelayoff.com/t/KBEVoB1

I thought of posting this yesterday, but at the same time El Reg says Oracle is in denial .

I guess we'll see. I lost all interest in Solaris the moment Oracle got involved.

ClassicHasClass wrote: At least Fujitsu still has SPARC, and there are still SPARC things around.

Fujitsu seems to be moving from SPARC to ARM .

Updated

When I moved everything to/from a storage unit when I constructed my computer annex, I rented a truck with a tail gate lift.

I've successfully moved tall racks over long distances using a horse trailer. They have a ramp to load the equipment, and it's possible to secure a rack inside the trailer with straps. You can stand inside and unlike most other trailers they usually have a solid roof. Just get rid of the straw and shit before you hit the road

Nice!

Is that the one you wanted to run IRIX 6.2 on?

Raion-Fox wrote: as long as you first install IRIX 6.5.22 you should have no issues upgrading to say a 250MHz unit - this is to ensure the EEPROM inside is fully up to date.

False .

Flash-upgradable firmware didn't exist before the O2 and Octane. The Indigo2 firmware is in a DIP40 EPROM and this is what it looks like:

(this is a photo from an IP28 R10000 mainboard btw).

You can upgrade the firmware with an EPROM burner. This was covered last week: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16731554

Trippynet wrote: AFAIK, sleds are required. I know someone on Neko did look at hooking a drive directly up to the backplane port, but I'm not sure if they had any success. A 68pin drive should work, but 80pin SCA drives are probably the most common ones I've seen and can be picked up pretty cheaply.

I have a SCA disk in my Indigo2 R10000. The only gotcha is the SCA adapter: the solder side of the adapter easily makes a short circuit with te metal of the disk. That's why you can see some carton there.


As for CDROMs: back when the Indigo2 was current, a CDROM wasn't standard with every system. They were usually only used during software installation anyway, so having one external CDROM for a workgroup was much more common. That's why the 5.25" sleds are relatively rare and expensive. Also, keep in mind if you place the system on it's side on feet, you need a CDROM drive with little 'latches' in the tray to keep the disk from falling out. Older Toshibas have them.

If you go for an external CDROM: Plextor drives used to be well regarded and are easily found.

Technically, an external system disk is no problem either. That way you can at least play with the system while you keep an eye open for an affordable sled.

vishnu wrote: SGI jumped the shark when it dropped MIPS, just say no to all things SGI on Intel/Linux...

I chose to limit myself to their MIPS/IRIX range. You've got to draw the line somewhere if you don't want to become the computer equivalent of the crazy cat lady, and this is where I drew my line. I might make an exception for an IRIS 3130 but chances of that happening are slim.

itsvince725 wrote: All I know is that the graphics board causes the hard disk to not work, as it spins up when the graphics board isn't installed. That tells me at the very least that I need a different graphics board.

Could be power supply related, combined load of graphics and disk too much for a PSU on it's way out. With an oscilloscope you should be able to measure voltage and ripple. If the power supply is good, and the graphic bad (as in: voltages dropping due to severe load on PSU, causing disk not to spin) you would smell it.

Indigo2 PSUs are often the Achilles heel of the system, though the older pre-IMPACT PSUs tend to have less issues.

Dodoid wrote:

Geoman wrote: It's somehow tragic, that now they do a brilliant fan-service for the community, SGI is probably going to disappear soon.

Their last post of this type was in January. I wonder if they've stopped it already.

Meh, their 'Throwback Thursday' is not original content but just linking to random things on youtube. And they seem to consider the Altix vintage?

For a real Throwback Thursday, check out the AT&T Tech Channel .

Beware that the older LSI SATA II controllers mentioned here are limited to 2TB disks.

edefault wrote: What am I missing here eventually?

You should install XVM instead of XLV. It's on the IRIX discs (eoe.sw.xvm).

The only thing that *really* worked for me is described here: https://superuser.com/questions/1110265 ... es/1111166

Basically you have to take ownership of the reboot task and deny execute permissions to the SYSTEM user. It feels like killing a mosquito with a nuke, but hey, at least it works

I don't have any experience with Windows 'Home', only 'Pro' here.

Ah, the GUI. It's on the IRIX 6.5.xx overlay discs. Look for sysadm_xvm.
Instructions: https://techpubs.jurassic.nl/manuals/06 ... 889-PARENT

guardian452 wrote: You basically have two options, follow MS rules and keep everything updated, or never update at all and roll your own security.

I don't mind to keep my computers uptodate, but an unscheduled (by me) reboot is every bit as bad a a blue screen.

A while ago, I used my PC to transcode stacks of blurays overnight with Handbrake, about a dozen or so every night. After completing the queue it should have shut down, but regularly I would find it in the morning, powered up at the login screen, and the work only partially done.

Windows updates.

That's just stupid and inexcusable. I don't care about the defaults they chose, but they should have put an override in somewhere, even if you bury it in the "I'm an advanced user and I know what I'm doing section" a.k.a. gpedit.msc

I think GPM is Linux-only, but try ESC-1 for F1 ... ESC-9 for F9, and ESC-0 for F10

NB: this also works on Linux, OS-X etc.

This might be interesting: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chrom ... /README.md

"Expected use cases include loading web pages, extracting metadata (e.g., the DOM) and generating bitmaps from page contents".

I have not looked much further than this, but it sure looks like a way to offload the CPU intensive rendering engine to a server.

Let's say you start with a good, bootable disc image like IRIX 6.5 Installation Tools June 1998 .

The trick to burn such an image on a Windows PC with e.g. Nero is to rename the downloaded file from *.img to *.iso. This make Nero treat it as a disc image and burn it 1:1.

The downloaded file in NOT an ISO but that's irrelevant. It only means your Windows PC cannot make any sense of what you burn. Last, but this probably doesn't apply to an Indigo2: some of the oldest CDROM drives predate burnable CDs and have trouble handling them.

Y888099 wrote: someone so lucky to be in business with QNX?

yes. lucky? mwhoa.

Y888099 wrote: (automotive?)

no

Y888099 wrote: Have you ever tried to port X11 on it? Have you ever heard of any X11-terminals based on QNX+X11? Tried it? Developed them?

of course not, we use it for embedded, real time tasks. Like (almost?) everyone else. X11 terminals are a thing of the nineties, when workstations were an expensive resource that had to be shared.

Y888099 wrote: X11 terminals are still good when you have to leave them far from your eyes in public space, where everybody can put his/her hands on, and you want to be sure that nobody can do strange things with linux on his/her USBPendive.

You probably have no idea what QNX costs. With QNX there's a one-time licensing fee, plus an annual fee. Both are significant.

Depending on the number of junkies in your city it would probably be more cost effective to put a brand new MacBook in that public space, then, when it gets stolen, you put a brand new one. And again. Etc.