This chapter describes how to install the SGI SynaptIQ software from a CD. You will need to do this only if you have purchased a SGI Graphics Cluster configuration that did not have Linux preloaded onto the hard disk drive at the factory, or if you should need to reinstall the base Linux distribution for some reason.
 | Note: SGI Graphics Cluster configurations with preloaded Linux software are shipped from the factory with a root password of sgisgi. In some cases, a reseller may have configured the system without a root password before it reached you. In any case, you should ensure that your system has a non-null root password before connecting it to a network. |
If you need to install software, you should do it in the following order:
Read the file README.SYNAPTIQ before you install software, including the base Linux distribution. This file is located in the top-level directory of the CD.
Install a base Linux distribution using the base distributor's installation tools.
Install the SGI SynaptIQ software using its installer, as described in this chapter.
Configure the base Linux distribution as described in the installation manual for the base distribution.
Note: The SGI SynaptIQ software works only with Red Hat 7.1. Earlier versions of Red Hat, or any other distributions, are not compatible with SGI SynaptIQ.
SGI SynaptIQ includes a default XFree86 4.0 configuration file that is specific to the Silicon Graphics VPro accelerated Linux OpenGL implementation. The file is installed in two places:
/etc/X11/XF86Config-4
/etc/X11/XF86Config_sgi
Please see this file for information about X Window System configuration, including pointers to information about changes to this file that are necessary in order to use a non-English keyboard.
There are many interactive configuration utility programs available to generate XF86Config files. SGI strongly recommends that you not attempt to use any of these programs, because they will not generate an XF86Config file that is appropriate for an SGI Graphics Cluster.
If your /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file becomes corrupted (for example, as a result of attempting to run a configuration utility program), simply execute the following command as root:
# cp /etc/X11/XF86Config_sgi /etc/X11/XF86Config-4
The following information will help you get SGI SynaptIQ up and running properly.
The Silicon Graphics VPro accelerated OpenGL implementation is the product of a partnership among SGI, NVidia Corporation, and VA Linux. The VPro graphics accelerators are based on accelerator chips from NVidia.
The “workstation” convention is for glXSwapBuffers() to be synchronized to vertical retrace. The “PC” convention is for glXSwapBuffers() not to be synchronized to vertical retrace. The VPro OpenGL implementation follows the “PC” convention by default.
To synchronize glXSwapBuffers() to vertical retrace, set the environment variable GL_SYNC_TO_VBLANK as follows before starting the application program.
For csh-based shells, use the following command:
setenv __GL_SYNC_TO_VBLANK 1
For sh-based shells, use the following command:
export __GL_SYNC_TO_VBLANK=1
If you need to install SGI SynaptIQ from a CD, first ensure that Red Hat 7.1, SuSE 7.1, or TurboLinux 6.1 is installed, and then use the procedure in this section.
The installation procedure has buttons that will allow you to go back to the previous screen or to quit the installation. To use these buttons, press the Tab key to highlight the one you want to use and press Enter.
Log in as root.
Mount the SGI SynaptIQ CD by executing the mount command as you have configured it. A common example is the following:
mount /dev/cdrom -t iso9600 /mnt/cdrom.
Change directories to the root directory for the mounted CD. A common root directory is /mnt/cdrom.
Execute the following command:
./INSTALL
Select the language you want to use for the installation procedure. The default is English. Use the up and down arrow keys to select your language of choice. Press the Tab key to highlight OK and press Enter.
The Welcome screen appears. Highlight OK and press Enter.
The Language Support screen appears. Select the language you want for the documentation that will be installed on your system. All languages are provided on the CD, so you can retrieve languages other than the one you select at this time. The default is to install the English documentation. Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight your selection, then press the Tab key to highlight OK and press Enter.
The Package Group Selection screen appears. This screen allows you to select the type of package you want to install. You select a package by using the up and down arrow keys and pressing the Space bar to select the one you want. When you select a package, RPMs for that package will be installed after you press the Tab key to highlight OK and press Enter.
You may also choose Select individual packages, which lets you choose the specific RPMs that you want to install.
You may see the Package Dependencies screen, which tells you if there are additional packages required beyond those you selected. Review the packages. If you want to install them (you should install them unless there is some important reason not to do so), press the Tab key to highlight OK and press Enter.
The Installation to Begin screen appears. It tells you that a log of the installation will be placed in /tmp/sgi-install.log. Press the Tab key to highlight OK and press Enter.
The installation begins. You will see the Package Installation screen, which tells you which packages are being installed and logs the time it takes to install them.
After the installation is complete, the Complete screen appears. Press Enter. You are returned to the root prompt.
After the SGI SynaptIQ installation is complete, reboot your system to begin using the newly installed SGI SynaptIQ kernel. You can reboot by typing reboot and pressing RETURN.
Should you need to recreate your system (returning it to its original state), install your base distribution as described in Chapter 4, “Linux System Recovery” and then install the SGI SynaptIQ from the CD as described in “Installing SGI SynaptIQ from a CD”.