Notes on SGI Octane network installation of Irix 6.5.30 using unxmaal's booterizer from the serial console. These notes are to help myself remember all the steps. I make them public in case it helps someone, but they are not meant to cover all cases.
At the serial console prompt enter the Command Prompt mode by entering 5
Running power-on diagnostics...
Starting up the system...
To perform system maintenance instead, press <Esc>
System Maintenance Menu
1) Start System
2) Install System Software
3) Run Diagnostics
4) Recover System
5) Enter Command Monitor
Option?
Press 5 and enter. Set the network info, start the partitioner
setenv netaddr 192.0.2.2
bootp():/6.5.30/Overlay/disc1/stand/fx.64 -x
Then input and output should be as follows:
Setting $netaddr to 192.0.2.2 (from server )
Obtaining /6.5.30/Overlay/disc1/stand/fx.64 from server
2112+112288Setting $netaddr to 192.0.2.2 (from server )
+27757+10880Setting $netaddr to 192.0.2.2 (from server )
entry: 0xa80000005fd3f0f0
SGI Version 6.5 ARCS BE64 Jul 20, 2006
fx: "device-name" = (dksc)
fx: ctlr# = (0)
fx: drive# = (1)
...opening dksc(0,1,0)
...drive selftest...OK
Scsi drive type == SEAGATE ST336706LC 010A
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[exi]t [d]ebug/ [l]abel/
[b]adblock/ [exe]rcise/ [r]epartition/
fx> r
----- partitions-----
part type blocks Megabytes (base+size)
0: xfs 1052672 + 12288000 514 + 6000
1: raw 4096 + 1048576 2 + 512
6: xfs 13340672 + 12288000 6514 + 6000
7: xfs 25628672 + 46058698 12514 + 22490
8: volhdr 0 + 4096 0 + 2
10: volume 0 + 71687370 0 + 35004
capacity is 71687370 blocks
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[ro]otdrive [u]srrootdrive [o]ptiondrive [re]size
fx/repartition> ro
fx/repartition/rootdrive: type of data partition = (xfs)
Warning: you will need to re-install all software and restore user data
from backups after changing the partition layout. Changing partitions
will cause all data on the drive to be lost. Be sure you have the drive
backed up if it contains any user data. Continue? y
----- partitions-----
part type blocks Megabytes (base+size)
0: xfs 266240 + 71421130 130 + 34874
1: raw 4096 + 262144 2 + 128
8: volhdr 0 + 4096 0 + 2
10: volume 0 + 71687370 0 + 35004
capacity is 71687370 blocks
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[ro]otdrive [u]srrootdrive [o]ptiondrive [re]size
fx/repartition> ..
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[exi]t [d]ebug/ [l]abel/
[b]adblock/ [exe]rcise/ [r]epartition/
fx> exe
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[b]utterfly [seq]uential [set]testpat
[e]rrlog [st]op_on_error [sh]owtestpat
[r]andom [m]iscompares [c]omplete
fx/exercise> c
* * * * * W A R N I N G * * * * *
about to destroy data on disk dksc(0,1,0)! ok? y
sequential pass 1: scanning [0, 71687370] (71687370 blocks)
0%..........10%..........20%..........30%..........40%..........50%..........
60%..........70%..........80%..........90%..........100%
butterfly pass 1: scanning [0, 71687370] (71687370 blocks)
0%..........10%..........20%..........30%..........40%..........50%..........
60%..........70%..........80%..........90%..........100%
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[b]utterfly [seq]uential [set]testpat
[e]rrlog [st]op_on_error [sh]owtestpat
[r]andom [m]iscompares [c]omplete
fx/exercise> ..
----- please choose one (? for help, .. to quit this menu)-----
[exi]t [d]ebug/ [l]abel/ [a]uto
[b]adblock/ [exe]rcise/ [r]epartition/
fx> exi
label info has changed for disk dksc(0,1,0). write out changes? (yes)
System Maintenance Menu
1) Start System
2) Install System Software
3) Run Diagnostics
4) Recover System
5) Enter Command Monitor
Option? 2
Installing System Software...
Press <Esc> to return to the menu.
1) Remote Directory X) Local CD-ROM
Enter 1-2 to select source type, <esc> to quit,
or <enter> to start: 1
Enter the name of the remote host: 192.0.2.99
Enter the remote directory: 6.5.30/Overlay/disc1/dist
1)[Remote Directory] X) Local CD-ROM
*a) Remote directory 6.5.30/Overlay/disc1/dist from server 192.0.2.99.
Enter 1-2 to select source type, a to select the source, <esc> to quit,
or <enter> to start:
At this stage, it's possible to get an error like A 000: *** TLB Refill Exception on node 0. This happens when performing an install through the serial console when the console is set to graphical in the nvrom. To fix, setenv console d at the monitor prompt. Don't forget to set it back after the install with setenv console g.
[...]
Invoking software installation.
What is the hostname (system name) of your machine? octane2
What is the network address of octane2? 192.0.2.2
What is the netmask for 192.0.2.2?
Press Enter for the IP class default [0xffffff00]:
Starting network with hostname: octane2, at ip address: 192.0.2.2
Default distribution to install from: 192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/disc1/dist
For help on inst commands, type "help overview".
Inst 4.1 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> admin load 192.0.2.99:selections
Press q a few times to get through all the READMEs. Then
Select the maintenance stream if you simply want to maintain the
current hardware and software functions on your system. The
maintenance stream insures compatibility of new hardware components.
Select the feature stream if you want to upgrade hardware and
software with new features. Occasionally, the feature stream
introduces incompatibilities between old and new hardware components.
To change the stream selection between maintenance and feature,
reset the stream preference to the new setting. In some cases,
resetting the stream preference and installing products from the
new stream requires reinstalling portions of the IRIX operating system.
-------------------------------------------------
1. Place me on the maintenance stream.
2. Place me on the feature stream.
3. Cancel
Please enter a choice [1]: 2
Reading product descriptions .. 100% Done.
WARNING: This software distribution is not meant to install on
the version of IRIX currently running on this machine. Sorry.
This distribution contains overlay products. You may need to specify
additional distributions that contain the base software for these overlays.
If you do not load all the related distributions now, "Conflict" messages
later in the installation will prompt you to load any other necessary CDs.
(See the "overlay" help topic for more information.)
You can enter the name of a different distribution and press "Enter."
Or, enter "done" if you are ready to proceed with the installation now.
1 192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/capps/dist
2 192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/apps/dist
3 192.0.2.99:Development/devlibs/dist
4 192.0.2.99:Development/devfoundations/dist
5 192.0.2.99:Foundation/disc2/dist
6 192.0.2.99:Foundation/disc1/dist
7 192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/disc3/dist
8 192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/disc2/dist
9 192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/disc1/dist
10 done (distribution information read, return to inst prompt)
Install software from: [192.0.2.99:6.5.30/Overlay/capps/dist] done
Importing selections from 192.0.2.99:selections.
Inst> admin source 192.0.2.99:commands
return is not an item on this menu.
type ? or <Enter> to display menu
Inst> No conflicts
And then installation should proceed
To set prom from command line, man nvram