Subject: about the O2..

From: Rory Hunter <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 21:57:44 +0100

Hi,

I recently got my (i.e. the company) hands on a second hand O2, and
needless to say the thought of sticking Linux on it came immediatly to
mind... 

I've read the status report on the site, and I was wondering if there
exists a more detailed lowdown on the current state of play?

Cheers,

Rory Hunter

---

From: Rory Hunter <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999 21:04:15 +0100

Hi,

Here's something to amuse you in the meantime:-

Being an IRIX newbie, more used to RH linux, upon encountering an
install of IRIX 6.3 (and a decidedly stale one at that), I naturally
went about trying to impose order opon the chaos and tried to make the
filesystem layout etc. more like the linux server's. Copious Fear and
Loathing was forthcoming upon discovering than /bin was nothing more
than a symbolic link, and that most of the system utils were in /sbin.
After eventually getting a bash shell onto the box (by ftp'ing onto it
as root, no less), a struggle in itself, I was told by the gee-whizz GUI
sysadmin tool that I wasn't allowed to change root's home directory (a
quick hack of /etc/passwd soon fixed that). Then I thought that it would
be nice to rearrange the system utilities ala linux... no such luck,
those bloody symlinks confused me to the point where I managed to toast
'ls'. Stop and think. How many times in a day do you use 'ls'? Scary
isn't it... the only way to view files now is using the point-and-drool
icon interface.

It get's better though; we don't have any install disks, since we got it
second hand at a dodgy auction, so I had to download a .tardist file
with the utilites (like I did with bash, though it took my a *litle*
while to work out that a tardist was like an rpm). Then of course I
attempted to install, only to discover that the GUI tool and tool that
said GUI tool uses die screaming in the absence of 'ls'... go work it
out, it's not pretty.

So now we've got to (gasp) buy a distribution of IRIX, which costs no
less that 260 UKP, with P+P costing a further 30 UKP... I feel decidedly
withered by the whole experience, so much so that if I had my way I'd
probably install Hard Hat on it, X or no X. Which would almost be a
shame, since the mouse and monitor are rather nice. Well, at least the
keyboard has some decent weight behind it, something of a rarity these
days it seems (Edinburgh Uni have some great, and proper UNIX, keyboard
in some places, you know, keyboards you could wield two-handed as
viscious weapons).

Oh, and Photoshop costs $995 dollars for UNIX <slump>.

Happy hacking,

Rory Hunter

---

From: [email-masked] (Ariel Faigon)
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999 14:04:21 -0700 (PDT)

Rory Hunter mused:
:
:Hi,
:
:Here's something to amuse you in the meantime:-
:
:Being an IRIX newbie, more used to RH linux, upon encountering an
:install of IRIX 6.3 (and a decidedly stale one at that), I naturally
:went about trying to impose order opon the chaos and tried to make the
:filesystem layout etc. more like the linux server's.
:
Big mistake :-)

Anyway, just so you (and others) know in case you don't...
You can get a more Linux/FreeBSD friendly env on IRIX by simply
installing all the mandatory GNU utils and other popular free
software stuff for IRIX.  This can be done using some cliking
(install via the web) on the site:

	http://freeware.sgi.com/

and finally putting /usr/freeware/bin first in your path.
There's a 'fixpath' script that does this and more for you.
Pretty clean, doesn't interfere with IRIX apps and work
pretty well for thousands of SGI customers.

:
:Happy hacking,
:
Cheers.

-- 
Peace, Ariel

---

From: Rory Hunter <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 01:11:44 +0100

Hi,

> pretty well for thousands of SGI customers.

That's all good and well, except the software that installs
these damn things appears to require 'ls' (since it's usually
a reasonable assumption that it'll be there). I tried to
install the necessary tardist but the program screamed and
died.

I would have expected the installer to be more independant,
in case IRIX newbies (like moi) fuck up so badly.

I still prefer Linux >:))

Rory Hunter

"SunOS or IRIX? It's a bit like a choice between
warm beer or dying of thirst, either way you lose."

---

From: Eric Kimminau <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999 23:48:29 -0400

> warm beer or dying of thirst, either way you lose."

Rory,

1: a tardist file is justa tared inst distribution. 
move it to a directory, cd to directory
tar xvf filename.tardist
then, as root, run the command "inst -f ."
k *
i d
conf
l i
check that it is installing everything you like
go
quit
inst is the command line version of softwaremanager

Personally, I wish Linux would convert to the IRIX filesystem layout.
I prefer IRIX to Linux, but then its going to be a while before the
power of IRIX is available within Linux.

Please let me know if I can give you a hand with your IRIX system. I
strongly suggest at IRIX 6.3 you go get the entire 6.3 recommended
patchset and get it installed yesterday. You will see a great
improvement in how the entire system functions. Take a look at
http://support.sgi.com and click on New Membership if you don't
already have a surfzone ID.

Good Luck!
                    Eric.

-- 
.--------1---------2---------3---------4---------5---------6---------7.
  Eric Kimminau           [email-masked]       Electronic Support Tools
      Vox:248-848-4455  Fax:248-848-5600  VNET:6-327-4455  
              "I speak my mind and no one else's."
 "I am a bomb technician. If you see me running, try to keep up..."
                    http://support.sgi.com

---

From: Ralf Baechle <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 13:44:36 +0200

> Personally, I wish Linux would convert to the IRIX filesystem layout.

Imho the worst problems Linux's filesystem layout has is that it's limiting
various functionality like diskless clients sharing all the their sharable
parts of their filesystems.

> power of IRIX is available within Linux.

IRIX may be powerful but like about every SysV derived UNIX it traded
power against userfriendlyness.  Even though imho IRIX is definately
better than it's competition at that point.

  Ralf