These are my notes on SGI Octane and Octane 2 network installation of Irix 6.5.30 using unxmaal's booterizer from the serial console. I ssh to the raspberry pi and use the screen command to interact with the Octane. The two are linked with a USB serial cable. Using the serial console allows me to copy and paste from these instructions to the Octane easily, instead of retyping everything (and potentially making mistakes).
The notes are to help myself remember all the steps and commands. I make them public in case they may help someone, but they are not meant to cover all cases, SGI machines or Irix versions.
Turn the Octane off and remove the main board. Change the configuration of the password jumper very near the CPU. The first boot will be very slow after changing the jumper configuration. Turn on the Octane. Go into maintenance mode and enter the Command Prompt mode by entering 5. Type:
resetpw
resetenv
and, if you're using the serial console:
setenv console d
Shutdown the Octane and reset the password jumper to its initial position.
Turn on the Octane. At the serial console prompt enter the Command Prompt mode by entering 5
Running power-on diagnostics...
Starting up the system...
To perform system maintenance instead, press <Esc>
System Maintenance Menu
1) Start System
2) Install System Software
3) Run Diagnostics
4) Recover System
5) Enter Command Monitor
Option?
Press 5 and enter. Set the network info, start the partitioner
setenv netaddr 192.0.2.2
bootp():/6.5.30/Overlay/disc1/stand/fx.64 -x
Then input and output should be as follows:
Setting $netaddr to 192.0.2.2 (from server )
Obtaining /6.5.30/Overlay/disc1/stand/fx.64 from server
2112+112288Setting $netaddr to 192.0.2.2 (from server )
+27757+10880Setting $netaddr to 192.0.2.2 (from server )
entry: 0xa80000005fd3f0f0
SGI Version 6.5 ARCS BE64 Jul 20, 2006
fx: "device-name" = (dksc)
fx: ctlr# = (0)
fx: drive# = (1)
...opening dksc(0,1,0)
...drive selftest...OK
Scsi drive type == SEAGATE ST336706LC 010A
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[exi]t [d]ebug/ [l]abel/
[b]adblock/ [exe]rcise/ [r]epartition/
fx> exe
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[b]utterfly [seq]uential [set]testpat
[e]rrlog [st]op_on_error [sh]owtestpat
[r]andom [m]iscompares [c]omplete
fx/exercise> c
* * * * * W A R N I N G * * * * *
about to destroy data on disk dksc(0,1,0)! ok? y
sequential pass 1: scanning [0, 71687370] (71687370 blocks)
0%..........10%..........20%..........30%..........40%..........50%..........
60%..........70%..........80%..........90%..........100%
butterfly pass 1: scanning [0, 71687370] (71687370 blocks)
0%..........10%..........20%..........30%..........40%..........50%..........
60%..........70%..........80%..........90%..........100%
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[b]utterfly [seq]uential [set]testpat
[e]rrlog [st]op_on_error [sh]owtestpat
[r]andom [m]iscompares [c]omplete
fx/exercise> ..
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[exi]t [d]ebug/ [l]abel/ [a]uto
[b]adblock/ [exe]rcise/ [r]epartition/
fx> r
----- partitions-----
part type blocks Megabytes (base+size)
0: xfs 1052672 + 12288000 514 + 6000
1: raw 4096 + 1048576 2 + 512
6: xfs 13340672 + 12288000 6514 + 6000
7: xfs 25628672 + 46058698 12514 + 22490
8: volhdr 0 + 4096 0 + 2
10: volume 0 + 71687370 0 + 35004
capacity is 71687370 blocks
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[ro]otdrive [u]srrootdrive [o]ptiondrive [re]size
fx/repartition> ro
fx/repartition/rootdrive: type of data partition = (xfs)
Warning: you will need to re-install all software and restore user data
from backups after changing the partition layout. Changing partitions
will cause all data on the drive to be lost. Be sure you have the drive
backed up if it contains any user data. Continue? y
----- partitions-----
part type blocks Megabytes (base+size)
0: xfs 266240 + 71421130 130 + 34874
1: raw 4096 + 262144 2 + 128
8: volhdr 0 + 4096 0 + 2
10: volume 0 + 71687370 0 + 35004
capacity is 71687370 blocks
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[ro]otdrive [u]srrootdrive [o]ptiondrive [re]size
fx/repartition> ..
