installing SGI SVR3 from tape

From: r. 'bear' stricklin <red_at_bears.org>
Date: Tue Mar 28 01:51:46 2000

Howdy;

I've got an IRIS 3130 I recently rescued, along with a shocking pile of
tapes. Among these are what appears to be complete OS install tapes for
GL2-3.6 (SGI's UNIX didn't come to be called until the first 4D-series
machines were released) and 3.5r1.

For various reasons I am interested in performing a new system
installation. Booting from tape is (obviously) in order, and a tape
identifying itself as the "boot system" is present.

If I 'boot sq0' the QIC spins briefly and complains that it can't find the
default boot file. Supposedly there is a stand-alone utility called
'sifex' which can be booted from tape to initialize disks and the like,
but if that's on this tape it's not letting on. 'boot sq0:sifex' returns
with an error to the effect that 'sifex' can't be found on the tape.

I'm missing something but I don't know what. Am I trying to boot the wrong
tape, or is something else going on? I suppose it would be worth trying
to read a few of the QIC tapes while the system is up, but if someone
knows in the meanwhile what my problem is likely to be, it'd be helpful.

ok
r.
Received on Tue Mar 28 2000 - 01:51:46 BST