[ ... some words of NetBSD port of SGI hardwares ... ]

> FWIW, there's a department here that's getting rid of a bunch (well, a
> few, anyway) of r2k SGI's.  I seem to recall that they say things like
> "Iris" on the front.  If anybody thinks these machines could serve a
> NetBSD-related purpose in a new home, give me a buzz.

I have 'Diskless Workstation Administration Guide (#007-08855-030,
3/95)' from SGI at hand, which describes how to prepare and operate
various SGI workstations with TFTPP/BOOTP/NFS as diskless nodes.
The document seems oriented towards IRIX5.1 and IRIX4.0 (!) but
still relevant to modern SGI's (because I obtained it as a part of
Origin2000).

The document has a concise table of SGI workstation models on page 12.

   Table 2-2 Workstation Hardware Components
 Model Name		CPU		CPU	Graphics	Graphics
			Processor	Board	Subsystem	Subgroup
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4D/20 and 4D/25		R3000	IP6	ECLIPSE		ECLIPSE
 4D/30				R3000	IP12	ECLIPSE		ECLIPSE
 4D/30 Elan			R3000	IP12	EXPRESS		EXPRESS
 4D/35				R3000	IP12	ECLIPSE		ECLIPSE
 4D/35 Elan			R3000	IP12	EXPRESS		EXPRESS
 Indigo and Indigo Dual Head	R3000	IP12	LIGHT		LIGHT
 Indigo XS and Indigo Elan	R3000	IP12	EXPRESS		EXPRESS
 Indigo R4K and Indigo R4K D.H.	R4000	IP20	LIGHT		LG1MC
 Indigo R4K XS and Elan		R4000	IP20	EXPRESS		EXPRESS
 Indigo2 Extreme and XZ		R4000	IP22	EXPRESS		EXPRESS
 Indigo2 Extreme+XL		R4000	IP22	NEWPRESS	NEWPRESS
 Indigo2 XL			R4000	IP22	NEWPORT		NG1
 Indy				R4000	IP22	NEWPORT		NG1
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

And I can see following statements;

 All IP12, IP17, IP19 (as it sez; nisimura), IP20 and IP22 model
 workstations contain EPROMs that support the diskless variable, a
 toggle that must be set to enable diskless operation.  However, some
 early workstation models contain EPROMs that do not support this variable.
 Table 2-3 shows EPROM revision levels that support the diskless varibale
 in early models of Sillicon Graphics workstations.

  Table 2-3    EPROM Revision Requirement

 Processor Type		EPROM required
 -----------------------------------------------------------
 IP5			Revision 007
 IP6			Revision E
 IP7			Revision 007
 IP9			Revision 007
 -----------------------------------------------------------

Page 80 of the document desbribes how to operate netboot with early
EPROM w/o diskless variable.  I think the way is similar to MIPS
Computer's R3000 Magnum ROM monitor (from my volatile memory). 

I forgot how older SGI, like one which had SunNews window system, or
large VME box for OEMs, ran.

After all, netbooting is the most handy way to port and develop
operating system for the new hardwares.  If the SGI box Chris Jones
has was the one listed above, NetBSD port would be possible.  If not,
the way would be hard relatively.  (Mmm, I'd say here I'm not a person
responsible for possible future NetBSD/sgi port because I can not make
any commitment to NetBSD/sgi at all this moment)

Tohru Nishimura
Nara Institute of Science and Technology