The collected works of necron2600 - Page 1

I have been using an SGI system as a daily driver the past month (better late than never...) and I can stand slow firefox, no youtube, etc.. but I really could not stand missing a sticky post-it note app. Having 10 or more nedit windows open didnt work well for me.

So, I set out to find any existing sticky post-it note-style app that would work on IRIX. I have all Nekoware packages as of a couple months ago.. up-to-date, etc.. I did not seem to find anything equivalent.. or existing already that still works. (I hope I didnt miss any!)

XPad ( https://launchpad.net/xpad ) fit the bill. Lightweight, cross-platform, C code.
All versions failed to pass a configure due to an older intltool on my system.
However. the older xpad version 3.0 worked fine.

Download xpad-3.0.tar.bz from https://launchpad.net/xpad

I set my PATH to have gcc4.7 first.. instead of using nekoware's gcc version 3 in /usr/nekoware/bin:
export PATH=/usr/nekoware/gcc4.7/bin:$PATH
Note I am using bash shell...

./configure

edit po/Makefile
GMSGFMT = is empty for some reason and a gmake errors out.. but the following line MSGFMT has /usr/nekoware/bin/msgfmt.
I added /usr/nekoware/bin/msgfmt as the value to GMSGFMT:
GMSGFMT = /usr/nekoware/bin/msgfmt
MSGFMT = /usr/nekoware/bin/msgfmt

Fix a bug for xpad with newer versions of glib/gdk2 that come from nekoware:
Error message: (xpad:15313): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: IA__g_object_set_valist: construct property "type" for object 'XpadPad' can't be set after construction

fix source: http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=65343
--- orig/xpad-4.0/src/xpad-pad.c 2009-05-11 03:44:09.000000000 +0200
+++ xpad-4.0/src/xpad-pad.c 2010-04-09 14:36:50.000000000 +0200
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@
"gravity", GDK_GRAVITY_STATIC, /* static gravity makes saving
pad x,y work */
"skip-pager-hint", !xpad_settings_get_has_decorations
(xpad_settings ()),
"skip-taskbar-hint", !xpad_settings_get_has_decorations
(xpad_settings ()),
- "type", GTK_WINDOW_TOPLEVEL,
+ //"type", GTK_WINDOW_TOPLEVEL,
"type-hint", GDK_WINDOW_TYPE_HINT_NORMAL,
"window-position", GTK_WIN_POS_MOUSE,
"child", vbox,

What the above means is:
edit src/xpad.pad.c and comment out "type", GTK_WINDOW_TOPLEVEL, line

gmake # note to use gmake not make, or else strange errors show up (bu42, etc..)

all done.. working binary in src/xpad

as root run:
gmake install
to install to /usr/local

I hope this helps someone. Sometime soon I will see about creating a nekoware tardist.

XPad 3.0 compiled for mips4 (using gcc4.7)
Extract into /usr/local

-Kevin

I'm around to help test...

For the past few months, I fully use an SGI for day to day work, and after work. I'm already forgetting how to use Windows and/or MacOSX and their apps. The macs and PCs are turned off, save a few VMs to RDP into for some specific webbrowsing or using Office tools/outlook required by my work. The Tezro was too loud so I ended up quieting an O2 r5k 300mhz with a fan replacement and have been happy with it. It prints fine, it has a scanner, outputs sound to a receiver for some good audio, and a video input card where I can have microscopes or stereoscopes displaying on the desktop (hobby), or even an iphone playing youtube or netflix through the video-in.

I'm a systems engineer / IT admin-type by trade. SSH, VNC, Rdesktop are my main tools. A Vmware ESX farm is always a click away with all sorts of Operating Systems available. Daily work involves diagramming/UML, documentation, spreadsheets, even 3d-modeling helps with creating presentations (3d-network designs, etc..). Ruby and Python.. as well as some Tcl/TK are also part of my toolset with IRIX. Cybersecurity tasks using python scripts. IRIX has been a dream for me to use daily even today in 2015. IRIX is about getting down to business... with a side of classic games.

Any way we can get a newer java JDK? That would open up a new world of possibilities with applications for IRIX! OpenJDK, etc..

Dia... I agree we need a newer version.

Any way to open/convert .docx and .xlsx formats would be a big bonus for Irix. For me.. AbiWord, and Prophet, for tables/spreadsheets, work well (and Framemaker and Wordperfect are rock solid too).. but nothing with docx/xlsx that the rest of the world seems to expect.

