On Mon, 1 May 2000, Randy Carpenter wrote:
> Just a friendly rebuttal from an 8-year SGI sysadmin vet...
>
> On Sun, 30 Apr 2000, Jim Kinney wrote:
>
> > Having inherited the sysadmin job for a bunch of SGI, let me tell you a
> > few caveats:
> >
> > SGI's are expensive to own both hardware, softwear and admin time.
>
> Expensive hardware, yes.
> Expensive software, yes.
> Expensive admin time, not really any worse than other Unices.
Geez, you got 7.6 years SGI admin on me. I've got ~5 on Linux so the curve
is not horrid.
>
> > Much of my Linux knowledge was very usefule (bind is bind, sendmail is
> > sendmail, etc.) but the locations of the files are different.
>
> Generally, IRIX is very good about putting files in logical locations.
> There are certainly exceptions (as is true with lots of Unices).
>
> > SGI relies heavily on the gui admin tools.
>
> Not true, the GUI admin tools are provided for novices.
> You can live a happy sysadmin life and never touch them.
True, but the instructions reference the GUI and not the plain file. On a
recent installation of a new O2 system, the Netscape setup program crashed
during the network configuration stage. that was an unpleasant fixing
process.
>
> > The good news is they are quite complete
> > for the basic stuff. The bad news, the busted stuff is real hard to work
> > around when the manuals don't tell you which files are the ones you need
> > to hand edit.
>
> We're running >100 IRIX 6.5 systems...very stable...only minor problems.
> The books, man pages, release notes are online and searchable and quite
> thorough:
>
> http://techpubs.sgi.com/
>
> > Since you are running Irix 6.2, you are probably going to have some
> > security problem.
>
> Any neglected Unix system is going to have security problems.
> SGI makes their security patches available at:
>
> http://www.sgi.com/support/security/index.html
>
> In addition, SGI provides free stability patch sets. Here's the one for
> an R5K Indy running IRIX 6.2:
>
> http://support.sgi.com/colls/patches/docs/patchset/6.2_indigo.rps.html
>
> > Plus, SGI won't support 6.2 for Y2K issues. They claim
> > it is not compliant.
>
> Not true, IRIX 6.2 w/the current patch set is Y2K compliant. We're running a
> handful here and have had no problems. Read SGI's Y2K statement about IRIX
> 6.2:
>
So there may be hope for that Personal Iris thats taking up space in my
office. Love the screen (21"). Hard drive burned up. Oooolllddd 768M scsi.
It's about 4" thick and 5 1/4" wide.
>
http://www.sgi.com/tech/year2000/o_s.html >
> > So, upgrade to 6.5.x ASAP. Current patch level is 6.5.7.
>
> IRIX 6.5 will cost you $300. IRIX 6.5 maintenance patches are free. IRIX
> 6.5 feature patches require a support contract. An R5K Indy wouldn't require
> the feature patches.
>
> IMHO, SGI should make IRIX and compilers free. It would give a shot in the
> arm for IRIX 3rd Party software development and result in increased hardware
> and software revenue while they transition to Linux.
>
Excellent Idea!!
> Randy
>
>
>
>
>
> > Irix is a flavor of unix. I sortof view SGI as being the MacIntosh of the
> > Unix world. It's a kick-butt machine which used mainly by people who have
> > lots of technical-artistic abilities. They definately specialize in
> > graphics production.
> >
> > Some sites to look at:
> >
> > http://techpubs.sgi.com <- online techsupport with searchable database
> > http://freeware.sgi.com <- Has lots of GNU software, gnome, KDE etc.
> >
> > note: loading gcc/egcs onto a 6.5.x SGI currently seems to have path
> > problems for header files.
> >
> > Good luck. You'll need it.
> >
> > JimK
> >
> > On Thu, 27 Apr 2000, DOUG S KENLINE wrote:
> >
> >> well as luck would have it i have just aquired a spankin' new sgi indy r5000....
> >>
> >> so just as quickly as i have joined this linux discussion list i may need to leave it for a unix sgi indy r5000 discussion group unless this group also discusses whatever it is i need to learn to now utilize my new aquistion....
> >>
> >> i guess my operating system now is IRIX release 6.2 copyright by silicon graphics.....
> >>
> >> my guess is that this is some flavor of Unix...
> >>
> >> i mainly want to have a secondary backup system for email and web browsing should my windows machine crash and i would like to experiment with some other operating system....
> >>
> >> so how does IRIX compare to Linux.....?
> >>
> >> is IRIX Unix?
> >>
> >> what have i got my hands on here?
> >>
> >> any help would be greatly appreciated.
> >>
> >> thank you very much.
> >>
> >> doug kenline
> >> marietta, georgia
> >
> > --
> > To unsubscribe: mail ">majordomo@ale.org with "unsubscribe ale" in message body.
>
> ___________________________________________________________________________
> Randy Carpenter http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~randy
> Georgia Institute of Technology ">randy@cc.gatech.edu
> College of Computing (404) 894-9046
> Computing and Networking Services Group http://www.cc.gatech.edu/cns
>
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