Mailing List Archive

Save for patching the kernel *cough*, just keep rebooting until it reads
it properly. :)

David Cummings wrote:
> Ok, so after far too long, the Origin is booting up. I just finished
> booting an indigo2, so I know my tftp/dhpcd are working fine. Question
> is, how do I tell the O2k what to boot when I can't figure out it's
> mac address? If anyone knows how to find the mac address from the
> PROM(on an origin), or how to work around not having it, I'd really
> appreciate it. Thanks,
> -Dave
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David Cummings wrote:
> Ok, so after far too long, the Origin is booting up. I just finished
> booting an indigo2, so I know my tftp/dhpcd are working fine. Question
> is, how do I tell the O2k what to boot when I can't figure out it's
> mac address? If anyone knows how to find the mac address from the
> PROM(on an origin), or how to work around not having it, I'd really
> appreciate it. Thanks,
> -Dave

Well, the easiest method is to do a bootp() on the box, while doing a tail -f
/var/log/messages on the dhcp server. Not the most elegant, but it works. If you
want to do things the hard way you could always give it an ip at prom, ping it
from another host, then check that machine's arp table.

Of course once you get past that, you're going to run into the problem cgs
described which is a bug in the ioc3 driver where it can't auto determine the
mac address. The easiest way around that currently is to edit the net rc script
and manually set the mac with ifconfig before bringing the interface up.

Hardave

Anyone have any luck running a stable Gentoo for
Indigo2 R10000?

What's in store for Indy with R4400SC and Kernel 2.6?
Anything stable there?

mp


--- Hardave Riar <hardave@gentoo.org> wrote:

> David Cummings wrote:
> > Ok, so after far too long, the Origin is booting
> up. I just finished
> > booting an indigo2, so I know my tftp/dhpcd are
> working fine. Question
> > is, how do I tell the O2k what to boot when I
> can't figure out it's
> > mac address? If anyone knows how to find the mac
> address from the
> > PROM(on an origin), or how to work around not
> having it, I'd really
> > appreciate it. Thanks,
> > -Dave
>
> Well, the easiest method is to do a bootp() on the
> box, while doing a tail -f
> /var/log/messages on the dhcp server. Not the most
> elegant, but it works. If you
> want to do things the hard way you could always give
> it an ip at prom, ping it
> from another host, then check that machine's arp
> table.
>
> Of course once you get past that, you're going to
> run into the problem cgs
> described which is a bug in the ioc3 driver where it
> can't auto determine the
> mac address. The easiest way around that currently
> is to edit the net rc script
> and manually set the mac with ifconfig before
> bringing the interface up.
>
> Hardave
>


Mike Poullas
656 rue Pierre
Laval, Qc., H7X 3T1
(450) 969-4642
E-mail: mikepoullas@yahoo.com
Web Page: http://www.geocities.com/mikepoullas/

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gentoo-mips@gentoo.org mailing list

Mike Poullas wrote:
> Anyone have any luck running a stable Gentoo for
> Indigo2 R10000?

As I've already replied to you before, these machines aren't stable, and
it has nothing to do with Gentoo.

>
> What's in store for Indy with R4400SC and Kernel 2.6?
> Anything stable there?

Again, I already told you r4400 indys work fine. You really should have
at least 128mb of RAM, however.

-Steve
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gentoo-mips@gentoo.org mailing list

cool. thanks.

mp
--- "Stephen P. Becker" <geoman@gentoo.org> wrote:
> Mike Poullas wrote:
> > Anyone have any luck running a stable Gentoo for
> > Indigo2 R10000?
>
> As I've already replied to you before, these
> machines aren't stable, and
> it has nothing to do with Gentoo.
>
> >
> > What's in store for Indy with R4400SC and Kernel
> 2.6?
> > Anything stable there?
>
> Again, I already told you r4400 indys work fine.
> You really should have
> at least 128mb of RAM, however.
>
> -Steve
> --
> gentoo-mips@gentoo.org mailing list
>
>

Mike Poullas
656 rue Pierre
Laval, Qc., H7X 3T1
(450) 969-4642
E-mail: mikepoullas@yahoo.com
Web Page: http://www.geocities.com/mikepoullas/

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Stephen P. Becker wrote:
> Mike Poullas wrote:
>
>>Anyone have any luck running a stable Gentoo for
>>Indigo2 R10000?
>
> As I've already replied to you before, these machines aren't stable, and
> it has nothing to do with Gentoo.

They run, and we support them, but *only* as highly experimental. Meaning
unless you know precisely what you're doing, and understand the various issues
surrounding linux on these systems, then you should steer clear of them.

