Re: [Sheflug] Silicon Graphics (Iris?) / Smoothwall

["Chris J/#6" <nospam [at] nccnet.co.uk>]

> Hi everyone, *long message alert* 
> 
> Thought i'd tell you all about [read: show off]  the exciting
> possibility that I may actualy be getting a Silicon Graphics 'indy'
> workstation (remember i said my dads company was closing down? well,
> this thing was used to control one of the big laser cutters or
> somehting like that, has a massive screen for cad work etc)... anyhew
> i havent got it yet but ive had a chance to play with it and seen its
> running something called IRIS , which ive heard is a 'flavour' of unix
> just like linux. Well, I thought this would be nice to have in my
> room, even i just use it to check my mail!!! Only thing is, it only
> has a floppy drive (no cdrom), i have absolutely no idea how to use
> it, and has an admin account on it so i can only get in as guest.
> Basically, is there any chance out there that someone has experience
> with one of these machines or with iris? Is it possible to put linux
> on there?! Or can i reinstall iris off a remote cdrom drive (it has
> network connection) and therefore have admin access. To be honest, I
> am so out of my depth with this thing, but what the hell its not as if
> im paying for the machine.... I would love to bring it in to the next
> meeting once im back up in sheffield and let you all play with it etc,
> but the screen is so huge i can't carry it (and I can't drive), i
> would need someone to give me a lift if they could. (go on ill let you
> play with it!!!)

SGI's are nice, and IRIX (not IRIS :) isn't a bad UNIX, but like all 
UNIXes, they have quirks you have to get used to. A friend is currently 
trying to get hold of IRIX base install CD's, as his installation's gone up 
the spout. SGI will charge an arm and a leg for the CD's (the base set is 
11 CD's or thereabouts. If you get a pack with 3 CD's or so in it, then 
you've only got an update so can't do a reinstall on a fresh system), so if 
you need them, your best bet is demand they come with the workstation. 
Failing that, Ebay is your next choice unless you know a friend who can 
source them.

I've got a DEC Alpha sitting by my desk, awaiting me to source Digital 
UNIX. Thankfully, Compaq "only" charge 75 quid for the media (and anout 70 
odd quid for the license, but I can cope with that). I've heard reports 
that IRIX CD's can be 300 quid up, even for old versions (scouting around 
on the SGI newsgroups).

If you can get hold a base installation CD's for IRIX 5.x or 6.x, I'd be 
interested to know :)

Chris...

-- 
\ Chris Johnson           \  "If not for me then, do it for yourself. If not
 \ cej [at] nccnet.co.uk        \  for then do it for the world." -- Stevie Nicks
  \ www.nccnet.co.uk/~cej/  ~-----------------------------------------+
   \ Redclaw chat - http://redclaw.org.uk - telnet redclaw.org.uk 2000 \____


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