IRIX 6.2 Documentation
IRIX 6.2 is an upwardly compatible revision of IRIX 5
and IRIX 6. This is the first release that merges the
5.3 (32-bit) and 6.1 (64-bit) releases of software
across our product line. This bundles an important
new file system (XFS), while providing a number of
improved kernel threads and greater graphics/kernel
modularity speeding user requests and limiting
system bottlenecks. IRIX 6.2 incorporates IRIX 5.3
features not previously avialable in IRIX 6. IRIX
6.2 incorporates substantial functionality from
UNIX System V, Releases 4.1 and 4.2 (SVR4).
The following documents are included herein:
- Preparing for IRIX 6.2 & 64-bit, A Nutshell view and series of pointers
- IRIX 6.2 for System and Network Administrators, Pipeline, May/June, 1996
- IRIX 6.2 README FIRST
- IRIX 6.2 Instructions for Customers Updating From Earlier IRIX Releases
- IRIX 6.2 Datasheet, June 18, 1996
- IRIX 6.2 Technical Specifications, January 10, 1996
- Introduction to RogueWave Tools.h++ Libraries for Irix 6.2
- IRIX 6.2 64-Bit Architecture and Standards
Technical Report, April 16, 1996
- IRIX 6.2 New Features List
- N32 Welcome to MIPSpro N32 ABI overview
- MIPSpro(TM) N32 ABI
Handbook
- MIPSpro 64-Bit Porting and Transition Guide
- IRIX 6.2 Device Driver Programming Guide
- Programming on Silicon Graphics Systems: An
Overview
- Topics in IRIX Programming
- SGITCL Programmer's Guide
- Documentation Catalog for IRIX 6.2
- Preparing to Upgrade to IRIX 6.2
- The Coff Story -- End of Coff Support
- IRIX 6.2 Execution/Compilation Table
- 6.2 IRIX Admin Manual Set
Preparing for IRIX 6.2 & 64-bit, A Nutshell view and series of pointers
IRIX 6.2 for System and Network Administrators, Pipeline, May/June, 1996
This article discusses topics of interest to a system or
network administrator, or anyone that is responsible for
maintaining an IRIS system.
This article contains several items that system and network
administrators should be aware of before upgrading to IRIX
6.2. It is strongly suggested that this article be read
before upgrading to IRIX 6.2.
IRIX 6.2 README FIRST -- Before upgrading to IRIX 6.2 please read this information
IRIX 6.2 Instructions for Customers Updating From Earlier IRIX Releases
This was something sent out to all people with an SGI support
contract. 3 pages, it discusses,
- Installation Conflicts
- References to IRIX 5.3, eoe1, and eoe2
- IRIX 6.2 Supported Systems
- References to "Beta" Software
- XPG4
- NetLS-Based Licenses
- Incorrect Release Numbers
- Missing Release Notes
- Infinite Reality
IRIX 6.2 Datasheet, June 18, 1996
IRIX 6.2 Technical Specifications,
January 10, 1996
Introduction to RogueWave Tools.h++ Libraries for Irix 6.2
This article shows how to get started with the Tools.h++ collection
and utility classes available in the Irix 6.2 compiler configuration,
including the ANSI Class library support via Tools.h++.
IRIX 6.2 64-Bit Architecture and Standards
Technical Report, April 22, 1996
IRIX 6.2 New Features List document, March, 1996
Welcome to MIPSpro N32 ABI overview
MIPSpro(TM) N32 ABI Handbook, March, 1996
- HTML format
- PostScript:
complete book as single file:
each chapter/section as a separate file:
This book describes the N32 High Performance 32-bit
Application Binary Interface (ABI) for the MIPS architecture.
Topics include:
- Chapter 1, "N32 ABI Overview"
- "What is N32?," which describes the n32 ABI and compares it with
the other MIPS ABIs.
- "Why We Need a New ABI," which lists the reasons why we need a new ABI.
- "N32 Migration Requirements," which describes what is required of
both SGI and its customers to use the n32 ABI.
- Chapter 2, "Calling Convention Implementations"
- Chapter 3, "N32 Compatibility, Porting, and Assembly Language
Programming Issues"
- Chapter 4, "N32 Examples and Case Studies"
This document uses the following terminology:
o32 --
The current 32-bit ABI generated by the ucode compiler,
that is, 32-bit compilers prior to IRIX 6.1 operating system.
n32 --
The new 32-bit ABI generated by the MIPSpro 64-bit compiler.
n64 --
The new 64-bit ABI generated by the MIPSpro 64-bit compiler.