And the word "Stable" will likely never apply to these systems.


--Kumba

--
"Such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands
do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere." --Elrond
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gentoo-mips@gentoo.org mailing list

What would you saw are the advantages of running
Gentoo versus IRIX 6.5?

mp
--- Kumba <kumba@gentoo.org> wrote:
> Stephen P. Becker wrote:
> > Mike Poullas wrote:
> >
> >>Anyone have any luck running a stable Gentoo for
> >>Indigo2 R10000?
> >
> > As I've already replied to you before, these
> machines aren't stable, and
> > it has nothing to do with Gentoo.
>
> They run, and we support them, but *only* as highly
> experimental. Meaning
> unless you know precisely what you're doing, and
> understand the various issues
> surrounding linux on these systems, then you should
> steer clear of them.
>
> And the word "Stable" will likely never apply to
> these systems.
>
>
> --Kumba
>
> --
> "Such is oft the course of deeds that move the
> wheels of the world: small hands
> do them because they must, while the eyes of the
> great are elsewhere." --Elrond
> --
> gentoo-mips@gentoo.org mailing list
>
>

Mike Poullas
656 rue Pierre
Laval, Qc., H7X 3T1
(450) 969-4642
E-mail: mikepoullas@yahoo.com
Web Page: http://www.geocities.com/mikepoullas/

______________________________________________________________________
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gentoo-mips@gentoo.org mailing list

Mike Poullas top-posted:
> What would you saw are the advantages of running
> Gentoo versus IRIX 6.5?
>
> mp

(1) it's free...in both senses of the word... IRIX is not
(2) familiarity... not many people know IRIX as well as Linux
(3) portage... although nothing stops people from porting that to IRIX
(4) a talking point. Not may people run Linux on non-IBM PC hardware.
--
____ _ Stuart Longland (a.k.a Redhatter)
/ \ ___ ___ __| |__ __ __ Gentoo Linux/MIPS Cobalt and Docs
- ( ) \ / \ ; \(__ __)/ \ / \ Developer
\ // O _| / /\ \ | | | /\ | /\ |
/ / \ /__| / \ \ | | | \/ | \/ |
(___/ \____/|_; |_| \_/ \__/ \__/ http://dev.gentoo.org/~redhatter

Well,

The only technical reason I see listed below if for
portage which is amazing (I used it on an x86 system)

And I certainly agree that I love using NON x86
systems. My R10000 ROCKS!

Is there any difference in speed when running Gentoo
versus IRIX on an Indy. An by the way, my 3 Indy's all
have 256M RAM.

mp

--- Stuart Longland <redhatter@gentoo.org> wrote:

> Mike Poullas top-posted:
> > What would you saw are the advantages of running
> > Gentoo versus IRIX 6.5?
> >
> > mp
>
> (1) it's free...in both senses of the word... IRIX
> is not
> (2) familiarity... not many people know IRIX as well
> as Linux
> (3) portage... although nothing stops people from
> porting that to IRIX
> (4) a talking point. Not may people run Linux on
> non-IBM PC hardware.
> --
> ____ _ Stuart
> Longland (a.k.a Redhatter)
> / \ ___ ___ __| |__ __ __ Gentoo
> Linux/MIPS Cobalt and Docs
> - ( ) \ / \ ; \(__ __)/ \ / \
> Developer
> \ // O _| / /\ \ | | | /\ | /\ |
> / / \ /__| / \ \ | | | \/ | \/ |
> (___/ \____/|_; |_| \_/ \__/ \__/
> http://dev.gentoo.org/~redhatter
>


Mike Poullas
656 rue Pierre
Laval, Qc., H7X 3T1
(450) 969-4642
E-mail: mikepoullas@yahoo.com
Web Page: http://www.geocities.com/mikepoullas/

______________________________________________________________________
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Mike Poullas wrote:
> What would you saw are the advantages of running
> Gentoo versus IRIX 6.5?
>

There really isn't much comparison at this point in time (with respect
to your indigo2). If you want your machine to be stable, fast, and have
a graphical user interface, you don't mind proprietary software, and you
have install media for it, use IRIX. If you only want to tinker, you
are ok with serial console as the only means of accessing the box
locally (in other words, no support for the video board in them), you
don't mind your box crashing every day or two (at a minimum), and you
don't want to use the machine for much of anything, you might give linux
a try.

