Before
You
Install

Preparation Checklist

1. Make Sure Your System Can Run 6.5.2
   See the Minimum Requirements page to confirm that 6.5.2 is supported on your system.
   
   Because 6.5.x (meaning 6.5.1, 6.5.2, etc.) releases are cumulative, you do not need to upgrade to the previous 6.5.x release in order to upgrade to a new one.
   
   Similarly, if you are running a pre-6.5 version of IRIX you can install the 6.5 and 6.5.x software at the same time. For example, if you are running 6.2, and want to upgrade to 6.5.3, you do not need to upgrade to 6.5, then 6.5.1, then 6.5.2, before you upgrade to 6.5.3. Instead, by following the CD booklet instructions, you can upgrade directly from 6.2 to 6.5.3.
   
   
2. Check for Important Caveats That Affect Your Installation
   Review the special Caveats to Read Before Upgrading. These caveats may include key details that affect your installation process. (You want to print the entire page, because it also contains Caveats to Read After Upgrading. This way, you will not have to look them up after installation.)
   
   
3. Confirm that the Applications you Rely on are Supported
   If you rely on any applications that are not bundled with IRIX 6.5, do not upgrade to 6.5 until you can confirm that they are supported on 6.5 and/or until you have access to the 6.5-compatible version of such applications. A few examples are given in the caveats section. The Supportfolio Online site (http://support.sgi.com) can help you determine 6.5 compatibility information. You can also check the Silicon Graphics Applications & Solutions Directory (http://www.sgi.com/Products/appsdirectory.html) for compatibility information on specific third-party applications. In addition, you can ask your local Silicon Graphics sales representative.
   
   
4. Create a Full System Backup
   Create a full system backup before upgrading to a new operating system. If, for any reason, you need to return to a previous operating system after the upgrade, you can use a full system back up tape or filesystem to do so. Instructions for backing up and restoring workstations can be found in the online Personal System Administration Guide. For servers, use the Backup(1) and Restore(1) commands; refer to the online book IRIX Admin: Backup, Security, and Accounting for details. If you don't know where to find these books, see the General Documentation section.
   
   
5. (Optional) Read about the CDs You Will Use
   Are you upgrading from IRIX 6.5 or 6.5.1 to IRIX 6.5.2?
   Then you only need to install the 6.5.2 CDs, unless you want to switch release streams. To switch release streams, see "Switching Release Streams" in the "Understanding Release Streams" section of the Installation Instructions CD booklet.
   Are you upgrading a system running a pre-6.5 version of IRIX, or installing onto a clean disk?
   If so, you need to install both the 6.5 and 6.5.2 CDs (except for the 6.5 Installation Tools CD).
   See CD Descriptions.
   
   
6. (Optional) To find out about key changes in this upgrade, check the Key New Features and Changes list. For specific details about changes in each individual software product, see the product release notes.
   
   
7. (Optional) If you need a license password for ENlighten or any of the optional applications that require a license password, you can refer to the License Information Guide site (http://www.sgi.com/Support/Licensing/license_info_guide.html) for details.

To Install

After you have gone through the Preparation Checklist above, return to the relevant installation instructions in the CD Booklet that came with your CDs.

PDF file of installation booklet.

Special Installation Instructions for CRAY Origin2000 Systems
There are special installation instructions for CRAY Origin2000 systems. To receive a copy of these instructions, please send a request to techpubs@sgi.com, specifying what kind of system you have and whether you are going to be upgrading to 6.5.2 or installing 6.5.2 onto a clean disk.

Resources

• Supported 3rd-Party Software and Peripherals
  
  
• Release Notes
  
  
• Using Software Manager or Inst
  
  
• Patches
  
  
• Supportfolio Online
  
  
• General Documentation
  
  
• Customer Service

Supported 3rd-Party Software and Peripherals

To find out about supported 3rd-party software and peripherals, see the Silicon Graphics Applications & Solutions Directory (http://www.sgi.com/Products/appsdirectory.html). It is a comprehensive guide to third-party software applications, peripherals, and services for Silicon Graphics workstations and servers. Over 3100 products are included in this web edition of the directory.

Release Notes

You can access release notes for each software product in a few different ways, including:

• Before installation, you can use the Base Documentation CD.
• On systems running 6.3 or later, you can use Software Manager to read the release notes by selecting the product name from the distribution list and choosing Selected > Release Notes... .
• After installation, choose Release Notes from the Toolchest Help menu.

Check for Caveat and Release Note Updates, which contain late-breaking information, at http://support.sgi.com/6.5/

On Using Software Manager or Inst

Inst is the program used to install the IRIX operating system. Software Manager is a graphical version of Inst. Instructions for installing/upgrading software with these programs are in the Installation Instructions CD Booklet, but here is how to obtain more details:

• For more information on using Inst, you have a few options:
  • See the online book, IRIX Admin: Software Installation and Licensing (choose Help > Online Books from the Toolchest, or use the Base Documentation CD).
  • Use the help provided in Inst by entering help help at the Inst prompt.
  • See the inst(1M) man page.
    
    
• For more details on using Software Manager, use the Software Manager Help menu.

   

Patches

Information about acquiring software patches can be found at the Silicon Graphics Services and Support Patches page (http://www.sgi.com/support/patch_intro.html).

Supportfolio Online

Supportfolio Online (http://support.sgi.com) offers you the ability to access and download the latest patches, find technical information and open support cases all with an easy-to-use Web interface. You can also sign up for our email notification service to automatically receive updates on new support information and features. Anyone is welcome to become a Supportfolio Online member. To take full advantage of all the features, you must have a support contract with a software component.

General Documentation

Installed | Printed | On the Web

Installed

Silicon Graphics documentation is installed by default. Most applications have a Help menu or Help button. You can also use the Help menu on the Toolchest.

Some things you will find under Toolchest > Help:

• InfoSearch: "One-stop shopping" and searching for virtually all installed documentation, including online books, Man pages and Release Notes. (To launch InfoSearch from the command line, enter infosearch in a shell.)
• Quick Answers: Quick answers to common questions related to the tasks and tools that are a part of your system's end user software environment, including personal system administration tasks. Includes search capability.
• Hints and Shortcuts: A visual overview of hints and shortcuts for the IRIX Interactive Desktop.
• Online Books: A searchable library of online books.

Note: You can also access online documentation before (and after) installation, by using the Base Documentation CD.

Printed

Each system comes with an Owner's Guide. Hardware boards and peripherals also come with printed documentation. In addition, some hardware documentation is shipped online, and most hardware documentation can also be found on the Technical Publications Library Web site (listed below).

On the Web

Another place to find general documentation is on the Web:

• http://techpubs.sgi.com

  The IRIX 6.5 bookshelf on the Technical Publications Library Web site allows you to access all IRIX 6.5 books on the Web. It includes hardware books as well. Downloadable PDF and PostScript files are also provided on the Summary page of most books.
  
  

• http://www.sgi.com/tech

  Tech Focus provides easy access to FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), Newsgroups and much more.
   

Customer Service

Complete information about Customer Service, including Worldwide Support Sites, can be found at http://www.sgi.com/support/.

Technical Assistance Center (TAC)

The TAC is for:

• Hardware and Software telephone technical assistance
• Opening a service call or checking the status of an existing call
• Requests for on-site assistance or replacement parts
• Ordering spare parts
• Registering or obtaining information about our Customer Education courses
• Referral to your local service office for information about our support programs

(Please note that service will be provided in accordance with your system's current level of support. Service varies by warranty coverage and support program)