IRIX (original) (raw)
sponsored by
| 
| | OSdata.com |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ---------- |
summary
IRIX is a UNIX-based † operating system made by SGI that runs on SGI MIPS.
OSdata.com is used in more than 300 colleges and universities around the world
Find out how to get similar high web traffic and search engine placement.
- further reading: books on IRIX
Intended purpose
server/mainframe: medium to large scale servers; super computer use
desktop/workstation: workstations (for those with UNIX familiarity)
handheld: not appropriate
real time: not appropriate
Current Version: 6.5.11e124
Cost: only available as part of the purchase of SGI hardware
Hardware Supported: SGI MIPS
- 6.2: MIPS R4000 to R10000 based SGIsw36
- 6.4: MIPS R10000 based SGIsw36
- 6.5: “is back to being an all-platforms release; amongst the systems which are supported by 6.5.x would be R4000, R4400, R4600, R5000, R8000, and R10000 MIPS CPU based systems (but certain configurations of systems that run with R4000 CPUs are no longer supported).”e92
Maximum Number of Processors: 128e63
“The entry into the product line is a one- to eight-processor deskside system that can be rack-mounted and seamlessly expanded to 128 processors, providing up to 256GB of shared physical memory and 80GB per second of sustained I/O bandwidth. The key component of an Origin2000 system is a modular building block of processors, I/O, memory, system bandwidth, power supplies, and chassis. A single module supports one to eight MIPS® R10000™ processors and 64MB to 16GB of memory, and provides more than 5GB per second of sustained I/O bandwidth. Each module also internally supports up to five 3.5-inch Ultra SCSI devices and a CD-ROM. As your needs grow, you can expand the system by adding modules and linking them with the revolutionary Silicon Graphics® CrayLink™ Interconnect, a high-speed, scalable interconnect fabric that provides a single system image across all modules. Alternatively, you can use CrayLink Interconnect to link multiple modules into a tightly integrated array of departmental servers.”w34
“The ‘product line’ supported by IRIX is extremely broad; the paragraph which you quote only describes the entry point into the Origin server product line.”e92
“Digital UNIX continues to dominate the 64-bit arena, leaving HP-UX and IRIX to contest the second position, followed closely by AIX. Solaris and NT trail significantly behind. IRIX has transitioned its hardware line completely to 64-bit technology, but lags in the area of 64-bit standards conformance, without support for the predecessor of the 64-bit UNIX98 standard, UNIX95.” —D.H. Brown Associatesw43†
Kernel: Proprietary. “SGI has put a lot of work into IRIX; it isn’t just someone else’s kernel with some bundled software on top. It also predates MACH or any other open unix standard by a number of years.” — Walter Robersone46
POSIX: compatible
Peripherals: “lots of high-end graphics equipment” —Kristian Elof Sørensenw36
- preferred file system: XFSe23
- file systems can read/write/format: XFSe23, EFSe23
- file systems can read/write: HFSe23, FATe23, NFSe24
- file systems read/write through optional software: SMB (through SAMBA); DFS (client)e118 [http://www.sgi.com/software/dce/index.html]
- file systems read only and can write through optional software: ISO 9660e23
Graphics Engine: “Varies across the broad product line, including possibly none at all for many configurations in the server product lines.”e92
Text Command Shell: UNIX shells
User Interface (graphic): IRIX Interactive Desktop (formerly Indigo Magic Desktop)e92
Graphic Command Shell: IRIX Interactive Desktop (formerly Indigo Magic Desktop)e92
Businesses and organizations with servers powered by IRIX: Hustler, Maserati, MayoHealth.org, Nissan, SGI (Silicon Graphics)w52
IRIX 6.4 places third, bundling CacheFS and AutoFS, and network security features almost as strong as Digital’s. But IRIX lacks network time facilities (NTP) and TCP/IP capabilities such as IPv6 and IPSec.” —Digital Equipment Corporation, “AIX 4.3 Leaps To 64-Bits In Dead Heat With Digital UNIX 4.0”w51
See also chart of internet features.
