[geeks] IRIX media question

[Joshua Boyd]

On Tue, Dec 14, 2004 at 10:16:23AM -0600, Bill Bradford wrote:
> I've got a pile of IRIX media here, and I need to figure out what to
> put together to have the best "complete set" that I can give to someone
> to install on bare metal.
> 
> (multiple copies of a lot of these)
> 
> IRIX 6.5 Foundation 1
> IRIX 6.5 Foundation 2
> IRIX 6.5 Development Foundation
> IRIX 6.5 Development Libraries
> ONC3/NFS Version 3 (for IRIX 6.2-6.5)

All of the above are needed for a complete set.
 
> IRIX 6.5 Applications (February 2001)
> IRIX 6.5 Applications (May 2001)
> IRIX 6.5 Applications (May 2000)
> IRIX 6.5 Applications (November 2000)

Only the most recent of the above is needed.  The rest aren't.  In this
case, May 2001 is needed.  Older disks may work, but there probably
isn't any point in using them.

Additionally, an Overlay set is needed.  You list several sets you have
below.  However, 6.5.22m is currently a free download from SGI (you have
to sign up for their free Supportfolio Online thing).  6.5.22m supports
pretty much everything that any of the 6.5 did.  6.5.22m is the last
version that will run on non PCI machines like the I2, Indy, or
Challenges. 
 
However, if you want to stick with the CDs you already have, 6.5.12 is
probably the best.  The rest of the overlay CDs and the app CDs can be
put in storage, since you will likely never touch them.

Also, something to keep in mind is that various points different things
broke.  Applications compiled on 6.5.21 or newer likely will not work on
older distributions of Irix, for instance.  The concensus on Nekochan
seems to be that 6.5.15m is the best version to choose if you need to
build for older platforms.  Still, stuff build on 6.5.15m probably won't
work all the way back to 6.5.0.  I think it will work back to 6.5.10 or
6.5.8, or something like that.

-- 
Joshua D. Boyd
jdboyd at jdboyd.net
http://www.jdboyd.net/
http://www.joshuaboyd.org/