OT: SGI IRIX Question

[bunnspecial]

Okay, I know that this is way off topic but that we also have some folks who are knowledgeable about SGI here, and I'm at a bit of a dead end.

I have been trying for a week to get an Octane at work going. The computer will boot fine to the login screen, but we don't know passwords for any of the user accounts.

I understand that there is a "back door" by booting off the install disk and either deleting the password files for the current user account or creating a new user account.

I have an external SCSI DVD drive, along with a copy of IRIX 6.4. This is the same version of IRIX installed on the computer. When I boot off the install disk, I get the message "Unable to mount partition: /dev/dsk/dks0d1s0 on /root. This is your system disk: without it we have nothing on which to install software."

I'm then prompted to press enter to invoke C shell csh:

As I said, the HDDs are fully functional as best as I can tell. The computer will boot to them. There are two drives(80 pin SCSI), and I'm not sure if they're in RAID or simply two separate volumes. I don't think there's a SCSI ID conflict, as the computer will still boot to the OS even with the external drive attached/turned on.

Any ideas about where I might be able to go next?

 

[lastmile]

Try the instructions here:

http://www.futuretech.blinkenlights.nl/6.5inst.html

If you need more help head to the forums on nekochan.net

 

[ScottishCaptain]

Best to ask over at forums.nekochan.net

They're an excellent SGI based community, someone will definitely help you out there (I would if I could, but unfortunately I've never owned an SGI, despite being a member over at nekochan).

-SC

 

[bunnspecial]

Thanks for the links and references to the SGI site. I'm busily writing an exam now and will probably be tied up most of tomorrow with last minute stuff, but I'll head over there tomorrow and ask.