Subject: Re: My NEC VR4000's

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 11:56:32 +0100

On Sat, Jan 17, 1998 at 09:09:46PM -0600, David Hinkle wrote:

> Well, the systems are manufactored by Control Data Systems, "indigo systems"
> .... Running Irix....

So what you have is actually a SGI machine.  I don't know if this machine
has been modified from the original Silicon Graphics box, so I cc this to
linux@engr in the hope someone can comment on this.

>                        But I've not had much experience with mips systems so I
> just don't know what to look for to tell what they are.    It has two primary
> boards.... I video board and a Cpu board.... The cpu has the one VR4000 and
> three other chips underneath it that look about the size of a Pentium 2....
> But I couldn't read the designations without taking it apart.    The video
> board has at least one of the same types of 'supporting' chips as well... The
> video board also has a socket labled 3D Headset.....    The lady that's in
> charge of the military reutilization program said it was purchased for 38,000
> three years ago.    They have two more... I think I will obtain them both...
> Does this sound like a good idea to you?

Well, I would take them, though probably not all of them because I'm
already stockpiling MIPS boxes ...

> By the way... What are my options as far as OS's go?

Choose between IRIX and IRIX.  Someone else is working on a Linux port to
the Indigo.  No results yet, he has just started some days ago.  Since
you're interested in Linux for SGI machines you should also subscribe to
SGI's mailing list [email-masked] via [email-masked].

  Ralf

---

From: David Hinkle <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 11:24:27 -0600

The system is about a foot and a half tall and about 8-10 inches deep and
wide... (Square bottom rectangular sides...)    Bright blue with a pop-off
front that reveals the hard drives on the right and another panel on the
left... twisting the nob at the top of the left panel couses the panel to drop
forward and the CPU and Video card can be removed.  (The run from top to bottom
with clips on the top and bottom... pull forward on both clips and they slide
out.)

How much does IRIX cost?  And were can I obtain a copy...    I really need to
repartition these drives and start over... Becouse the system can't be shut
down properly becouse you need the root password to preform the shut down....
Consequently it's all messed up.    I plan on mounting it's drives in my
desktop and hoping that Linux can read the filesystem so I can clear the root
password....  Bye the way... Is there an easier way to clear the root
password?    And does anybody know what filesystem IRIX uses?

How do I subscribe to the mailing lists?  (Wow... Lot's of silly questions in
this letter huh? <G>)  Please CC to me becouse I'm not on you'r lists yet.

                Thanks guys, I really apreciate your help.

Bob Miller wrote:

> Ralf wrote:
> If these are Indigo2 machines, then they have the same motherboard as
> the Indy.  The graphics board is completely different, though.  The
> same IRIX kernel will run on Indy and Indigo2.  Linux probably won't
> run on Indigo2 today because it assumes Indy graphics are present, but
> removing graphics support should be straightforward (?) if you want
> a headless server running Linux.
>
> If the CPU box is a thick pizza box (wide and flat, about 6 inches
> tall), then it's an Indigo2.  If the CPU box is a minitower, then it's
> an original Indigo, and getting Linux running on that would be a much
> bigger project.
>
>                                         K<bob>

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From: [email-masked] (Alan Cox)
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 18:11:15 +0000 (GMT)

> password?    And does anybody know what filesystem IRIX uses?

If its running Irix < 6.4 then read bugtraq archives for about 100,000 ways
to break root on your machine  8)

The best general scheme on a remote box is to stuff the disk into a machine
and without mounting it replace any disk block starting root:........:dfgkd
with your own password string.

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From: David Hinkle <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 18:42:46 -0600

Oh?  What is bugtraq?

---

From: David Hinkle <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 18:44:38 -0600

> with your own password string.

  I don't have any idea how to do that, or even were to start looking for how
to do that...  Could you give me a place I could begin searching or reading?

---

From: [email-masked] (Alan Cox)
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 10:15:26 +0000 (GMT)

> Oh?  What is bugtraq?

5 minutes of looking on the net using tools like altavista would tell you.
I dont do other peoples donkey work. Welcome to my kill file