How-to: Irix 6.5 Network Install from Linux
damien
After some sleepless night I've finally made it.
I installed Irix 6.5 without a local CD-ROM, a remote install from a
Linux server.
It was a bit hard to find info about this so I wrote a small how-to.
Fell free to use it, have fun...
Here're the different version I've used:
RedHat 7.3
Linux Kernel 2.4.18
Sgi Octane
Irix 6.5 Install CDs
Linux Server
------------
1. Compile your linux kernel with efs filesystem support (included in
2.4 kernel)
2. mount the Irix cdrom with the following command
mount -t efs [CDROM device] [mount point]
3. copy the whole CD to a directory on your Linux HD
4. Repeat step 2 & 3 for each Irix Install CD
5. you should have the folling dir (you can choose whatever name) with
the copy of the CD content:
inst -> Installation Tools
found1 -> Foundation 1
found2 -> Foundation 2
apps -> Applications
6. Configure the DHCP deamon on your linux box to provide an IP to
the Irix box
/etc/dhcpd.conf
subnet 192.168.0.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
host sgi {
fixed-address 192.168.0.129;
hardware ethernet AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF;
}
}
7. activate the tftp deamon
(on redhat do a chkconfig --level 345 tftp on)
8. change the tftp folder to the folder where the cd are copied
/etc/xinetd.d/tftp
server = /usr/sbin/in.tftpd
server_args = -s /tftpboot <- change this to your dir
9. create a guest user (do a adduser guest)
10. remove the password of the guest user
guest::500:500::/home/guest:/bin/sh
11. install pdksh, otherwise the Irix install will hang
(don't know why)
12. backup /bin/sh and create a symlink to pdksh
mv /bin/sh /bin/sh.bak
ln -s /usr/bin/pdksh /bin/sh
13. activate rsh (on redhat do a chkconfig --level 345 rsh on)
14. change the pam settings for rsh (very insecure don't do this
on a vulnerable computer)
(if you don't use pam go to the next step)
/etc/pam.d/rsh
auth required /lib/security/pam_nologin.so
-> #auth required /lib/security/pam_securetty.so
auth required /lib/security/pam_env.so
-> #auth required /lib/security/pam_rhosts_auth.so
account required /lib/security/pam_stack.so service=system-auth
session required /lib/security/pam_stack.so service=system-auth
15. test the rsh command with the user guest, this should print
the result of ls -al
rsh <servername> -l guest ls -al
Sgi Server
----------
I'm not an Irix specialist a full Net install procedure can be found
here:
http://www.futuretech.vuurwerk.nl/netboot.html
1. enter in the prom
2. configure the sgi box with ip configured on the Linux box dhcpd
e.g.: setenv netaddr 192.168.0.129
3. start the partition tool from the linuxbox (change 192.168.0.1
with the ip of your Linux server)
boot -f bootp()192.168.0.1:/path/to/inst/stand/fx.64 --x
change the /path/to to the full path where the copy of the CD are
located
4. start the Irix install.
boot -f bootp()192.168.0.1:/path/to/inst/miniroot/unix.IP30
(IP.30 is for an Octane, change this to match your SGI IP)
4. Now you can follow the standard Irix install procedure.
e.g.: http://www.futuretech.vuurwerk.nl/netboot.html
and http://www.futuretech.vuurwerk.nl/6.5inst.html
Thanks:
to Keith who wrote several message on the comp.sys.sgi newsgroup
regarding this install procedure.
to James Pearson who also wrote some messge about this install.
If you have questions post on the comp.sys.sgi.admin newsgroup.
Greets
Damien
Stroller
>
> Hi All,
>
> After some sleepless night I've finally made it.
> I installed Irix 6.5 without a local CD-ROM, a remote install from a
> Linux server.
>
> It was a bit hard to find info about this so I wrote a small how-to.
Many thanks for posting this! I had a couple of late nights attempting
this before giving up - I got to around step 10 & then got stuck on PAM.
I was considering building a PAMless one-disk LinuxFromScratch to
circumvent this, but that seems trivial now.
Many many thanks for making your efforts public - no-one appears to have
done such a good job before.
Stroller.
RCU
Debian-centric.
http://dbz.icequake.net/share/doc/sgi/irix/linux-irix-network-install.txt
chris
Well done.