Before
You
Install

Before You Install Checklist

1. Make Sure Your System Can Run 6.5.5
   See the Minimum Requirements page to confirm that 6.5.5 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, by following the CD booklet instructions, you can upgrade directly from 6.2 to 6.5.5.
   
   
2. Check For Important Caveats That Affect Your Installation
   Review the special Caveats to Read Before You Upgrade. These caveats may include key details that significantly affect your installation process. (You want to print the entire page, because it also contains Caveats to Read After You Upgrade. This way, you will not have to look them up after installation.)
   
   Beginning with the IRIX 6.5.4 release, the New_IRIX_Info icon is included in the Desktop Toolchest. When you click on this icon, a web page opens and provides descriptions of the key new features and changes of this IRIX release.
   
   After you install IRIX, users can access the New_IRIX_Info icon from their desktops through the following pulldown menu:
   
   Toolchest -> Find -> Icon Catalog -> WhatsNew
   
   The information displayed is the same Key New Features and Changes information included in this Start Here (see step 6 below).
   
   Note: The IRIX Welcome product is located on the Installation Tools and Overlays CD (1 of 2) in the /dist directory; it is installed by default. The IRIX Welcome product must be installed in order for the New_IRIX_Info icon to be included in the WhatsNew page of the Icon Catalog.
   
   
3. Confirm That The Applications You Rely On Are Supported
   If you rely on any applications that are not bundled with this release, do not upgrade until you can confirm that they are supported on the 6.5 release family and/or until you have access to the 6.5-compatible version of such applications. Check the Software Knowledge Database at the Supportfolio Online site (http://support.sgi.com) to help you with 6.5 compatibility questions.
   
   The best way to confirm application compatibility is to either check the SPK database if you received the application from SGI, or check with the third-party product vendor if you received the application from the product vendor.
   A few examples are given in the Caveats section.
   
   
4. Create A Full System Backup
   If you are upgrading from a pre-6.5 version of IRIX, then 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.x to IRIX 6.5.5?
   Then you only need to install the 6.5.5 CDs, unless you want to switch release streams (in which case you will also need the core 6.5 CDs).
   
   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 6.5.5 CDs (except for the 6.5 Installation Tools CD).
   
   See CD Descriptions.
   
   
6. (Optional) Check For Key Changes In This Upgrade
   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) Request A License Password
   If you need a license password for EnlightenDSM 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 checklist above, return to the relevant installation instructions in the CD Booklet that came with your CDs.

PDF file of installation CD booklet.

Special Installation Instructions for SGI Origin 2000 Systems (formerly known as Cray Origin2000 systems)
There are special installation instructions for SGI Origin 2000 systems. To receive a copy of these instructions, please send a request to techpubs@sgi.com, specifying the kind of system you have and whether you are going to be upgrading to 6.5.5 or installing 6.5.5 onto a clean disk.

Resources

• Supported 3rd-Party Software and Peripherals
  
  
• Release Notes
  
  
• Using Software Manager or Inst
  
  
• Patches
  
  
• Supportfolio Online
  
  
• General Documentation
  
  
• Customer Support
  
  
• Y2K Compliance Status
  
  

Supported 3rd-Party Software and Peripherals

To find out about supported 3rd-party software and peripherals, see the SGI Applications & Solutions Directory (http://www.sgi.com/Products/appsdirectory.html). It is a comprehensive guide to third-party software applications, peripherals, and services for SGI 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 SGI 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

SGI 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. You can download PDF files by clicking on the book's download link.
  
  

• http://www.sgi.com/tech

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

Customer Support

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

Customer Support Center (CSC)

The CSC 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)

Phone Number: 1.800.800.4SGI (4744)

Y2K Compliance Status

For information about the Y2K compliance status of SGI products, see http://www.sgi.com/tech/year2000/.