This chapter tells you how to set up your Indigo2 workstation. It includes instructions on:
selecting a site
checking your shipment
putting all the pieces together
turning on your system
creating your login account
setting up your network software
shutting down and turning off your system
locking your system
If you've already set up your Indigo2 workstation and want to learn how to use the IRIX system software, go to “Using the Indigo Magic User Environment”.
If you want to mechanically secure your workstation, follow the instructions in “Locking Your Indigo2 Workstation”.
Indigo2 is designed to sit on or beside your desk. The monitor fits easily on top of the system. If you prefer to keep the system on the floor, you can attach the workstation stand that shipped with the system and set the system beside your desk.
Install any internal drives or memory first before placing your monitor on top of the system or placing the system beside your desk.
Select a site using these suggestions:
Place Indigo2 and the monitor within 6 feet of each other; you'll connect them with cables that are 10 feet long.
Place Indigo2 within 8 feet of a standard three-pronged (grounded) electrical outlet.
Do not place Indigo2 within a small, enclosed area, such as a closet, or it may overheat. It is important not to block the vents.
Do not drape anything, such as a jacket or blanket, over Indigo2.
The Indigo2 workstation is shipped with the pieces shown in Figure 2-1. If you ordered extra memory or internal drives, they will be in separate boxes.
A fold-out poster ships in the box that contains the Indigo2 chassis. This poster has pictorial instructions on how to unpack and set up the system. You can use the poster to set up your Indigo2 or, if you prefer, you can follow the step-by-step instructions in this chapter.
After you unpack your Indigo2 workstation and its parts, make sure you have all the parts shown in Figure 2-1.
You received one or more compact discs (CDs) with your Indigo2 workstation. The CDs include optional software that you might find useful, and a copy of the operating system and software installation tools that are already on your system disk. You don't need the compact discs to set up and use your system. Store them in a safe and convenient place so you can find them if you need to install new software, or if the system fails.
 | Note: Not all the software on these CDs is pre-installed on your system disk. |
For more information on installing software, refer to Chapter 6, “Installing Software.”
Place the monitor next to the Indigo2 chassis, near the site you selected, then follow the instructions in the next sections to:
install the system disk in the lower right slot if the disk is not already installed in your system
install any internal drives
install optional memory (turn to Chapter 3, “Installing and Removing Memory,” for instructions)
set up the system
attach the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and microphone to the system chassis
attach the Ethernet cable if you will be attaching your system to a network
attach the power cables to the system and monitor
turn on your workstation and create your login account
If you are running your Indigo2 as a diskless system or if you do not need to install the system disk, an internal drive, or memory, turn to “Setting Up the System”.
If you need to install memory, turn to Chapter 3, “Installing and Removing Memory,” for instructions.
If you need to install the system disk or other internal drives, follow the steps below.
Open the front cover.
Face the front of the Indigo2 chassis.
Snap the cover away from the top edge of the chassis and tip it down, as shown in Figure 2-2.
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Press down on the tabs on each side of the bezel, as shown in Figure 2-3.
Pull the bezel down and away from the chassis.
Install the system disk, as shown in Figure 2-4. If you are not installing a system disk, skip to step 4.
The system disk contains the operating system software that makes your workstation run. It's labeled:
SYSTEM DISK
Install in bottom slotIt has a black front panel with a green LED.
Pick up the drive so the lever is facing you and is on the bottom of the drive.
Slide the drive into the slot, making sure that the guides underneath the drive line up with the guides in the Indigo2 chassis. As you slide the drive in, the lever moves to the right.
Push the drive in firmly until you feel solid resistance.
Push the lever all the way to the right. This locks the drive in place. The lever should be flush with the front of the drive.
Note: If the drive does not slide all the way into the slot, it may not be lined up with the guides in the Indigo2 chassis. Take the drive out and reinstall it, making sure the guides on the bottom of the drive line up with the guides in the Indigo2 chassis.
Install any internal option drives.
An internal option drive is any drive other than the system disk. Option drives include floppy drives, secondary hard disk drives, QIC tape drives, CD-ROM drives, or DAT drives.
Install option drives the same way you installed the system disk, as shown in Figure 2-5.
You can install a floppy, secondary hard disk, or DAT drive in the 3-1/2" drive slot above the system drive slot. You can install a QIC tape drive, a hard disk drive, or a CD-ROM drive in the 5 1/4" drive slot to the left.
Pick up the drive so the lever is facing you and is on the bottom of the drive.
Slide the drive into the slot, making sure that the guides underneath the drive line up with the guides in the Indigo2 chassis. As you slide the drive in, the lever moves to the right.
Push the drive in firmly until you feel solid resistance.
Push the lever all the way to the right. This locks the drive in place. The lever should be flush with the front of the drive.
