These are some notes on how to set-up an SGI that is running an earlier version of the operating system (5.3 for example) with separate /root and /usr partitions which is going to be upgraded to some release of IRIX 6.5.x. This also is how to increase the swap partition size on a new or older disk. See the Overview notes for additional general information.
Software can be installed from a local or remote CDROM or in some cases from a remote or local directory. These notes assume that you are using a local CDROM since the machine must be put in firmware mode to load some packages.
See the IRIS Online Books, Owner's Guide, Software Installation Guide or Installation Instructions pamphlet for additional installation information.
Note: To make the installation go as smooth as possible it is highly recommended that you take several extra minutes and make sure that you have the following information readily available as you proceed with the upgrade:
The information above that is of most interest is the SCSI ID of the CDROM that is connected to your system and the SCSI ID of the system disk that is on your system.1 100 MHZ IP22 Processor FPU: MIPS R4610 Floating Point Chip Revision: 0.0 CPU: MIPS R4600 Processor Chip Revision: 1.0 On-board serial ports: 2 On-board bi-directional parallel port Data cache size: 16 Kbytes Instruction cache size: 16 Kbytes Main memory size: 32 Mbytes Iris Audio Processor: version A2 revision 4.1.0 Integral Ethernet: ec0, version 1 CDROM: unit 6 on SCSI controller 0 Disk drive: unit 1 on SCSI controller 0 Integral SCSI controller 0: Version WD33C93B, revision D Graphics board: Indy 8-bit Vino video: unit 0, revision 0, Indycam connected
Here is a script to archive files before upgrade. It also produces a text file called "System.save" that includes important information about your system that will be needed when you are ready to re-configure your system after the upgrade. Copy the script to your system (with Netscape, right-click on link and select "Save Link As..", with Internet Explorer, right-click on link and select "Save target As..."). Edit the script so it saves files appropriate for your system, then execute it with the command "sh ./save-files.sh".
Important - Print out a copy of "System.save" to use later on in the upgrade.
Some may wonder why you should set aside these files if you have a complete backup of your system? It is far easier to ftp these files from another machine or copy them from another local disk than it is to restore them from tape.
It should also be noted that a separate backup of the /usr/people directory (in addition to the level 0 backup) may ease in the restoration of user files after the operating system has been installed.
It is generally recommended that the swap space (or paging space) be twice the amount of RAM. So, from the information from the "hinv" command above we would make the size of the swap (or paging) file 64 megs. This is not a hard and fast rule, some programs such as image processing or large matrix computational programs may use more. SGI's out of the box come with 40 megs of swap (standard). This may be fine for your system, others might need more.
With the above things considered you are now ready to begin the upgrade of your system.
One of the most visible changes that occurred from IRIX4 to IRIX5 was that the operating system went from a two partition system (/root and /usr) to that of a one partition system (/root).
One of the reasons for repartitioning is that under the two partition scheme there is not enough space available to install the new version of the operating system. Therefore it is necessary that you repartition your system using this scheme. Once the system has been repartitioned all data that was on the disk is lost and must be restored. That is why it is very important to have a valid level 0 backup of your system.
- Shutdown the system. Power off the system.
- Attach the CDROM drive if necessary. Power on the CDROM drive (if external).
- Power on the system.
- When the system starts booting up and you see the message "Starting up the system", click the "Stop for Maintenance" button or press <Esc> immediately. This will bring up the Maintenance Menu.
- Click the icon for "Enter Command Monitor". This invokes the PROM Monitor. The PROM Monitor is a command interpreter that resides in firmware on your system. It executes a limited number of commands and displays menus, interactive prompts, and also has a command mode called the Command Monitor which is similar to an IRIX shell. Different Silicon Graphics workstations may have different Command Monitor Interfaces.
- Insert the IRIX 6.5.x Installation Tools and Overlays CD into the CD-ROM drive. Use the latest release instead of the base (6.5) release Installation Tools.
- After you have inserted the CD into the drive the light will flash several times. When this has stopped flashing type the following command in the Command Monitor window.
For systems with 32-bit (R4x00, R5x00) ARCS PROM (Indigo, Indigo2, Indy, Onyx, Challenge, and O2) use:Note: In the above command the letters a and b should not be interpreted literally. These should be the the SCSI Controller ID (a) and the SCSI Unit ID (b) of the CD-ROM drive on your workstation. For example, using the "hinv" output above, the command would be given like this:boot -f dksc(a,b,8)sashARCS dksc(a,b,7)stand/fx.ARCS --xFor systems with 64-bit (R8000, R1x000) ARCS PROM (Power Challenge, Power Onyx, Power Indigo2, Indigo2 10000, OCTANE, and Origin) use:
boot -f dksc(a,b,8)sash64 dksc(a,b,7)stand/fx.64 --xboot -f dksc(0,6,8)sashARCS dksc(0,6,7)stand/fx.ARCS --xThis command will load miniroot into your swap space so that you may begin repartitioning the disk and load the "fx" program."fx" is an interactive, menu-driven disk utility. It allows bad blocks on a disk to be detected and mapped out. It also allows display of information stored on the label of the disk, including partition sizes, disk drive parameters and the volume directory. After "fx" is invoked, messages, prompts, and menus appear.
