when Ritsuko times out

1. Get IRIX 6.5 (it’s the best, unless you have low RAM)
2. Copy the files into DINA (VMWare image) using either Samba or NFS (I chose Samba, because the host was running Windows XP and there isn’t a single free NFS client out there for Windows). To copy the stuff over, change the network adapter’s mode from Bridged to some private host-guest network, like Host Only, so you don’t waste time wondering if it’s the network or your computer.
3. DINA already has all the network shit (DHCP, bootp, tftpd, inetd – God I hate that program) configured. To partition the HDD, go into the command monitor:
boot -f bootp()192.168.1.100:(path to stand/fx.64 in IRIX Installation Tools CD)
There are two versions, fx.64 for 64bit SGIs and fx.ARCS for the 32bit ones. If it says execute error, just use the other one. As for the path… the relative path works for me here, but it doesn’t work for me in step 5. Relative to the directory that tftpd is sharing, I mean.
4. It seems that fx formats the partitions for you too, how nice, unlike fdisk. Run
unsetenv netaddr
deBug claims it should make things less messy and error-prone, don’t see why, but hey, it worked, I’m not complaining.
5. Exit the command monitor. Choose install system software, key in DINA’s IP address, press enter, the absolute path to the IRIX Installation Tools CD ‘dist’ folder, and sit back and watch while it works.

Step 4 only works correctly with a UNIX distribution. I swear, I had pulled out half of my hair trying the hacks detailed online to get Linux to work with this shit. It would always freeze (on my Indy R5K) or throw and error (Octane). Overall the worst OS installing experience I’ve ever had. Just save yourself, and install from a BSD Unix server. Once this IRIX installation shit is over with, I’m going to learn all I can about Unix’s little quirks.

The rest you can read here, this really helped me out to no end. In an hour or so, I will have my very own (geeky giggle) IRIX 6.5 installation, my very own SGI!!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAA screenshots coming soon.

OMFG OMFG OMFG OMFG it’s at 41%… at last… after 8 months of fail… this is sublime…

Installed CDs:
6.5 Installation Tools
6.5.22 Overlays CD1-3
6.5 Foundation 1, 2
6.5 ONC3, NFS
6.5 Development Foundation, Libraries
6.5.15 (Feb 2002) Applications (I remember running Netscape Navigator 4.79, wow!)

EDIT: Not so fast, /usr/lib32/libc.so.1 error.

<policedar> do you guys have any experience with this /usr/lib32/libc.so.1 error while installing 6.5 on an Octane?
<griffon> policedar: i did :<
<policedar> griffon: what did you do to fix it?
<griffon> policedar: i was installing uh… i think .15, on an octane 2, and then i got .29 and it just worked :/

Installing 6.5.22.
EDIT2: Ladies and gentlemen, we have just touched down safely in the world of IRIX! Your tour guide will arrive shortly to show you around.