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[exi]t [d]ebug/ [l]abel/
[b]adblock/ [exe]rcise/ [r]epartition/
fx> exi
label info has changed for disk dksc(0,1,0). write out changes? (yes)
System Maintenance Menu
1) Start System
2) Install System Software
3) Run Diagnostics
4) Recover System
5) Enter Command Monitor
Option? 2
Installing System Software...
Press <Esc> to return to the menu.
1) Remote Directory X) Local CD-ROM
Enter 1-2 to select source type, <esc> to quit,
or <enter> to start: 1
Enter the name of the remote host: 192.0.2.99
Enter the remote directory: 6.5.30/Overlay/disc1/dist
1)[Remote Directory] X) Local CD-ROM
*a) Remote directory 6.5.30/Overlay/disc1/dist from server 192.0.2.99.
Enter 1-2 to select source type, a to select the source, <esc> to quit,
or <enter> to start:
At this stage, it's possible to get an error like A 000: *** TLB Refill Exception on node 0. This happens when performing an install through the serial console when the console is set to graphical in the nvrom. To fix, setenv console d at the monitor prompt. Don't forget to set it back after the install with setenv console g.
Setting $netaddr to 192.0.2.2 (from server )
Setting $netaddr to 192.0.2.2 (from server )
Setting $netaddr to 192.0.2.2 (from server )
Copying installation program to disk.
Setting $netaddr to 192.0.2.2 (from server )
......... 10% ......... 20% ......... 30% ......... 40% ......... 50%
......... 60% ......... 70% ......... 80% ......... 90% ......... 100%
Copy complete
Setting $netaddr to 192.0.2.2 (from server )
Setting $netaddr to 192.0.2.2 (from server )
IRIX Release 6.5 IP30 Version 07202013 System V - 64 Bit
Copyright 1987-2006 Silicon Graphics, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
root on /hw/node/xtalk/15/pci/0/scsi_ctlr/0/target/1/lun/0/disk/partition/1/block ; dumpdev on /dev/swap ; boot swap file on /dev/swap swplo 81000
Creating miniroot devices, please wait...
Current system date is Tue Jan 10 03:57:10 PST 2023
Mounting file systems:
/dev/dsk/realroot: Invalid argument
No valid file system found on: /dev/dsk/realroot
This is your system disk: without it we have nothing
on which to install software.
Make new file system on /dev/dsk/realroot [yes/no/sh/help]: yes
About to remake (mkfs) file system on: /dev/dsk/realroot
This will destroy all data on disk partition: /dev/dsk/realroot.
Are you sure? [y/n] (n): y
Block size of filesystem 512 or 4096 bytes? 512
Select the block size according to the typical file size. For the OS drive, and for development, 512 is good.
Doing: mkfs -b size=512 /dev/dsk/realroot
meta-data=/dev/rdsk/realroot isize=256 agcount=16, agsize=4463820 blks
= sectsz=512 attr=0, parent=0
data = bsize=512 blocks=71421120, imaxpct=25
= sunit=0 swidth=0 blks, unwritten=1
= mmr=0
naming =version 2 bsize=4096 mixed-case=Y
log =internal log bsize=512 blocks=8718, version=1
= sectsz=512 sunit=0 blks, lazy-count=0
realtime =none extsz=65536 blocks=0, rtextents=0
Trying again to mount /dev/dsk/realroot on /root.
UX:make: INFO: `scsi' is up to date.
NOTICE: XVM mirrors enabled
NOTICE: XVM snapshot enabled
xvminit complete
/dev/miniroot on /
/dev/dsk/realroot on /root
Invoking software installation.