Below is a simulated "fx" session:
Obtaining /stand/fx from server <server> <n>+<n>+<m> entry: <p> fx version <X.X> <CPU>,<Date> fx "device-name" = (dksc) <Enter> fx ctlr# = (0) <Enter> fx drive# = (1) <Enter>You should also see the menu choices (below) above the "fx>" prompt.They are:
[exi]t [d]ebug [l]abel [a]uto [b]adblock [exe]ercise [r]epartition [f]ormat fx>Type r <Enter> to take you to the "repartition" menu.When this menu is entered, the current partition layout of your disk is displayed, as well as the total drive capacity.
Type ro <Enter>
The rootdrive function will create a drive with the standard partitioning for a system or root drive (ie. one partition on the disk (/root) as opposed to the two partitions per disk (/root and /usr).
You are WARNED that any existing data on the drive could be lost if the partitions are changed.
It is HIGHLY recommended that you get a level 0 backup of your machine before attempting this!
It will then prompt for the type of partition to create. The options are "xfs" which is the new default and the recommended choice, or "efs" which is the old obsolete type:
Type of data partition = (xfs) Press <Enter> Continue? Type yA new menu will be displayed.
Type re <Enter>
This will take you to the "resize" menu. The resize function allows you to resize any of the standard partitions (root, swap, usr, and entire). After you select this function a message is shown, reminding you that after you finish resizing a partition, the other partitions will be resized to match the changes that you made (if necessary). You will be shown the changes and given a chance to reject them, before they are comitted to the disk, unless no changes were made.
The default partition in the "resize" menu is the swap partition. By default, SGI has the swap set to 40 megs.
Usually we make the default swap partition double the amount of RAM that you have in your system. For example, if you machine has 32 megs of RAM, you would make the swap partition 64 megs. This method is just a rule of thumb. If you know that you have software that requires a much larger swap partition, by all means make your swap partition large enough to accomodate the programs that you are going to use.
You should see the following:
(swap) <Enter> (megabytes) <Enter> size (40) 64 <Enter>You will then be asked if you would like to use the new partition setup. Answer "yes" and press the <Enter> key.This then takes you back to the fx/repartition> prompt.
Type a .. <Enter> to take you up a level to the fx> prompt.
Type exit <Enter> to exit the "fx" program.
This will bring you back to the Maintenance Menu.
- Click the icon for "Install System Software". The menu is replaced by an "Install System Software" screen with four icons.
- Click the icon for "Local CD-ROM". On the screen you should see a line like this:
Local SCSI CD-ROM drive <n>where <n> is the unit number of the CD-ROM drive.
- Click the "Install" button. The IRIX 6.5.x Installation Tools CD should still be in the drive.
- As the installation software is loaded, this message appears briefly:
Obtaining Installation ToolsThis message or a similar one is shown:Copying Installation tools to diskas the miniroot is copied to the swap partition on your workstation. Copying the miniroot takes a while. A status bar indicates the progress of the copy.After the miniroot copying is complete you should see the "inst" program come up similar to the following:
IRIX Release <version #> <cpu type> Version <longversion> System V ipg0: missing Note: These missing messages are normal and do not enp0: missing indicate a problem; one line appears for each device fxp0: missing supported by the kernel, but not used by the system. Creating miniroot devices, please wait... The system is coming up, please wait... The system is ready. Current system date is <date> <root_device> on /root Default location of new software is <source> If you are a first-time inst user, give the command "help beginner". Inst 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>If you receive the following error message, continue with this step, otherwise, skip to the next step, #12.ERROR: Directory Reorg: Mounting file systems Inst: Can't mount root filesystem /dev/dsk/dks0d1s0 Restart [y, n, sh]This message appeared because we repartitioned the disk but did not make a filesystem after we repartitioned. Thus, we now have to make a file system on the disk. At the
Restart [y, n, sh]prompt, type sh <Enter>This should fire up a shell and you should now have a # prompt. At this prompt type the following:
# mkfs /dev/dsk/dks0d1s0 <Enter>This will make the file system on the system disk using the new partition layout. When this is finished (by the return of the # prompt) type exit <Enter>. This will take you out of the shell and the following appears:Restart [y, n, sh] Type n <Enter>At this point go back to Part B, Step #8 and try the "Install System Software" procedure again. It should complete normally and the above "inst" menu should appear with no error messages.
- If you have made it to this step, the Inst Main Menu should be on your screen and look similar to the one below:
Inst 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>Select10. adminThe Admin Menu should appear similar to the one below:Administrative Commands Menu 1. set [preferences] List all preferences or set/clear a preference 2. date [args] Display or set the system date 3. files [names] List files in subsystems 4. space List disk usage information 5. recalculate Recalculate space required for installation 6. sh [cmd] Escape to a shell or run a command 7. shroot [cmd] Escape to a chrooted shell or run a command 8. relocate [prod [disk] ] Relocate product to a different disk 9. mount [fsname] [dir] Show mounted filesystems or mount new ones 10. umount [fsname] Unmount a filesystem 11. mkfs [blockdevice] Make a new filesystem 12. sethostname Set name of current host, for networking 13. sethostipaddr Set host ipaddr - Internet address 14. save filename Save selection to file 15. load filename Load selection from file 16. source filename Execute inst commands from file 17. rqs Perform rqs(1) processing 18. config [changed] List all or modified config files 19. hardware List machine-specific hardware information 20. updatekeepfile Add N(ew), unselected subsystems to keepfile 21. return Go to the Inst Main Menu Admin>Select10. mkfsand the new filesystem will be made on the system disk using the new partition layout. When it is complete,Select
11. returnand you will be once again at the Inst Main MenuInst 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>You are now ready to proceed to Section 3 - Installing Software..