SGI Indigo R4k plans
====================

I have a plan. I want to set up an UNIX room in our summer house. There
is no Internet  by any mean (even  no WiFi around) so  in makes perfect
sense to have an hideaway here.

For some reasons  I decided that the best computer  for this place will
be my second SGI IRIS Indigo - a newer model with tha 64bite MIPS R4000
CPU (my  "main" Indigo is  an original model with  3bit R3000 CPU  in a
gray "Siemens"  case). This  newer one has  just the  "Entry" graphics,
however. So  it is limited  to 1024x768/8bit. However,  the workstation
has a fast CPU (100MHz) and large  RAM (128MB) and large HDD (2GB which
is plenty for the  IRIX 5.3). And there are two  free slots for further
HDD/tape/floppy (it only I have  anything working). But, of course, the
main feature of the device is its blue case..

The main advantage over my other SGIs  is that it has soldered a socket
for user-replaceable timekeeper  battery. So when it is flat  I can put
another  CR2032 here.  On  my R3k  model I  have  and original  Tadiran
battery (when  it dies I  will probably try  to solder the  same socket
here).  The  Indy/Indigo2/O2 have  Dallas  chips  which are  harder  to
replace.

Now I have to install all necessary software (the C compiler is already
here):

* the XV image viewer
* the GNU Octave 2.0
* the Gnuplot
* the Tcl/Tk (wish 8.0+)
* the Vim editor (version 8.0 should be available somewhere)
* the mpg123
* the Netscape Navigator (for off-line HTML viewing)
* some terminal application to be able to talk with Z88 and so
* the Brandy BASIC
* the p3nfs

It is also possible to install a  CD player but it will make sense only
if I  decide to connect a  SCSI CD drive  to the system. I'm  still not
sure if I want to do it.

I'm going  to connect  the device to  a 15" COMPAQ  LCD (an  ugly beige
thing but it is  perfectly compatible with old systems -  it can do not
only 1024x768 but also some lower Macintosh-only resolutions - and it's
color matches the keyboard/mouse color very well).



Written on the Silicon Graphics IRIS Indigo R4k.