Another spreadsheet application? At least NeXTStep had Lotus Improv

Mplayer.. thanks for all the hard work that was put into this recently! For youtube videos, I still have to use youtube-dl to get 3gp format though (low quality but usually watchable), mp4 videos still give me a black screen most of the time.

Ruby.. I could use a more recent version. Also.. I am never able to install Ruby gems that have native code (compile on IRIX). If I could get Ruby with the "rvc" gem.. I could manage Vmware ESX/vsphere systems from IRIX on the command line! Plus, with Ruby I can create webapps.. manipulate LDAP or Database servers, etc.

Thunderbird is still so sluggish (it is better on a Tezro though). Slypheed is super fast.. but the current nekoware version does not support SPAM filtering. I tried compiling several newer versions.. they all compile fine but usually core dump opening any Inbox (but any other IMAP folder works fine). Newer versions of Sylpheed support SPAM filtering.. and sylfilter (for spam filtering) compiles cleanly on IRIX (need to compile GDBM first and use that and disable using sqlite.. an error with nekoware's sqlite occurs if you dont.)

Is a newer version of Blender possible? Our version is getting a bit outdated.. where it cannot open newer files very well.

transmission-bt .. or any torrent client that supports UDP trackers?

GNUCash ? Would save me from SoftWindows95 and an old version of Quicken.

Another game to see compiling on Irix could be Warzone 2100. The earlier versions need some OpenAL for 3D sound that I couldnt get to compile. Newer versions needed newer libs than what nekoware has available.
[EDIT: OpenAL works fine from nekoware ]

-Kevin

https://h20392.www2.hp.com/portal/swdep ... UXJAVAFFTB

The links on that page timeout for me.. Does anyone have local copies of Firefox 3.5, Thunderbird,and GTK libraries for HPUX that HP provided?

Thanks,
-Kevin

Anyone have a copy of swextract.c ?
The link in this thread is dead:
http://linkefong.free.fr/downloads/misc ... wextract.c

Thanks,
-Kevin

Awesome!
Fast forward 5 years later.. this post should be wiki'ed (if its not already?)
For some time because of this, as a workaround, I was using wine to run windows-based firefox and 'gnome' related apps.. so I can send X11 back to my IRIX display.

Thanks again.. +1 on this topic.
-Kevin

Ok.. where can I find a copy of this precompiled version? The link in the thread doesnt seem to work (at least through Dillo

Awesome.. thanks!
I seem to be pack-ratting lots of irix software the past few months.
-Kevin

Anyone know where to find a copy/link to this file?
Thanks
-Kevin

Ah.. my bad. I see the link now.
Thanks!

If you wanted to get more exotic with security protection on IRIX with one of the best products for locking down a system (my opinion).. eTrust Access Control (owned by CA) works with lots of Unix type platforms including IRIX. Last I worked with that product was with eTrust Access Control for UNIX version 8. Its like a tripwire tool but with enforcement and central auditing and control sortof like SELinux and sudo (although it can work standalone on a single system). Intruders cannot circumvent its protections or exploit vulns in apps that easily.

Looking through the CDs for version 5.1.. it seems that it works on the following platforms: DECUNIX4, DYNIXPTX, IRIX64, IRIX, LINUX390, LINUX, NCR, SINIX, SOLARIS x86, UNIXWARE, RSV, Solaris, STOP, AIX43, AIX4, HPUX1020, HPUX10, HPUX11, couple mainframes and NT-i386.

I never did try it on IRIX before.. another weekend project
Its downfall may be it is not simple to setup, poor marketing by CA. Plus, not sure on how much it costs.

-Kevin

A more recent Ruby version. 2.0.0 is not the latest, i had trouble with newer versions and went backwards in versions for troubleshooting. I do believe the very latest can compile based on the work done with this 2.0.0 version but I have not gotten around to it.
They should show up in my downloads folder sometime later:
http://www.nekochan.net/downloads/index ... ecron2600/

-Kevin

Anyone have one for sale in the US?

Thanks,
-Kevin

Trippynet,

Haha.. yeah my toolchest has grown a bit.. that snapshot was taken on a 1440x900 resolution too so it looks even bigger (the same toolchest on my tezro or octane does not fill the screen as much as on the O2). It would be a nice feature if the toolchest could be minimized.

I never did try using the icon catalog before.. guess I found a single .auxchestrc file to be easier (esp. syncing between other IRIX systems).

So where do you store/list apps for quick access?

-Kevin

neko_artofillusion-2.5.1.tardist is in /incoming and soon to be in my downloads folder.

