Reanimator 1.0 released

Linux-RISC

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Hello everyone.

I have released Reanimator 1.0, the main new feature is diskless workstation support.

You can boot IRIX diskless from RBPi/VirtualBox, RBPi+external hard disk or from RBPi/VirtualBox+external NAS.

It's a complex and laborious process, even frustrating, but it promises lots of funny hours. I need your feedback to polish the process for every platform.

Please, browse https://github.com/Linux-RISC/Reanimator or http://irix.mersisl.com/ and give it a try.

The help for diskless workstation has been difficult to write, you can find this help on https://github.com/Linux-RISC/IRIX-diskless-workstation
 
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flexion

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I have (finally) tested reanimator on a RPI 4 to reinstall an Indigo2 with 6.5.22.
I can confirm that WLAN setup via the menu system works on RPI4 as well (there was a note "untested on > rpi3").
Really like the menu system. Can recommend. thanks!!
 

Linux-RISC

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Checking your Twitter, I think you used Reanimator's "Network assistant menu" to automatically enable IP forwarding and NAT on your RBPi.

You can connect any Ethernet/IP device to the RBPi by using that configuration and isolate that network segment, no need to modify your LAN configuration. The Wi-Fi connection connects the RBPi to your LAN and allows to connect to the Internet. I just tested this configuration once on my Indy 😅.

Thanks for your feedback !
 
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Jan

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Very nice!
In the meantime, I started with some tests on Reanimator and found it quite usable. I didn't made an install yet but prepared most things right now:
The network setup is working, I changed the time zone and keymap.
The files are accessible via SMB from Windows and via NFS from IRIX. But I can't write anything to Reanimator via SMB because the access is read only :cry: What am I doing wrong?

The update function updated it to V1.1 but the info texts at the login prompt and after login on top of the menu need to be updated!
 

Linux-RISC

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Thank you for your reply !

I'm aware it's necessary to log out and log in after an update to refresh the texts.

The menu is updated to version 1.1 but not its functionality, please download the last SD image to avoid any problem.

I'm accessing to SMB from GNU/Linux and Windows and I can write: create folders, delete files, ... use Midnight Commander or a shell to check file permissions. If you upload files using SMB, NFS, ssh ... the file permissions will drive you crazy.

Please download the last SD image and don't use different protocols to upload files.
 
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Jan

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O.K., I will try that but then I’ll have to do all the configs again :(
And how do I check/change the permissions for SMB access?
I only want to write via SMB from my Windows hosts to put additional CD files there.
 

Linux-RISC

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O.K., I will try that but then I’ll have to do all the configs again :(
And how do I check/change the permissions for SMB access?
I only want to write via SMB from my Windows hosts to put additional CD files there.
Steps on Reanimator:
2. Download menu
3. Open a shell on 'IRIX' directory
cd ..
sudo chmod -R 777 *

File permissions wil be changed to rwxrwxrwx for all files and directories.
 
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Jan

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So, I did some test with the 1.1 install image.
Practically, it works but the text messages still show all the default settings.
After I used the update function for the scripts, it showed again "V1.0". Didn't you update the scripts on the server?
DHCP doesn't work either. Everything has to be entered manually.

Writing to the IRIX dir was possible after the chmod command.
 

Linux-RISC

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Thanks for your feedback !

The message has been updated (sorry!), is just a text in the file menu-header.sh. If you update the scripts, the text will be updated.

Reanimator works as BOOTP server, not DHCP server, to avoid interfering with the local router. Check this link https://github.com/Linux-RISC/Reanimator/blob/main/network_setup.md for network setup and ask what you need. If you use the default configuration, IRIX installation must be really easy following the steps on the documentation. But you can customize the network configuration, of course.

If you prefer to change the Ethernet default IP addresses, you need to edit the settings using the menu "Network configuration menu" and edit the files /etc/hosts, /etc/bootptab and /etc/dhcpcd.conf (menu entry "Manual configuration: Edit /etc/dhcpcd.conf (Raspberry Pi OS)".

Another possibility is to enable Wi-Fi (it will work as DHCP client) and use default Ethernet IP addresses (can be customized). Read the link for details, for an easy installation I recommend the default configuration for the first installation.

As easy as that:

Thank you.
 
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Jan

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Now, I tried using Reanimator for the first time on one of my O2s.

1. bootp():IRIX/6.5.30/disc1/stand/fx.ARCS -x
That worked and I repartitioned the drive.

2. Starting the installer from network
I tried this:
- Enter System Maintenance menu, press 2 or click on "Install system software"
- Press 1 or click on "From remote directory"
- Enter "rbpi" as server
- Enter "IRIX/6.5.30/disc1/dist"

That doesn't work. I tried several other pathes like
"i/IRIX/6.5.30/disc1/dist"
"IRIX/6.5.30/disc1/stand"
but, nothing was found.