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Place the tabs on the bottom of the cover in the grooves in the front of the chassis, as shown in Figure 2-6.
Tilt the bezel up until it snaps into place.
You are finished installing the drives and are ready to set up the system.
You can place the monitor on top of your system, as shown in Figure 2-7, or you can place the system on the floor and set it in the workstation stand that came with your shipment.
To set the system in the workstation stand, follow these steps:
Face the front of the system.
Push the system so the left side is hanging off the edge of your work surface.
Look at the underside of the system. You will see guides for the workstation stand, as shown in Figure 2-8.
Press each piece of the workstation stand onto the system, aligning the pieces with the guides, as shown in Figure 2-8.
Tip the system down onto the floor so that it rests on the stand.
To connect the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and microphone to the Indigo2 chassis, follow these steps:
Connect the monitor cable to the monitor and the Indigo2 chassis.
Connect one end of the cable to the connector on the back of the monitor, as shown in Figure 2-9. Screw in the thumbscrews on both sides of the connector.
Connect the other end of the cable to the connector with the monitor icon on the back of the Indigo2 chassis, as shown in Figure 2-9. Screw in the thumbscrews on both sides of the connector.
Connect the keyboard cable to the connector below the keyboard icon on the back of the Indigo2 chassis, as shown in Figure 2-10.
Connect the mouse cable to the connector below the mouse icon on the back of the Indigo2 chassis, as shown in Figure 2-11.
| Note: The Indigo2 workstation uses mice and keyboards that are PS/2 compatible. They are not interchangeable with older Silicon Graphics mice and keyboards. For a listing of some off-the-shelf PC keyboards that work with Indigo2, type man pckeyboard from a shell window. |
The default keyboard language is U.S. English. Since the Indigo2 system uses a PS/2 compatible keyboard that does not automatically identify the varied international keyboard languages that Silicon Graphics offers, you must set the nationality manually if you want to change the keyboard language. To find out how to do this, see Appendix B, “International Keyboard Support.”
Connect the microphone to the connector above the microphone icon on the back of the Indigo2 chassis, as shown in Figure 2-12.
The Indigo2 workstation supports two types of Ethernet connections on the main system (only one of which may be connected):
Ethernet AUI (electrically Ethernet type 2)
Ethernet 10-BASE T
For information on which type of Ethernet to use, see your network administrator.
To attach an Ethernet AUI cable, see below. To attach an Ethernet 10-BASE T cable, turn to “Attaching an Ethernet 10-BASE T Cable”.
| Note: If you attach both an Ethernet AUI cable and an Ethernet 10-BASE T cable to your system, and if the Ethernet 10-BASE T connection is “live,” the system will use Ethernet 10-BASE T. |
To attach an Ethernet AUI cable to your system, follow these steps:
From your network administrator, obtain a drop cable that is long enough to reach the back of your Indigo2, but no longer than 75 feet, for correct operation.
Attach the Ethernet cable to the Ethernet port on the back of the Indigo2 chassis, as shown in Figure 2-13.
Make sure the sliding bracket on the Ethernet port on the system is pushed all the way down, as shown in Figure 2-14.
Plug the cable into the port.
Slide the bracket up to hold it in place.
You are finished installing the Ethernet AUI cable. Turn to “Attaching the Power Cables” to attach the power cables.
If you are attaching an Ethernet 10-BASE T cable to your system, follow these steps:
From your network administrator, obtain a 10-BASE T cable that reaches from the wall to the back of your Indigo2.
Plug one end of the cable into the Ethernet 10-BASE T port on the back of the Indigo2 chassis, as shown in Figure 2-15.
| Note: There are earlier versions of cabling similar to 10-BASE T. These may mechanically fit the Indigo2 connector, but do not work electrically. |
You received two identical power cables—one for the monitor and one for the Indigo2 workstation. Silicon Graphics monitors and Indigo2 base systems accept 90-240 V and 50 or 60 Hz.
To attach the power cables, follow these steps:
Connect one power cable to the monitor, as shown in Figure 2-16.
Connect the socket end of the power cable to the power connector on the back of the monitor.
Plug the other end into a three-pronged grounded electrical outlet.
| Note: For voltage and frequency requirements, see the manual that came with your monitor. |
Connect the other power cable to the system, as shown in Figure 2-17.
You are finished setting up your Indigo2 and are ready to power up the system.
Once you've connected all of the pieces, as described in the last section, power up and log in to your workstation by following these steps:
Turn on the monitor.
The monitor's power switch is on the front of the monitor in the lower right corner. The LED next to the switch lights up when you turn on the monitor.
Turn on the system power.
Open the front cover by snapping it away from the top edge of the chassis and tipping it down.