MIPSpro 64-Bit Porting and
Transition Guide, March 1996
This document describes porting and transitioning to the MIPSpro
32-bit, 64-bit and high performance 32-bit (N32) compilers, and how
to employ them with IRIX 6.2, as well as providing techniques for
tuning the performance of your R8000 applications.
IRIX 6.2 Device Driver Programming Guide, March 1996
This guide describes the ways in which hardware
devices are integrated into and controlled from a
Silicon Graphics computer system running the IRIX
operating system version 6.2 and above.
Three general classes of device-control software exist
in an IRIX system: process-level drivers,
kernel-level drivers, and STREAMS drivers.
- A process-level driver executes as part of a
user-initiated process. Examples include the use
of programmed I/O (PIO) to the VME bus, and
control of external interrupts in a Challenge
system.
- A kernel-level driver is loaded as part of the
IRIX kernel and executes in the kernel address space,
controlling one device in response to calls to its
read, write, and ioctl (control) entry points.
- A STREAMS driver is dynamically loaded into the
kernel address space to monitor or modify a stream of
data passing between a device and a user process.
All three classes are discussed in this guide, although
the greatest amount of attention is given to kernel-level
drivers.
Note: This edition applies only to IRIX 6.2 and
later. If you are working with an earlier release
(4.x, 5.2, 5.3, 6.0.x, or 6.1), you should use the
version of this manual
appropriate to that release.
Programming on Silicon Graphics Systems: An Overview, March 1996
If your goal is to write application programs that run on Silicon
Graphics computers, and if you know quite a bit about UNIX but
not much about the IRIX operating system, this book is for
you. It doesn't tell you everything you need to know to write
your IRIX application, but it does give you an overview of IRIX
and the tools and libraries it provides, and it tells you where
to go to learn more.
The IRIX operating system is Silicon Graphics' implementation of
the UNIX operating system. All application programs written for
Silicon Graphics platforms run in the IRIX environment. Writing an
application with a graphical user interface that runs
on Silicon Graphics platforms requires the IRIX
operating system, a compiler for your source code,
tools to build your user interface, tools to debug and
tune your program, and typically one or more
application libraries. This guide describes the
software Silicon Graphics provides to perform these
tasks.
What You Should Know Before Reading This Guide
This guide assumes that readers are experienced
programmers who are familiar with a UNIX
programming environment, but not necessarily
familiar with IRIX. An understanding of
object-oriented programming is helpful when
reading parts of this book.
Topics in IRIX Programming, March 1996
This manual discusses several topics of interest to programmers
writing applications for the IRIX operating system on Silicon
Graphics computers, including memory management, interprocess
communication, models of parallel computation, file and record
locking, font access, and internationalization.
This manual contains the following chapters:
- Chapter 1, "Process Address Space,"
tells how the virtual address space is created
and how objects are mapped into it.
- Chapter 2, "Interprocess Communication,"
describes System V and IRIX interprocess communication mechanisms.
- Chapter 3, "Models of Parallel Computation,"
gives an overview of the different ways you can
specify parallel execution in Silicon Graphics systems.
- Chapter 4, "File and Record Locking,"
describes how to lock and unlock files and parts
of files from within a program.
- Chapter 5, "Working With Fonts,"
discusses typography and font use on Silicon Graphics
computers, and describes the Font Manager library.
- Chapter 6, "Internationalizing Your Application,"
explains how to create an application that can be
adapted for use in different countries.
- Appendix A, "ISO 3166 Country Names and Abbreviations,"
lists country codes for use with internationalization and localization.
- Appendix B, "Converting PVM Applications to MPI,"
documents the methods of porting a PVM-based application to MPI.
This manual assumes you are writing an application that executes
under IRIX version 6.2 or later, and that you are familiar with the
programming conventions of UNIX in general and IRIX in particular.
SGITCL Programmer's Guide, March 1996
Tcl is a simple interpretive programming language designed for rapid
development of user interface applications. SGITCL is a bundled
product in IRIX 6.2 that includes extended Tcl and various user
interface libraries.
This guide describes the installation and use of SGITCL, and discusses
particulars of the SGITCL implementation.
This manual contains the following chapters:
- Chapter 1, "What Tcl Offers,"
describes the advantages of working with Tcl and offers an
introduction to various programming tools related to Tcl.
- Chapter 2, "Common Tcl Extensions,"
enumerates available Tcl extensions and related
components that are included with SGITCL.