Now with respect to your indy, assuming it has newport (otherwise known
as XL) graphics, linux will give you a graphics console, and you can run
X on it. Sound also works, and indys make very nice mp3 players. I use
my indy to play mp3's on my big stereo via the lineout jack. Also,
linux is very stable on these machines (if you can say that about linux
on any sgi machine...). However, the disk throughput on an indy is
*extremely* bad in linux. It maxes around 2.5mb/sec if you are lucky.

In general, IRIX will always be faster than linux on the same hardware,
seeing as SGI obviously had all the exact technical specs of the
hardware when they wrote IRIX. You will also have working opengl, which
is totally non-existant in linux on an indy at this point in time.

-Steve
--
gentoo-mips@gentoo.org mailing list

Steve,

Thanks for your reply. This is what I was looking for.

mp

--- "Stephen P. Becker" <geoman@gentoo.org> wrote:
> Mike Poullas wrote:
> > What would you saw are the advantages of running
> > Gentoo versus IRIX 6.5?
> >
>
> There really isn't much comparison at this point in
> time (with respect
> to your indigo2). If you want your machine to be
> stable, fast, and have
> a graphical user interface, you don't mind
> proprietary software, and you
> have install media for it, use IRIX. If you only
> want to tinker, you
> are ok with serial console as the only means of
> accessing the box
> locally (in other words, no support for the video
> board in them), you
> don't mind your box crashing every day or two (at a
> minimum), and you
> don't want to use the machine for much of anything,
> you might give linux
> a try.
>
> Now with respect to your indy, assuming it has
> newport (otherwise known
> as XL) graphics, linux will give you a graphics
> console, and you can run
> X on it. Sound also works, and indys make very nice
> mp3 players. I use
> my indy to play mp3's on my big stereo via the
> lineout jack. Also,
> linux is very stable on these machines (if you can
> say that about linux
> on any sgi machine...). However, the disk
> throughput on an indy is
> *extremely* bad in linux. It maxes around 2.5mb/sec
> if you are lucky.
>
> In general, IRIX will always be faster than linux on
> the same hardware,
> seeing as SGI obviously had all the exact technical
> specs of the
> hardware when they wrote IRIX. You will also have
> working opengl, which
> is totally non-existant in linux on an indy at this
> point in time.
>
> -Steve
> --
> gentoo-mips@gentoo.org mailing list
>
>

Mike Poullas
656 rue Pierre
Laval, Qc., H7X 3T1
(450) 969-4642
E-mail: mikepoullas@yahoo.com
Web Page: http://www.geocities.com/mikepoullas/

______________________________________________________________________
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
--
gentoo-mips@gentoo.org mailing list

Mike Poullas top-posted (for the second time):

> Is there any difference in speed when running Gentoo
> versus IRIX on an Indy. An by the way, my 3 Indy's all
> have 256M RAM.

Well... the SGI WD33C93 SCSI driver in Linux isn't as efficient as it
could be... so at best, you can usually only expect up to about 3MB/sec
transfer rates from the local disk... and that's on a good day. IRIX
has a significant edge there for obvious reasons.

I spose, one plus in IRIX's favour is that all SGI hardware is
supported... which isn't the case in Linux. VINO for instance, barely
works in Linux... and the WD33C95A SCSI controller present in Challenge
S machines, does not work at all. (And is unlikely to ever work --
apparently it's one nasty beast to work with)

IRIX 6.5 also is fully 64-bit... using mostly n32 binaries (32-bit
binary with some 64-bit extensions), and a few o32 (pure 32-bit) and n64
(pure 64-bit) thrown in where appropriate. Linux on an Indy generally
uses a 32-bit kernel and o32 binaries unless you specifically compile it
as 64-bit.

Linux can run a 64-bit kernel (and does by default on the Indigo2
Impact, Octane Origin and O2 systems), and, depending on the system,
will run quite stable. 64-bit Userland support in Linux though,
however, is very touch and go. n32 works... but only just. I wouldn't
recommend it for production use... and n64 is totally untested in Gentoo.

So IRIX theoretically should be faster than Linux... but these days...
if you were interested in speed, you wouldn't be using an Indy anyways. ;-)
--
____ _ Stuart Longland (a.k.a Redhatter)
/ \ ___ ___ __| |__ __ __ Gentoo Linux/MIPS Cobalt and Docs
- ( ) \ / \ ; \(__ __)/ \ / \ Developer
\ // O _| / /\ \ | | | /\ | /\ |
/ / \ /__| / \ \ | | | \/ | \/ |
(___/ \____/|_; |_| \_/ \__/ \__/ http://dev.gentoo.org/~redhatter