Use the following instructions¹⁾ to set up your FreeBSD system to boot up the SGI workstation and load the miniroot. Unfortunately, the Sun was no able to provide support for serving the boot image. Originally, the Sun didn’t have a tftpd program capable of greater than 16MB boot images. Also, bootpd doesn’t seem to provide the SGI with boot information. So I gave up on the Sun.

Enable FreeBSD’s bootp and tftpd programs served by inetd:

1. Edit /etc/inetd.conf
2. Uncomment out the line beginning with bootps.
3. Uncomment out the line beginning with tftp.
4. Change the tftp line to use root instead of nobody (so change root works).
5. Change the end of the line for tftp to invoke the command: tftp -s /tftpboot
6. Restart inetd: killall -HUP inetd

Copy the SGI booting software to the FreeBSD system’s tftp directory:

1. Create the installation directories: mkdir -p /tftpboot/dist/miniroot
2. Change directory: cd /tftpboot/dist
3. Copy the standalone boot program: cp /path-to-irix-media/6.5.xx/f/sa .
4. Change directory: cd miniroot
5. Copy the various miniroots: cp /path-to-irix-media/6.5.xx/f/miniroot/* .

If you will need to initialize a new SGI disk, you’ll need to also include the standalone utilities:

1. Create the installation directories: mkdir /tftpboot/stand
2. Change directory: cd /tftpboot/stand
3. Copy the standalone boot programs: cp /path-to-irix-media/6.5/inst/stand/* .

Create a record for the SGI in configuration file for bootp:

1. Edit or create /etc/bootptab
2. Start the SGI workstation.
3. Press Stop for Maintenance button when it appears.
4. Press Enter Command Monitor.
5. Type the command printenv.
6. Record the value for the variable eaddr
7. Set the IP address by typing the command: setenv ipaddr xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
8. Type exit to leave monitor.
9. Add a record into the FreeBSD system that looks something like this:

machine-name:\ 
      :ht=ether:\ 
      :ha=080069xxxxxx:\ 
      :sm=255.255.255.0:\ 
      :gw=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:\ 
      :hn:\ 
      :ip=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:\ 
      :vm=rfc1048: 

If you need to initialize a new disk, boot the standalone disk utility:

- Press Enter Command Monitor.

1. Type boot -f bootp()your.tftp-server.net:/stand/fx.ARCS –x to load and execute the disk utility program.
2. Initialize the disk by following the instructions on the screen.

Begin booting the SGI over the network:

1. Click on Install System Software.
2. Click on Remote Directory.
3. Type your.tftp-server.net and click Accept.
4. Type /dist and click Accept.
5. Click on Install.
6. If asked, type r to reload the miniroot.
7. Type machine-name.with-domain.net to name the workstation.
8. Type xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx to set the IP address.
9. Type 0xffffff00 to set the netmask.

Installation will be done from this point on using remote shell calls from the SGI to your account on the Sun. Set up your account to allow access and make a shortcut to the software packages.

1. Create a .rhosts file in your home directory and enter: machine-name.your-domain.net root
2. Then set the mode of .rhosts with: chmod 400 .rhosts
3. Create a link to the installation software with: ln -s /path-to-irix-media/6.5 irix

Clear the entire contents of IRIX from the hard disk. Skip this part if the disk was initialized from above, or if it doesn’t contain an existing IRIX installation.

Make a new filesystem:

1. Type admin to go into administration mode.
2. Type umount /root to unmount the current hard disk.
3. Type mkfs to make a new root filesystem.
4. Type y to confirm new root filesystem.
5. Type yes to confirm again.
6. Type return to return to installation menu.

Select installation media:

- Type from guest@your.tftp-server.net:/path-to-irix-media/6.5/inst/dist to load the first CDROM inventory.

1. Enter xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx at the IP address prompt.
2. Press SPACE a couple of times to dismiss the installation messages.
3. Type 2 to ignore the installation script.

Continue to load the following distributions:

1. Type guest@your.tftp-server.net:/path-to-irix-media/6.5/foundation1/dist
2. Type guest@your.tftp-server.net:/path-to-irix-media/6.5/foundation2/dist
3. Type guest@your.tftp-server.net:/path-to-irix-media/6.5/apps/dist
4. Type guest@your.tftp-server.net:/path-to-irix-media/ocn-nfs/dist/dist6.5
5. Type guest@your.tftp-server.net:/path-to-irix-media/6.5/developer-foundation

Load the 6.5.6 features release upgrade:

1. Type guest@your.tftp-server.net:/path-to-irix-media/6.5.xx/f
2. Press SPACE a couple of times to dismiss the installation messages.
3. Type 2 to put upgrade on features release branch of the upgrade.
4. Type done at the Install software from prompt.

Remove Appletalk and fix conflict:

1. Type remove appletalk.*
2. Type conflict 1a

Start loading the system with package files:

1. Type go to start the installation.
2. Wait for software to load.
3. Type quit to initialize the installation.
4. Type yes to complete the installation and reboot into standalone mode.

Use the command fx -x to modify the partition table of a hard disk. Changing the size of the swap partition is an example where this would be useful.

Use nsadmin restart if the password file is out of sync with the password database.