- Chapter 3, "Custom SGITCL Extensions,"
lists the Tcl extensions that are available only with SGITCL.
- Chapter 4, "Using Tcl Motif,"
offers an extended description of Tcl Motif, which allows you
to produce real Motif(TM) applications.
- Appendix A, "Extending Tcl,"
describes how to extend Tcl yourself, using C or C++
programs bound as Tcl procedures
PLEASE NOTE: -- July 3, 1996 --
The following documentation listings will go out-of-date
almost immediately
-- nevertheless, we felt this "time-snapshot" was a useful
"time beacon" reference.
Documentation Catalog for IRIX 6.2 (which
references its Manuals Summary list)
This catalog lists the product documentation that is available in
printed format and can be ordered through SGI, as well as
documentation not available in printed format.
IRIX 6.2 Manuals Listing (which references
its Manuals Summary list)
IRIX 6.2 Technical Publications BOM (Bill
Of Materials)
Preparing to Upgrade to IRIX 6.2
Provides the method to identifing COFF (IRIX 4) binaries and replacing
them with the ELF binaries IRIX 5 and later
releases employ. Includes the coffcheck utility employed to find and
replace COFF executable files on local file systems.
The Coff Story -- End of Coff Support
COFF (Common Object File Format) is
dead; long live ELF (Executable
and Linking Format)
IRIX 6.2 Execution/Compilation Table
IRIX Admin Manual Set
New with IRIX 6.2, this set is comprised of 6 Manuals -- all of
which are included here -- intended for
system administrators: those people who are responsible for servers,
multiple systems, and file structures outside the user's home directory
and immediate working directories. If you find yourself in the
position of maintaining systems for others or if you require more
information about IRIX than is in the end-user manuals, these guides
are for you. The IRIX Admin guides are available through the
IRIS InSight online viewing system:
- IRIX Admin: System Configuration and Operation
- IRIX Admin: Disks and Filesystems
- IRIX Admin: Peripheral Devices
- IRIX Admin: Networking and Mail
- IRIX Admin: Backup, Security, and Accounting
- IRIX Admin: Software Installation and Licensing
- IRIX Admin: System Configuration and Operation, March 1996
Lists good general system administration practices and describes system
administration tasks, including configuring the operating
system; managing user accounts, user processes, and disk
resources; interacting with the system while in the PROM monitor; and
tuning system performance.
How to Use This Guide
This guide is written for administrators who are responsible for
performing tasks beyond the reasonable scope of "end users." Frequently,
people who would consider themselves end users find themselves performing
advanced administrative tasks. This book has been prepared to help both
the new and experienced administrator successfully perform all operations
necessary to configure IRIX systems. It is hoped that people who
considered themselves end users in the past will, by using this book,
gain experience and confidence in successfully performing advanced
system administration tasks.
Target Audience of This Guide
This guide is intended for administrators who are responsible for one
or more systems beyond the usual user responsibility for the user's
home directory structure and immediate working directories. This
guide and its companion guides have been written to provide directions
for those who find themselves in the position of maintaining systems
for themselves and others and who require more information about IRIX
commands and system and network expertise.
- IRIX Admin: Disks and Filesystems, March 1996
This guide discusses important concepts and
administration procedures for disks,
filesystems, logical volumes, and
guaranteed-rate I/O. These procedures
apply to all Silicon Graphics systems
running the IRIX 6.2 release or later.
This guide replaces the disks and
filesystems material in the now-obsolete
IRIX Advanced Site and Server
Administration Guide. It also incorporates
all of the material in the guide Getting
Started With XFS Filesystems except for the
material on backup and restore, which is
now included in the guide IRIX Admin: Backup,
Security, and Accounting.
The types of disks, filesystems, and logical volumes covered in
this guide are:
- SCSI disks.
Systems that run IRIX 6.2 or later use only SCSI disks.
- The Extent File System (EFS).
The EFS filesystem, a filesystem developed by
Silicon Graphics, has been the filesystem used by IRIX for many years.
- The XFS filesystem.
The XFS filesystem, a high-performance alternative to
EFS developed by Silicon Graphics, was first released for IRIX 5.3.
- lv logical volumes.
The lv logical volume system provides basic
logical volumes and has been available in IRIX for
many years. Support for lv logical
volumes will be dropped in a future
IRIX release.
- XLV logical volumes.
The XLV logical volume system, a high-performance
logical volume system with many
advanced features was developed by
Silicon Graphics and released first for
IRIX 5.3.