What is the hostname (system name) of your machine? octane2
What is the network address of octane2? 192.0.2.2
What is the netmask for 192.0.2.2?
Press Enter for the IP class default [0xffffff00]:
Starting network with hostname: octane2, at ip address: 192.0.2.2
Default distribution to install from: 192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/disc1/dist
For help on inst commands, type "help overview".
Inst 4.1 Main Menu
1. from [source ...] Specify location of software to be installed
2. open [source ...] Specify additional software locations
3. close [source ...] Close a software distribution location
4. list [keywords] [names] Display information about software subsystems
5. go Perform software installation and removal now
6. install [keywords] [names] Select subsystems to be installed
7. remove [keywords] [names] Select subsystems to be removed
8. keep [keywords] [names] Do not install or remove these subsystems
9. step [keywords] [names] Interactive mode for install/remove/keep
10. conflicts [choice ...] List or resolve installation conflicts
11. help [topic] Get help in general or on a specific word
12. view ... Go to the View Commands Menu
13. admin ... Go to the Administrative Commands Menu
14. quit Terminate software installation
Inst> admin load 192.0.2.99:selections
Press q a few times to get through all the READMEs. Then
Select appropriate software stream to install.
-------------------------------------------------
Before you install an intermediate release, you must select
between two streams of installable software: the maintenance
stream, which contains accumulated bug fixes and any required software
for new hardware components; or the feature stream, which contains
accumulated bug fixes, any required software for new hardware
components, and new hardware and software features. After your
selection, inst automatically identifies the modules in the stream
that you selected and loads them with no further prompting.
The currently loaded distributions contain maintenance and feature
stream products.
Select the maintenance stream if you simply want to maintain the
current hardware and software functions on your system. The
maintenance stream insures compatibility of new hardware components.
Select the feature stream if you want to upgrade hardware and
software with new features. Occasionally, the feature stream
introduces incompatibilities between old and new hardware components.
To change the stream selection between maintenance and feature,
reset the stream preference to the new setting. In some cases,
resetting the stream preference and installing products from the
new stream requires reinstalling portions of the IRIX operating system.
-------------------------------------------------
1. Place me on the maintenance stream.
2. Place me on the feature stream.
3. Cancel
Please enter a choice [1]: 2
Reading product descriptions .. 100% Done.
WARNING: This software distribution is not meant to install on
the version of IRIX currently running on this machine. Sorry.
This distribution contains overlay products. You may need to specify
additional distributions that contain the base software for these overlays.
If you do not load all the related distributions now, "Conflict" messages
later in the installation will prompt you to load any other necessary CDs.
(See the "overlay" help topic for more information.)
You can enter the name of a different distribution and press "Enter."
Or, enter "done" if you are ready to proceed with the installation now.
1 192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/capps/dist
2 192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/apps/dist
3 192.0.2.99:Development/devlibs/dist
4 192.0.2.99:Development/devfoundations/dist
5 192.0.2.99:Foundation/disc2/dist
6 192.0.2.99:Foundation/disc1/dist
7 192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/disc3/dist
8 192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/disc2/dist
9 192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/disc1/dist
10 done (distribution information read, return to inst prompt)
Install software from: [192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/capps/dist] done
Importing selections from 192.0.2.99:selections.
Inst> admin source 192.0.2.99:commands
Inst> No conflicts
And then installation should proceed
When done, reset the console to graphics mode
To set prom from OS command line, man nvram
To set resolution from OS command line, man setmon
Resolution can also be set with GUI util "Display Properties" in menu bar
Resolution can also be set in PROM with setenv monitor l for 1024x768 resolution, or setenv monitor h for 1280x1024
If the machine won't boot, with the error
Autoboot failed.
xio(0)pci(15)scsi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(0): execute format error
Then check that the autoboot is configured properly
printenv
...
OSLoadFilename=/unix
OSLoader=sash
If not, set it manually with setenv
setenv OSLoadFilename /unix
setenv OSLoader sash