[rescue] I got a new Octane! Why can't I talk to it?

[Carl R. Friend]

    Hi Micah,

> I'm probably just being dumb - I've never owned a *working* SGI
> before - but what do I need to do in order to interact with it?
> I've tried a sync-on-green monitor + PS/2 kb and mouse, but I get
> no video signal.

    SGI kit can be fiddly when it comes to the video cables and
connectors you use -- specifically, if the correct monitor select
bits aren't present on the 13W3 connector you'll wind up with a
blank screen.  Check to make sure you have the correct adaptor
cable if you're using a PC monitor.  (If need be, I'll Ohm out
a adaptor I have (from an old projector) and pass the pin notes
back.)

> I also have a null modem cable and minicom hooked up to a linux
> machine that didn't get me anywhere, even though I tried both
> serial ports on the Octane.

    It's possible to boot most SGI gear "headless" (I do this with
an Indy that I use as a stereo component) but you need to get the
setting into the NVRAM to use the serial port instead of the video
port and keyboard.  In this case, I suspect you're in a catch-22
situation; I could not boot my Indy without the keybaord attached,
and it'd never try the serial port until I connected video and
keyboard, made the required changes, and rebooted (it also reports
as a "Challenge S" in this configuration).

+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Carl Richard Friend (UNIX Sysadmin)            | West Boylston       |
| Minicomputer Collector / Enthusiast            | Massachusetts, USA  |
| mailto:crfriend at rcn.com                        +---------------------+
| http://users.rcn.com/crfriend/museum           | ICBM: 42:22N 71:47W |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+