Then I did it manually from the command monitor:
bootp():IRIX/6.5.30/disc1/dist/miniroot/unix.IP32
That finally started the Installer for me.

3. Then, I loaded the source config, let it go through and got 259! conflicts in the end because of obviously missing content :unsure:
I made some adaptations to the list:
from irix@rbpi:i/IRIX/6.5.30/disc1/dist
from irix@rbpi:i/IRIX/6.5.30/disc2/dist
from irix@rbpi:i/IRIX/6.5.30/disc2/dist/unbundled
from irix@rbpi:i/IRIX/6.5.30/disc3/dist
from irix@rbpi:i/IRIX/irix65x/f1/dist
from irix@rbpi:i/IRIX/irix65x/f2/dist
from irix@rbpi:i/IRIX/irix65x/devf13/dist
from irix@rbpi:i/IRIX/irix65x/devl/dist
from irix@rbpi:i/IRIX/irix65x/nfs/dist6.5
from irix@rbpi:i/IRIX/6.5.30/apps/dist
from irix@rbpi:i/IRIX/6.5.30/capps/dist

And tried again - with no better luck.

And while reading these catalogs, a lot of error messages like "WARNING: Invalid filetype "X" at line ## of ####.idb" appeared.
I didn't had these errors during my first install directly from the CDs. That's a bit weired...

4. I made an new text file out of these commands and loaded it via the "source" command from admin menu:
(This is from Nicks 6.5.30 example install)

keep *
install standard
keep java2_plugin.sw32.mozilla_freeware
keep inventor_dev.sw.base
keep inventor_dev.sw.lib
install eoe.sw.fonttools
install eoe.sw.uucp
install eoe.sw.xlv
install eoe.sw.spell
install ftn_eoe
install inventor_eoe.sw64
install ifl_eoe.sw64
install dmedia_eoe.sw64
install prereqs

keep incompleteoverlays
rem java_dev*

The commands in Italics gave me error messages.

Then I "only" got 115 conflicts - mainly because of missing stuff :(


What I don't understand is the technical difference between install from CD-ROM and install via Network.
There shouldn't be any differences because it's the same data. But there is.
 
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Linux-RISC

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Jan, thank you for your feedback.

I suspect there is some kind of incompatibility with your system.

I'm trying to record some videos showing how the installation starts on a Octane2 and how to load a selections file (it's documented on the install guide).

I recommend you to try with the version 6.5.22 or 6.3 (new on Reanimator 1.2), it's a specific version for O2 R5k and O2 R10k and works really fast.
 

Linux-RISC

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I have released Reanimator 1.2, it includes several enhancements:

- IRIX 6.3 available for download, tested by kikems (thanks!)
- automatic checking and creation of directories under /home/irix and /diskless
- update from 1.1: just update Reanimator scripts from the Internet
- updated install guide

IRIX 6.3 is a specific version for O2 R5k and O2 R10k.
 

Jan

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I tried it with an R5k O2, yes.
My main O2s are R10k and R12k. All of them run 6.5.x already. The oldest R5k had 6.5.30 successfully installed via CD-RWs in a veeeeery lengthy process.
I don't understand, why but technically it has to work with the network install as well.

The goal is to bring 6.5.30 to all of them with Reanimator :) !
 
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Linux-RISC

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Hi Jan, after your feedback I tried to install IRIX on my Octane2 and this error was displayed:
1657467173293.jpg


After several tests (I thought of a hardware failure) I remembered that in version 1.1 I replaced tftpd by tftpd-hpa.

This package has problems with some machines, so I have returned to tftpd. The bad news is that you have to download the image again.

Please try again, it should work. Now, my Octane works like a charm with Reanimator, this is a video showing how start network IRIX installation, format partitions, load a selections file and start IRIX installation. Just in 4 minutes:
 
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Jan

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May 26, 2022
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Wow! I will test it and report.
At first I'm taking a closer look on the install files because there are some files missing...
 

Jan

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May 26, 2022
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Germany
So, I did some tests again - with the new build.
It only works when I do exactly, what you showed.
And it went through without big trouble:
5B0ED61E-1307-436A-89EC-030C57E127A1.jpeg
But after the reboot and some settings on the desktop, I wanted to start NFS - which wasn’t installed.

The SW manager showed me this while trying to install it manually:
B7863B5F-5585-4ED2-A437-42C54F409F73.jpeg
So that’s not quite good and I hoped, it would finally be done :unsure::cautious:

Should I try the feature stream instead??
I think, I will do - together with all the other settings and the unbundled installs from Overlays 2 to prevent conflicts in the first place.

Now it’s not a technical issue anymore but only a configuration issue. Tonight we know more…
 
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