It is nothing new (its a decade old) nor special. No compiling nor porting was done. This is just packaging the opensource vendor's binaries/tarball into a nekoware package.
/usr/nekoware/bin/aoi is a script you can run, should already be in your PATH, to launch Art of Illusion.

A lot of people new to SGI/IRIX look to nekoware for what is available. Art of Illusion as a nekoware package makes it more accessible to people.

I spent more time figuring out which Art of Illusion package works with IRIX and its super modern version of Java2 (1.4.1). At least now, its a simple tardist install than messing with tarballs of several versions.

Version 2.5.1 seems to be the last to support our java version.

-Kevin

I didnt see this post until now.. its about AOI:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=16719920&p=7294913&hilit=art+illusion&sid=1dce57978fc615b606f8dd802afe1b3d#p7294913

Some of my old SUN systems have SUNpc/SUNpci cards.. that provide a real x86 system running in a PCI slot (usually Windows95, etc..) that you can acess from the Solaris/SPARC desktop. "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SunPCi"

Call me crazy, I thought it would be neat to have something similar for an SGI.. most likely a mini-PC inside a full height scsi disk for an Octane, or replacing the CDROM drive in an O2 or Tezro.. and then just remote desktop/RDP or VNC into it. Maybe have video/key/mouse out in the front.. so open your Octane front case or eject the CDROM door in an O2 and then you can program/install an OS on it, etc..

Then you can run MS Office, Chrome, etc.. from within the confines of your SGI system.

Yeah, you could just RDP or VNC into another PC or server elsehwere around the house or office.. but to have something that is part of the SGI (like SUN's SUNpci cards) would be neat.

Does anyone know of a small PC that would fit in a hard drive shell? getting power from a hard drive SCA port or a molex power plug? A real x86 system, not ARM or other embedded types.

-Kevin

Here we go:
Intel Compute Stick PC. WIndows 8.1 or Linux. x86 chip.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2906353/ ... linux.html

Now.. how do we power a Micro USBjack with SGI innards? (Molex to Micro USB? SCA power adapter to Micro USB?.. ). Its a Wifi connection too.. not a problem if your home/work was the SGI on same network as a Wifi connection I guess.

Will a Tezro's USB port power this?

Doing some research:
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Mol ... gQod7vMBjw

Im in no way an electrical engineer.. not sure if this would work or not with an SGI molex cable powering an Intel Compute Stick PC?

Never used ThinStuff, but I will tell you that an XRDP server running on Linux performs excellent with rdesktop.. more so than VNC or even RDP/rdesktop to a windows node.

ThinStuff's TSX RemoteApp product looks cool to launch just the app and not the entire desktop. Linux-based rdesktop can do 'seamless' apps too if a seamless-rdp DLL is installed on the remote windows node. I never have tried to see if our Nekoware version would work this way too. Something to play with for another weekend Having just the remote apps popping up on our IRIX desktops would feel more integrated than a full windows desktop window (and use less bandwidth). Currently I use SSH X11 forwarding for running Linux apps, and windows apps run via Wine on Linux, so they too go through X11 and look more native on the desktop.

I ordered one of those Intel Compute Sticks from NewEgg.. and a Molex to USB (female) from ebay. When it comes in, ill stuff it all in an O2 .. maybe replacing the cdrom with it since I can get a molex connection from that area easily.

-Kevin

I read the thread on "3D Printing CAD workflow from an SGI" :
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16727983&p=7362943&hilit=alias+STL&sid=fa529a5bb232cfb0de867edeccbb5738#p7362943

Before I set out on learning how to use StudioTools and invest in this workflow, I first set out to see if I can export to STL from Alias StudioTools. I am not doing anything special in StudioTools, just create a Cube or Sphere and then try to Export it to STL. Nothing happens, no prompts, nothing on command line output, etc.
I can export to SDL format.. there are not many formats to export to anyway. But STL just does nothing when its selected in the exported formats list.

Anyone have any idea? Do I need a model that is more setup than a basic object placed on it? Am I missing something else?

Thanks,
-Kevin

Ok, I do see some text in the top pink bar.. I have to select a shell. And reading through some Alias document indicates the same. I just wanted to know if this may have been an issue with my installation,etc. I know its 100% user error, but still trying to figure it out Im a UNIX admin by trade, so CAD/design 101 for me.