Press the power switch to turn on the system, as shown in Figure 2-18.
When you power on your system, you hear the boot “tune” and see the LED on the front of the machine turn on. While the system is running power-on diagnostics, you see an orange light. Then you see the notifier shown in Figure 2-19. If you don't see the notifier, go to Chapter 7, “Troubleshooting.”
If the system passes all of the diagnostics tests, the light turns green, the system continues booting, and you see the startup notifier shown in Figure 2-20.
After a few seconds, you see the notifier shown in Figure 2-21.
If you do not hear the boot tune or the LED does not turn green, there may be a problem. Go to Chapter 7, “Troubleshooting” to run some tests.
The system now boots the operating system and then you see the login screen.
Welcome to your new system. Once you create a user login account for yourself and set up networking software, your system has the basic information it needs to create a personal work area for you and to let you communicate with other systems and people on your network.
If this is the first time the system is being booted, you see a login screen similar to the one shown in Figure 2-22.
If you already have a login account, you'll see an icon with your login name. Double-click the icon. If you do not have a login account, double-click the EZsetup icon and go to the next section, “Creating Your Login Account and Network Connection.”
After double-clicking the EZsetup icon, you see the EZsetup screen shown in Figure 2-23.
Setting up your login account through EZsetup gives you administrative (root) privileges.
If you plan to connect to an existing network, contact your network administrator for a login name for yourself, a hostname and IP address for your system, and the IP address of another system on the network that has a master list of all systems on the network. Then go to Step 1 below.
If you don't have the network information, you can complete the login name and full name fields, and click the OK button to set up your login account. Your network administrator can set up your network connection later. Or you can set it up yourself by choosing “System Manager” from the System toolchest and double-clicking the Network Setup icon.
For more information on setting yourself up on a network, log in and select “Online Books” from the Help toolchest. Then select the Personal System Administration Guide and look in Chapter 3, “Setting up Network, Peripheral, and Printer Connections.”
Follow the steps below to set up your login account and network connection.
| Note: If you change your mind at any time while entering the information, click the Cancel button. The system makes no changes, logs you out of the EZsetup account, and shows the login screen again. |
Type your login name (usually a shorter version of your name; for example, your first name or initials) in the field labeled Your login name.
Type your full name in the field labeled Your full name.
If your system is already physically connected to a network, and you have the necessary network information from your network administrator, go on to step 4.
If your system is not connected to a network, skip to step 5.
Move the cursor over the box next to Set up basic networking, and click the mouse button. Enter the network information that your network administrator provided.
Type the hostname in the field labeled This system's name.
Type the IP address in the IP address field. Make sure it consists of two to four numbers, separated by periods, such as 192.0.2.2
The box next to Use default netmask is checked by default.
Do not remove the check mark unless your network administrator wants to specify a custom netmask.Click the box next to Turn on networking. The system will not turn on the networking software until you click OK.
In the field labeled Address of system with host list, type the IP address of a system on the network that contains a master list of all other systems on the network, if there is one. If not, use a system that has your system listed.
When all the information is correct, click the OK button.
The system sets up the software, logs you out of the EZsetup account, and shows the login screen displaying people who have accounts on the system.
When you see the login screen, log in to your new account by double-clicking the icon that's labeled with your login name.
Now that you have a login account, go to the next section to learn about the desktop management system called the Indigo Magic User Environment.
Once you're logged in, you are in the Indigo Magic User Environment. Before learning about the environment, however, you may be interested in learning a few tips and shortcuts for using the mouse.
To get started, you need to know a few basic techniques for using the mouse and working with icons.
To select an icon, place the cursor over the icon and then press the left mouse button. Icons turn yellow when they are selected.
To select several icons, press the <Shift> key while selecting the icons, or press the left mouse button in the background and drag the mouse. A box is created as you drag the mouse. All icons touched by the box you create are selected.
To open an icon, place the cursor over the icon and then double-click the left mouse button. When you open an application icon, you run the application; when you open a folder icon, you open a window that shows the contents of that directory.
To drag and drop icons, place the cursor on an icon, press the left mouse button, and move the mouse. Release the mouse button to drop the icon.
This drag-and-drop technique lets you copy icons from one directory to another and launch applications with a particular file.
To display a pop-up menu that contains commands from the Selected menu, place the cursor over a window and then press the right mouse button. (Not all windows have pop-up menus.)
Now you are ready to use the desktop management system called the Indigo Magic User Environment.
Reading the following sections will give you a quick overview of the new environment and help you become productive rapidly.
When you log in, a collection of windows and icons (small pictures) appears on your screen by default. If you don't see any items on your screen, contact your system administrator to see if the desktop has been disabled.
