Configuring IRIX 6.4 Machines (paris - 23-Jul-997)

Here's what I had to go through to set up the new SGI Octanes.  Don't use the older SGI setup page, it won't work and it is too much extra trouble.

1. Wiring the machine is easy.  Little things to note, the network connectors are different you have to use copper (you'll be given that once you request an IP-address).  You plug in the CD-ROM drive and make sure that you use the SCSI terminator.  Also the SCSI ID shouldn't be 1 (that's the internal disk).

2. Log in as root.

3. From the toolchest menu select 'System Manager' from 'System'.  This is a neat application that does most of the system management for you.  Configuration is self explanatory.  Here is what I did:

i. Go to 'Improve System Security' and set the password for the root account.  Also lock the remaining accounts.

ii. Go to user manager and delete useless accounts, such as demos, outOfTheBox, EZsetup etc.

iii. Select 'Set Up and Start Networking'.   Type in the name of the machine, the IP address and the netmask.  You also need to go to a file called /etc/config/static-route.options and add:

$ROUTE $QUIET add default <your-gateway-IP-address>

Then make /etc/resolv.conf and type in:

domain media.mit.edu
nameserver 18.85.13.74
nameserver 18.85.2.138
nameserver 18.85.2.171

Reboot. Rebooting should be smooth and pretty fast, you shouls also be able to ping other machines and telnet and other network stuff ...

iv. NIS and NFS are next.  Since IRIX is not very UNIXy it doesn't include NIS and NFS and you have to get their CD-ROM from NecSys.  Installing them is trivial (insert the CD-ROM, double click on the desktop icon once an arrow appears on top of it and select 'Start'). Pray. Reboot.

v.  You now go back to system manager and select 'Set Up and Start NIS' from 'Network and Connectivity'.  The following information is on how to sign on the Lab-wide NIS setup.  For the domain name use necsys-yp.media.mit.edu , Host resolution is NIS, BIND, Local.  You also need to tweak a file called /etc/config/ypbind.options which has to contain

-ypsetme syspro.media.mit.edu

Also add a line containing +: at the end of /etc/passwd file

vi.  Now for NFS.  Click on 'Set Up and Start NFS' and select Automount.  Select 'Mount a Network Filesystem' from the next section.  Type is NFS, duration is permanent, the remote workstation is hub.media.mit.edu and the filesystem is /mas the mount point is /mas , permissions are Read Only.  Then go to: /mas/etc/rc/ and run the INSTALL.SH script.  Reboot.

4. Group specific things to do are:

i. Make / level links to local disks. You don't really need them and I'd rather see the / dir clean but I'm sure you have lots of links to /ti/something ... and so on. In general try to make all links to point at /mas/bvg/<disk>/<blahblah> , that way when you log-in on a computer outside of the group you can still use them. A link that you better make is /u pointing to /mas/bvg/ti/u/ that is because the lab-wide NIS has /u/<username> as the standard directory to log in.

ii. Set up /usr/local/ . Add the following line to /etc/fstab :

cga:/bvg/re/local/iris /usr/local nfs bg,rw,soft 0 0

iii. Copy over the /etc/sudoers file from another SGI. Remove old entries and update if the file is too old.

5.  Install extras, get the patches CD-ROM from me and install the patches.  Get the Development option and the C++ compiler from NecSys and install them too.  From the OS CD-ROM install the C headers.  I keep the freeware CD for extra GNU stuff.

6. The machtype is iris64.  For now the bin tree is the same as for older SGIs.  Many applications do not work.  Use /ti/u/paris/Attic/bin/iris64 to get started.

7. Steal a keyboard from another machine since the new SGI keyboards are really bad.

8. Reboot once more, it doesn't hurt, and go buy yourself a beer for finishing.