-Kevin

From nekoware's rdesktop man page:
-A Enable SeamlessRDP. In this mode, rdesktop creates a X11 window
for each window on the server side. This mode requires the Seam-
lessRDP server side component, which is available from
http://www.cendio.com/seamlessrdp/ . When using this option, you
should specify a startup shell which launches the desired appli-
cation through SeamlessRDP.

Example: rdesktop -A -s 'seamlessrdpshell notepad'.

However, https://www.cendio.com/seamlessrdp says it needs rdesktop 1.8.0 or later where nekoware is 1.7 (at least my copy). Not sure what the implication of that is since rdesktop does have the seamlessrdp code in it.

"SeamlessRDP works best with modern window managers" .. IRIX 4Dwm is modern right?

Now that you got me looking into this... ill have to spend time on it now to see if this works or not with an SGI Thanks hamei

Works!
I attached the seamlessrdp zip .. as it is not found on its website as easily anymore. I found it from some random place online and I did not check for viruses or trojans,etc.. so beware

I extracted seamlessrdp.zip into C:\seamlessrdp\

Then ran this:
rdesktop -A -s 'c:\seamlessrdp\seamlessrdpshell C:\Pro
gram Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe' <ip or hostname here>

I logged in, (may be able to autologin?), and got a seamless window. Like how you would see an X11 display from a remote node but its a windows system. (which you could do the same running your windows apps under wine on Linux and remotely displaying via X11...) Except, RDP tends to be much faster than X11.

Notes:
I used a Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server. Not sure how this behavies with Win7, WIn8, etc.. I hope this works with the Intel Compute Stick I ordered that comes with Windows8.. stick it inside the SGI running on its power... then I can get a 'SUNpci' for SGI.

Its possible Fast User Switching needs to be turned on in order for seamlessrdp to work. I did not confirm this.

A more advanced rdesktop usage:
rdesktop -r clipboard:PRIMARYCLIPBOARD -r disk:'Home'=
$HOME -r sound:local -a 16 -z -A -s 'c:\seamlessrdp\seamlessrdpshell C:\Program
Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe' <serverorIPhere>

-Kevin

Screenshot:
Note the top right corner.. seamlessrdp runs a tiny app. You can open more apps without needing to re-run rdesktop and login, etc..
Also, you should be able to run more rdesktop commands but re-using the existing seamlessrdp (-A argument) session, so single-signon style ability)

So windows7 did not seem to work the same way.
As a workaround, I disabled the desktop.. then I was able to get a windows7 start/taskbar on the bottom of my IRIX 4Dwm desktop (the horror!) You can launch apps all day. Note, its a bit sluggish on an R5k O2.. a windowed-XRDP server on Linux seems to give the best performance.

Create a reg key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\
A DWORD entry NoDesktop set to 1

Auto Start seamlessrdp on login:
Create a shortcut to C:\seamlessrdp\seamlessrdp.exe to your startup folder:

C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Edit it’s properties by adding ‘ taskmgr‘ to the end of the Target entry – it should read
‘C:\seamlessrdp\seamlessrdpshell.exe taskmgr‘

Now when you rdesktop into it, seamlessrdp runs.. showing you the windows taskbar since the desktop is turned off (or else the desktop would be in a window blocking 4Dwm desktop.

-Kevin

I have a SUN PCi iii card.. I assume that needs a SUN PCI 3.2.1 or newer drivers. Anyone know where to get a copy? Oracle doesnt seem to provide downloads anymore like SUN did, let alone sell/support them other than PDF documentation.

If they are fully loaded (10+ CPUs and 10+GB).. I would imagine they could sell to a hobbyist for 200-400$ each. The problem is finding someone who is looking for one. I have 8 or 9 too many e4500's leftovers from a hosting business I did years back. They are designed to run forever with plenty of mainframe style RAS features . The fact that you can remove faulted CPUs and Memory while the system is running is still a cool feature to this day.

When I run ./mame I get a rld: Fatal Error: Cannot Successfully map soname 'libstdc++.so.7' under any of the filenames /usr/nekoware/lib/libstdc++.so.7:etc..

Funny thing is.. I do not have a libstdc++.so.x file anywhere on my system from nekoware (even betas). I have all of nekoware and nekoware-beta extracted in dirs and searched for libstdc++ in all the *.idb files (lists contents of tardists).. and nothing shows up for libstdc++.so. Plenty of .a's (static libs).

Am I missing something? It is late at night for me trying to mess with mame .. maybe I just need some sleep and it will work in the morning.