Other:
“IRIX 6.4 earns a surprising lead [among commercial UNIXs] for reliability and scalability functions overall, having previously introduced many of the features that are only now being offered by high-profile commercial competitors. IRIX also scores very well for Internet/intranet features.” —D.H. Brown Associatesw42†
references
further reading: web sites
Please send recommendations on additional URLs to Milo.
other related web sites
r4400’s guide to sgi/irix Excellent set of links to all kinds of information on IRIX.
http://www.futuretech.vuurwerk.nl/sgi.html “SGI Technical Advice and Information”e124
http://www.sgihelp.org/ “S G I Help”e124
http://www.sgiaddict.net/ “the sgi addict”e124
SGI in the media: Myth vs. Reality
http://home.earthlink.net/~bhami/rosetta.html “Rosetta Stone for Unix”; a guide for comparable commands and directories in several popular forms of UNIX (AIX, Darwin, DG-UX, FreeBSD, HP-UX, IRIX, Linux, NetBSD, OpenBSD, SCO OpenServer, Solaris, SunOS, Tru64, and ULTRIX).
http://thezone.gsfc.nasa.gov/e3
Stokely’s SGI System Administrator FAQ links
http://www.linuxrx.com/WS_Linux/OS_comparison.html “The Linux resource exchange — Operating systems comparison” LINUX, HPUX, Windows NT, BSDi, FreeBSD, IRIX, Digital UNIX, Solaris, Macintosh, OS/2, UnixWare, OpenServere83
http://www.unix-vs-nt.org/ John Kirch’s article “Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 versus UNIX”
http://www.dhbrown.com/pdfs/osscorecard.html “Operating System Scorecard — D.H. Brown Associates”
further reading: books
For more UNIX book listings, see also the general book listings on the UNIX web page.
If you want your book reviewed, please send a copy to: Milo, POB 1361, Tustin, CA 92781, USA.
Price listings are for courtesy purposes only and may be changed by the referenced businesses at any time without notice.
further reading: books: introductory/general
A Practical Guide to the Unix System; by Mark G. Sobell; Addison-Wesley Pub Co; October 1994; ISBN 0805375651; paperback; 800 pages; $37.95
further reading: books: internet
Building a Unix Internet Server; by George Eckel; New Riders Publishing; June 1995; ISBN 1562054945; paperback (with CD-ROM); 325 pages; $30.40
further reading: books: enterprise/business
further reading: books: content creation
further reading: books: programming
Advanced Programming in the Unix Environment (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series); by W. Richard Stevens; Addison-Wesley Pub Co; June 1992; ISBN 0201563177; hardcover; 744 pages; $63.95
further reading: books: hardware
further reading: books: miscellaneous
If you want your book reviewed, please send a copy to: Milo, POB 1361, Tustin, CA 92781, USA.
OSdata.com is used in more than 300 colleges and universities around the world
A web site on dozens of operating systems simply can’t be maintained by one person. This is a cooperative effort. If you spot an error in fact, grammar, syntax, or spelling, or a broken link, or have additional information, commentary, or constructive criticism, please e-mail Milo. If you have any extra copies of docs, manuals, or other materials that can assist in accuracy and completeness, please send them to Milo, PO Box 1361, Tustin, CA, USA, 92781.
If you have an extra or unwanted copy of any official manuals or documentation on this operating system, please send them to: Milo, POB 1361, Tustin, CA 92781, USA. I have the following items: NONE.
Note: I am looking for a fan of SGI IRIX who has the time to check this web site for completeness and accuracy regarding SGI IRIX. Just check through the site about once a week or so and report back with any information (including the URL of the web page you are reporting).
Click here for our privacy policy.
Click here to skip over the summaries of individual operating systems.
home page
peer level
| | | | |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| 
Macintosh | 
Windows | UNIX |
| 
AIX | 
AmigaOS | 
BeOS |
| 
BSDi | Digital UNIX (or DUNIX) | 
FreeBSD |
| 
GNU Hurd | 
HP-UX | 
IRIX |
| 
LINUX | 
Macintosh | 
Mac OS X |
| MS-DOS | 
MVS | 
NetBSD |
| NetWare | 
NeXT | NeXTSTEP |
| 
OpenBSD | OPENSTEP | 
OpenVMS (or OVMS) |
| 
OS/2 | OS/2 Warp | OS/2 Warp Server |
| PC-DOS-2000 | Pyramid | Rhapsody |
| SCO | 
Solaris | SunOS |
| ULTRIX | UNIX | VMS |
| Windows 3.1 | Windows 95 | Windows 98 |
| Windows NT | Windows NT Server | Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition |
This web site handcrafted on Macintosh 
computers using Tom Bender’s Tex-Edit Plus 
and served using FreeBSD 
.
†UNIX used as a generic term unless specifically used as a trademark (such as in the phrase “UNIX certified”). UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Ltd.
Names and logos of various OSs are trademarks of their respective owners.
Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 Milo
Last Updated: March 25, 2004
Created: June 22, 1998
Click here to skip over the summaries of individual operating systems.