This guide is organized into chapters that provide reference
information (the "concepts" chapters) and chapters that give
procedures for performing disk and filesystem
administration tasks. An appendix provides in-depth
information about the command fsck.
- IRIX Admin: Peripheral Devices, March 1996
This guide explains how to use the system-level IRIX utilities
available with IRIS workstations and servers to set up and maintain
peripheral devices, such as terminals, modems, printers, and CD-ROM
and tape drives. Also includes specifications for the associated
cables for these devices.
If you have a graphics workstation, you may find it convenient
to use the System Manager, which is described in the Personal
System Administration Guide. That guide should be your first
resource for administering graphics workstations. Regardless
of whether you use the System Manager or the IRIX command-line
interface, the results are the same. The System Manager does
not create any new files on your system, unlike applications
such as WorkSpace.
If you have a server, this book and the other books in the
IRIX Admin suite are your primary guides to system administration,
since without graphics, you cannot use the System Manager. This
guide does not describe the System Manager in great
detail. Instead, it covers the traditional shell command
approach to administering peripherals with the IRIX operating system.
- IRIX Admin: Networking and Mail, March 1996
This guide explains how to set up and maintain a
network of IRIS workstations and servers. It
includes information on TCP/IP networking,
including SLIP and PPP, UUCP networking, and
configuring the sendmail mail transfer agent.
The standard network communications software
that runs on Silicon Graphics workstations is
derived from the networking software in the
4.3BSD UNIX releases from the University of
California at Berkeley and the Sun
Microsystems RPC (remote procedure call)
system. The IRIX operating system implements the
Internet Protocol suite and UNIX domain sockets using
the 4.3BSD UNIX socket mechanism. The system also
supports access to the underlying network media by means of raw sockets.
- IRIX Admin: Backup, Security, and Accounting, March 1996
Describes how to back up and restore files, how to protect
your system's and network's security, and how to track
system usage on a per-user basis.
This guide is written for system and network administrators responsible
for IRIX backups, security, or accounting. If you are responsible for
your personal workstation only, refer to the Personal System
Administrator's Guide first for this information.
What This Guide Contains
This manual documents data backup and recovery, host and network
security, and host resource auditing and accounting for IRIX computer
sites.
How to Use This Guide
You will probably use the parts of this document separately.
If you are responsible for backups, refer to Part I. Read Chapter 1
if you have yet to implement a backup policy, Chapter 2 to learn details
on the use of a particular backup tool, and Chapter 3 if you are
having trouble with backups.
If you are responsible for security, read Part II, Chapter 4
for details on configuring IRIX host security, and Chapter 5
if you are responsible for network security as well.
If you are responsible for system auditing, read Part III,
Chapter 6.
If you are responsible for monitoring system usage, read
Part III, Chapter 7.
- IRIX Admin: Software Installation and Licensing, March 1996
Explains how to install Silicon Graphics software products using Inst,
the command line interface to the IRIX installation utility,
inst (see the inst(1M) reference page). It introduces readers
to Silicon Graphics software release conventions and
explains how to plan, execute, and maintain a software
installation on Silicon Graphics workstations and servers.
Two installation methods are described in this guide:
- live installations that in which software is transferred while
the target system remains in operation
- specialized installations, called miniroot installations, that
rely on system firmware for the software transfer (This method
requires a system shutdown.)
This guide contains only information that is specific to setting
up FLEXlm licensing software on Silicon Graphics workstations and
servers. Please refer to these documents, which are available online
from IRIS InSight, for complete information on administering a
licensing scheme:
- FLEXlm End User Manual
- Network License System Administration Guide
Inst or Software Manager?
In addition to Inst, the command line interface, the inst utility
includes Software Manager, a graphical user interface to conventional
installations. Software Manager is documented separately in the
Personal System Administration Guide.
Because of its graphical features, Software Manager cannot be used
for miniroot installations. To perform miniroot installations, use
Inst and the instructions provided in Chapter 3 of this
guide. Information in Chapter 1 explains how to determine whether
a miniroot installation is necessary.
The operation of inst and the Inst and Software Manager interfaces
can be customized with a set of preferences. Use Chapter 8 as a
comprehensive reference for specifying preferences and for managing
the configuration files that store preference settings for both interfaces.
Installing Diskless Systems
IRIX Admin: Software Installation and Licensing does not
explain how to install software for diskless operation. Please
refer to the Diskless Workstation Administration Guide for
instructions on installing diskless systems.
OR, ...
Copyright © 1995-96, Silicon
Graphics, Inc.