-Kevin

Thanks for all your work on this!
Yeah, staying up late made me not read the thread too well

+1 .. instructions or detailed photos
I have an octane with a v6.. and can get a 2nd v6. Would love to have dual head this way.

maybe:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16723538

It does seem to play very well on an Octane 300mhz, and visually look better than other compiles/versions I have used.. but it does not play many games (at least ones I tried). It does play pacman though.. and in a 1920x1200 resolution desktop it looks good and is fast. Just need it to play more games.

run as ./sdlmame -w -video opengl it will find roms under the /roms/ in your current dir.




However, all the other xmame binaries i have found through nekochan may play more games.. but the sound seems to go 1/2 speed.. so speach and music are sloooweed and deeper sounding. gameplay is not to bad with those. I tried messing with the sound freq/rates but no luck. I havent tried it on a faster machine yet.

-Kevin

I like that answer.. thank you

Also, I read somewhere online that to run Dual Vpro graphics you need to have a Dual CPU. Is this true? (I only have single CPU Octanes)

He's back! Complete with lengthy rants to make up for lost time. They were missed

I just spent a weekend on this but never tried the 0.2.x version you tried. I started with the latest 0.8.x and went down to 0.3.0 and then up to 0.7.0 and then 0.6.0.

Some errors in cmake or autogen.sh logs seem to be "Identifier va_list is undefined" .. since this is GNU-style code being built. I assume including stdarg.h may help this but im at a loss with using cmake and/or autogen.sh. The original poster used a much older version that probably didnt use these build tools.

versions newer than 0.6.0 seem to work with cmake (or autogen.sh but its not maintained anymore).

Newer versions cant seem to get past cmake.. ld32: FATAL I/O error (-lpthreads) .. and I know IRIX has some porting issues with pthreads but not sure how to solve that through cmake or autogen.sh.

Tried GCC 4.7 too but had different errors in cmake and/or autogen (or older versions with configure)

Can anyone help take a look at this software? It would really make my year (maybe my past decade) to be able to play Baldurs Gate, and the other Infinity engine games, on an SGI. SO much so.. maybe some monatary value can be placed on this

FYI, I did create a neko_cmake-2.8.6.tardist and uploaded to /incoming (should be moved to my dir sometime soon) as gemrb needed this version or later.

Links:
http://www.gemrb.org/wiki/doku.php?id=installation
http://www.gemrb.org/wiki/doku.php?id=i ... t_yourself

-Kevin

As long as you are ok with the heat generated and electricity consumed to run them... Solaris 10 (with zones, zfs, etc..) runs well on them. You can throw any amount of processes (or processes in zones) at them with no real slowdown. 8-10+ CPUs which individual Cache ram (some CPUs have 8MB cache which back in early 2000's was a rarity on commodity PC hardware), and lots of RAM make E4500's work well even today. Real workhorses. Should get a more stable and reliable system than most newer PC-styled hardware.

As much as I would love to run my E4500s 24/7 these days, the electricity cost is a factor. A SUN T1000 now runs my daily Solaris SPARC needs instead (but an irrirating HIGH pitched fast fan noise comes out of them). An ebay search has SUN T1000's at 50$/each. Electricity usage is very very low on a SUN T1000.. but you get 1 power supply, 1 CPU (8+ Cores though), and 1 motherboard.. all of which will fail one day and do not have the E4500 ability to mark them failed and replace when you feel like it while the system is running without downtime.

-Kevin

Anyone have any suggestions on a decent condenser microphone that works well with an Octane? Ideally for voice over, and/or song/instrument recording.

The Octane has a mic-input, a 10vDC output plug too (powered mic?.. i have yet to look this port up and how it can be used), and even Optical input.

I am a n00b with microphones. I see many for <30$ with 3.5mm outputs. I am sure they work with an Octane, but want some input from others who have experience, Esp. since the Octane is noisy.. maybe a particular mic would keep picking up that noise, etc.. I would be interested in something that would not look like a cheap plastic device sitting next to an impressive (subjective?) Octane case. Also, many online reviews are for modern systems.. such as Macbooks with USB connectors.

Thanks in advance,
-Kevin

haha.. well the <30$ came from an amazon search for 3.5mm condenser microphones. There were none really more than expensive than that. So I assume any 3.5mm microphone is always going to be cheap. I would consider < 300$.. so an extra 0 .. assuming it works well with an Octane. The fact that the Octane has a few more ports (optical audio input, audio line-in, etc..) I was hoping someone would know of a microphone that would work well with it.. and not plugging it into a USB-port for power somewhere, etc.. Again, i'm a n00b with microphones.. so any direction or product names/models would be a good start for me.

Thanks again