The screen background is called the desktop. It's a place for you to set frequently used icons so you have quick and easy access to them. In this way, the desktop is similar to an actual office desk. For example, on your desk you might have a telephone, a container of pens and pencils, and a stack of folders or notebooks related to the projects on which you're currently working. Other, less frequently used items are stashed away in desk drawers. Your online desktop mimics this arrangement using icons.
The default desktop contains:
the console window
the toolchest
the desktop and the icons that appear on it
By default, several icons (small pictures) appear on the desktop: a folder icon representing your home directory, a dumpster icon, and icons for peripherals you have installed. (See Figure 2-24.)
The peripheral icons show the current state of the devices they represent. For example, if you place a music CD into the compact disc player, the icon changes to display a few musical notes. (See Figure 2-25.) When you double-click the icon, it opens CD Manager, a utility that lets you play and record from a compact disc.
The small box next to the stack of toolchests is the console window. It looks like a small box because it has been minimized. You can open it to its full size by clicking on it with the left mouse button. Many of the error messages that the system generates appear in this window.
Clicking on the console brings up the IRIX™ shell where you can type IRIX commands. For information on IRIX commands, from the Help toolchest, choose “Online Books.” Select IRIS Essentials and look for “Using IRIX Commands.”
The toolchest in the top left hand corner of the screen (shown in Figure 2-27) provides a listing of most of the system functions and programs. Under the System toolchest is the System Manager, which provides hardware information about your workstation. From the Help toolchest you can access the library of online documentation and online help.
To pop up a menu, move the cursor over a label on a toolchest, then press the left or right mouse button.
The Indigo2 workstation includes IRIS InSight, a library of online documentation and extensive online help that is available from the desktop and from most Silicon Graphics applications. From the desktop, you access the online help and documentation from the Help toolchest as follows:
From the Help toolchest, choose “Online Books” and the IRIS InSight Document Library appears. Once the IRIS InSight Document Library is open, you can open a manual and read it, or you can type in a word or phrase and quickly find the information you need. See the IRIS InSight online help for instructions.
From the Help toolchest, choose “Desktop Help.” A listing of system-level help appears. Additionally, each application provides a Help button or Help menu so that you can get help on a particular application.
There are two ways to shut down and power off your Indigo2 system:
use the power switch to shut down the system software and power off
use the Toolchest menu to shut down the system software and return to the System Maintenance menu or power off
To use the power switch to shut down the software and power off the system, follow these steps:
Open the front cover of the chassis, as shown in Figure 2-29.
Face the front of the Indigo2 chassis.
Snap the cover away from the top edge of the chassis and tip it down, as shown in Figure 2-29.
Press and release the power switch, as shown in Figure 2-30.
The notifier shown in Figure 2-31 appears on your screen within a few seconds. Then the system powers off automatically within the next minute.
Turn off the monitor by pressing the monitor power switch.
If the system does not power off, either the system never came up all the way, or the operating system is hung. If you do not see any activity for several minutes, follow the steps below.
Press and hold the power button again.
Note: If you press the power button a second time, the system powers off immediately, but it is not a clean shutdown. Avoid using this method unless the system does not respond for several minutes after you press the power button the first time. If that doesn't work, press the reset button, wait a few seconds, and then press the power button.
If the system still fails to power off, unplug the power cord from the back of the system and contact your maintenance provider.
You can use the System menu in the Toolchest to shut down the system. You can also choose to power off the system. To do this, follow these steps:
Choose “System Shutdown” from the System menu in the Toolchest.
Place the cursor over the word “System” in the Toolchests and click the left or right mouse button. The toolchests are shown in Figure 2-32.
Place the cursor over the words “System Shutdown” and click the mouse button.
After a few seconds you see the notifier shown in Figure 2-33.
At this point you can either power off the system, or shut down the system and get the System Maintenance Menu.
To power off the system, click Power Off the System and then click OK.
The screen clears and you see the notifier shown in Figure 2-34. After a few seconds, the system powers off.
To shut down the system and get the System Maintenance Menu, do the following:
At the notifier shown in Figure 2-33, click OK. The screen clears and you see the notifier shown in Figure 2-34.
Next you see the message shown in Figure 2-35.
Click Restart. You see the system startup message shown in Figure 2-36.
Click Stop for Maintenance or press <Esc> to bring up the System Maintenance menu.
To lock your Indigo2, follow these steps:
Snap the front cover away from the top edge of the chassis and tip it down.
Place the straight end of the lockbar into the opening in between the disk drive slots in the front of the chassis, and push the lockbar all the way through the system, as shown in Figure 2-37.
Attach a lock through the hole in the lockbar in the back of the system to lock the system, as shown in Figure 2-38.
Close the front cover.
Congratulations! You have finished setting up your Indigo2 workstation.