Howdy,

I recently obtained an SGI O2 running IRIX 6.3 and found I like it. I know that the O2 can run Linux too, but while I've read the how-tos I haven't taken the plunge yet since I have many other machines that run Linux. I'd like to be able to run both on the O2. There are many guides that tell how to replace IRIX, but nothing talks about dual booting. Since you have to install arcboot (think LILO for SGI machines) anyway, why can't it also find a valid IRIX kernel? I think the SGI volume header can hold up to eight kernels, and one can have SGI and Linux (ext3) partitions on the same disk no problem. I would think dual boot would be dead easy. I'm fairly well acquainted with Linux, but new to IRIX and SGI in general, so I may have some facts confused. Any help, especially from someone more knowledgable about these types of computers, would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

If it uses Lilo, you can boot anything no problem.

For the master of booting, look at his link:

http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showt...hreadid=143973

Thanks for the link. The project has some nice information on GRUB, but is all on x86 hardware (i.e. he dual boots Windows too). However, arc is an SGI specific bootloader that's like GRUB and LILO in that it performs the same function, but does not have same underlying system. SGI machines don't use the same BIOS that x86 machines have. My O2 uses a proprietary boot PROM, which is more like a mini OS with graphical capacity and a limited shell that calls up the main OS or does a system install. This setup is much more like an Apple machine, and therefore needs a custom bootloader. Since Apple has a similar problem, there is an Apple bootloader called yaboot that serves the same function. However, while many how-tos exist on how to get a dual boot setup with OSX and Linux, I can't find any info for arc that explain dual booting with IRIX or even Linux/BSD, or even if its possible for arc to boot IRIX. I know that both Linux and OpenBSD use arc, so in theory arc should be able to dual boot between the two, however, no how-tos even address this. Some websites explicitly say that arc isn't able to boot IRIX, but they are old and not from either SGI or the arcboot project. In fact, I haven't found any detailed info on arc itself. I don't really want to go messing around with the PROM, arc, and my working IRIX system if I have no clue what I am doing as there is a good chance I'll brick the machine.


Sorry to go on like that, I don't mean to give you a hard time. I know you were just trying to help and did appreciate the link, it just isn't directly applicable in my case. Thanks again.

I may have read your question a little too quickly, because I thought you suggested that Lilo was available on that hardware. I see now that you didn't say that. I apologize if I sent you on a wild goose chase.

If it's possible to use Lilo or grub on your hardware, then I would definitely not use anything but lilo or grub to boot linux. This may also be an option.

I didn't have time to read through Saikee's awesome thread thoroughly, but I figured if there was any place in the world where you might find the info, it would be there. And if not, he probably knows how to make it work or can figure it out. Maybe PM him if he doesn't jump in on this thread. You will probably have to send him your box for a few days because I feel sure that he will not rest until he has booted every possible type of OS

If you can, use Lilo to boot your IRIX system as a chainloader. This would be the easiest thing to try. To do that, you define your system in the lilo.conf like any other chainloaded system (Win, for example).

If not, maybe look at the config of the standard loader over there and just try to make up a linux config. Booting linux isn't that complicated either; the entry just points to the kernel and the initrd (if used, which is not always) and the root filesystem. The problem will be if the bootloader setup needs to be filesystem aware. As you said, if you run ext3 on that setup already, you can use it. It you want to use reiser or jfs or xfs, then maybe it would be harder.

Good luck and let us know how you resolve it. Sorry for the noise level.