Before
You
Install

Preparation Checklist

1. Make Sure Your System Can Run 6.5
   Follow this link to make sure your system is supported and meets minimum memory and disk space requirements!
   
   
2. Wait to Upgrade if You Have Important Compatibility Issues
   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.
   
   
3. 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 the previous operating system after the upgrade, you will need to 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.
   
   
4. 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 6.5 installation process. (You may also want to print the important postinstallation caveats now so that you do not have to look them up after installation.)
   
   
5. Determine Which CDs to Use
   To determine which CDs are appropriate for your installation, print or take notes on 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

First, make sure that you have completed the Preparation Checklist above, then return to the relevant installation instructions in the CD Booklet that came with your CDs. (You can also click here to open a PostScript file of the CD Booklet installation instructions.)

After
You
Install

Postinstallation Checklist

1. After installation, review the postinstallation caveats. This page lists any known software bugs and workarounds that could significantly affect system use once you upgrade.
   
   
2. If you have not already done so, check product Release Notes for pertinent information including known bugs and workarounds, and summaries of changes since the previous release. You can access Release Notes for each software product in a few different ways, including:
   • Before or after installation, you can use the Base Documentation CD.
   • After installation, you can choose Release Notes from the Toolchest Help menu.
     
     
3. (Optional) Use the versions changed command to find out which system configuration files were modified since installation. To avoid compatibility problems, merge configuration files if new versions were created. The "Updating Configuration Files" section of the versions(1M) man page describes how to do this, as does the online IRIX Admin: Software Installation and Licensing guide.

Note: After you complete the operating system upgrade, you can access this Start Here page by double-clicking the Welcome_to_SGI icon on your desktop. (The Welcome pages are installed by default.)