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 Silicon Graphics Zx10 Visual Workstation Owner's Guide
(document number: 007-4327-002 / published: 2000-09-20)    table of contents  |  additional info  |  download
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Chapter 2. Setting Up the Software
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Chapter 2. Setting Up the Software

This chapter describes how to set up the operating system and associated system software for your system.

Preparing for Setup

Your workstation's primary hard disk drive was formatted and partitioned before shipment. In Explorer or My Computer, you can right-click a disk drive and click Properties to display the drive's partition size and file system format. If you purchased other disk drives, you may have to format and partition them for use. See the operating system documentation and Help for more information on formatting, partitioning, and administering disk drives.

The operating system and associated system software is installed on the system's primary hard disk drive. Installed system software includes:

  • Driver software for the SCSI controller, graphics controller, audio controller, and mouse

  • Driver software for peripheral devices and expansion cards installed at the factory

  • Core networking software

  • The latest certified operating system Service Pack software, if needed

  • Quick-Fix Engineering (QFE) software, if needed

  • System management software

The operating system is installed through the first phase of the Setup process. You must follow the Setup process to prepare the operating system for use.

Before you go through operating system Setup, have the following documents available:

  • Microsoft's operating system documentation

  • Documentation for the system's graphics controller and any other installed expansion cards

Get and record the following information:

Your name, and the name of your company or organization:

 

The Product Identification Number from Microsoft's documentation, Certificate of Authenticity, or registration card:

 

A user name for a user account:

If the system is connected to a network, get and record the following information for your system from your network administrator:

Computer name:

 

Workgroup name (if the system will be part of a workgroup):

 

Domain name (if the system will be part of a domain):

 

If the system will be a server, get and record the following information for your system from your network administrator:

Security role for your server in the domain: primary domain controller, backup domain controller, or stand-alone server:

 

If your server will be acting as a backup domain controller or a stand-alone server, user name and password of an authorized domain administrator account:

 


Note: Determine the security role for your server before beginning system configuration. You cannot change a stand-alone server to a domain controller without reinstalling the operating system. A domain controller maintains security policy and performs user authentication for a domain. Stand-alone servers may be part of a domain, but they do not have to participate in the domain. See the operating system documentation for more information.

If the system is connected to a network that uses the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), get and record the appropriate TCP/IP information for your system from your network administrator:

Internet Protocol (IP) address:

 

IP subnet mask:

 

IP domain name for your network:

 

IP address for your network's default gateway:

 

IP addresses for Domain Name System (DNS) servers, if any:

 

IP addresses for Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) servers, if any:

 

The operating system delivery media contain software and drivers for both Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC)- and Intel-based systems. When installing operating system software, make sure you install it from the \i386 directory on the delivery media.

Going Through Setup

Caution: If you start the system and then turn it off before completing operating system Setup, you will have to reinstall the operating system and associated system software.

Caution: Before starting the system for the first time, you may want to learn more about system power, startup, and shutdown. See Chapter 4, “Operating the System” for this information.

Figure 2-1. Starting the System


To start (apply full power to) the system for the first time, open the door on the front of the base unit and press the Power button.

The first time you start the system, it boots to a Microsoft End User License Agreement (EULA). After reading and accepting the terms of the agreement, follow the instructions to continue operating system Setup. Take the default settings provided by Setup, except as noted in the following text. You can set up a user account and join a workgroup or domain after you configure the system.

To start the computer and go through Setup:

  1. Turn on power to the monitor.

  2. Turn on power to the base unit. The system starts and the EULA displays.

  3. Read the terms of the EULA and then follow the instructions displayed to complete the Setup process. When prompted, enter the Product Identification Number.

    Note: You must enter the Product Identification Number before you can continue Setup. You cannot complete Setup if you do not enter this number.

When going through Setup:

  • Install the SCSI controller driver software from diskette. You cannot install the SCSI controller driver from the system's driver CD.

  • Do not let Setup auto-detect the system's network controller. After completing Setup, install the network controller driver software from diskette. See “ Getting Support” for instructions.

  • If prompted to create an Emergency Repair Disk, do so.

  • If prompted to enter a password for the Administrator account, do so.

  • If you do not create a user account during Setup, press enter or select OK at the logon dialog to log on to the operating system.

  • You can use the C:\i386 directory when prompted for the location of the operating system's Setup files. If you delete the i386 directory from the system's hard disk, you must have access to an operating system CD to use the operating system's Setup files.

After you complete Setup and restart the system, you can set up a user account and join a workgroup or domain if needed. See the operating system documentation and operating system Help for more information on Setup, creating a user account, and joining a workgroup or domain.

Finishing Software Setup

After completing operating system Setup, you must take some additional steps to finish setting up the system software.

Installing the Network Controller Driver

Setup completed without auto-detecting the system's network controller. To enable networking, you must manually install the network controller driver software from diskette.

The network controller driver software is in a folder on the system's driver CD. First see the readme.txt file for information on creating a driver diskette using the makems.bat program. Then see the ms.txt file for information on installing the driver software using Network in the operating system Control Panel. Keep the driver diskette for use if you have to reinstall the operating system.

Creating an Emergency Repair Disk

If you did not create an Emergency Repair Disk during Setup, you should do so after completing Setup and configuring the system. See the operating system documentation and Help for information on creating an Emergency Repair Disk.

You can use the files on the Emergency Repair Disk to restore the contents of the operating system registry and the standard operating system driver software. You should update the Emergency Repair Disk frequently, especially after adding or changing system hardware or software.

Installing Driver Software

Driver software (or drivers) for most system components and peripheral devices was installed before shipment. You received a CD with your system that contains these drivers. Keep the driver CD in case you have to reinstall the operating system or drivers later.

Because of production timing, drivers for your system may have been revised after your system shipped from the factory. You should check SGI's online services for the latest versions of your system's drivers. If a later version of a driver is available, you can download it and install it on your system; keep it on diskette in case you need to reinstall it later. See the readme file delivered with a driver for installation instructions.

Installing QFE Software

Quick-Fix Engineering (QFE) software contains fixes for operating system problems or limitations; these fixes are required for proper operation of your system. QFE software, when required, is delivered on the system's driver CD, and additional QFE software may be delivered on diskette. If you received QFE software with your system, it was installed before shipment. Keep the QFE software in case you have to reinstall it or the operating system later.

Because of production timing, the QFE software for your system may have been revised after your system shipped from the factory. You should check SGI's online services for the latest version of the QFE software for your system. If a later version is available, you can download it and install it on your system; keep it on diskette in case you need to reinstall it later. See the readme file delivered with the QFE software for installation instructions.

What's Next?

See Chapter 3, “Configuring the System” to configure the system for use.

See Chapter 4, “Operating the System” for information on operating the system.

See Chapter 6, “Reinstalling the Operating System” if you need to reinstall the operating system and associated system software.

Prev Table of Contents Next
Chapter 1. Setting Up the Hardware  Chapter 3. Configuring the System 

Silicon Graphics Zx10 Visual Workstation Owner's Guide
(document number: 007-4327-002 / published: 2000-09-20)    table of contents  |  additional info  |  download

    Front Matter
    About This Guide
    Chapter 1. Setting Up the Hardware
    Chapter 2. Setting Up the Software
    Chapter 3. Configuring the System
    Chapter 4. Operating the System
    Chapter 5. Troubleshooting Operational Problems
    Chapter 6. Reinstalling the Operating System
    Chapter 7. Gaining Access to System Components
    Chapter 8. Upgrading the System
    Chapter 9. Servicing the System
    Chapter 10. System Hardware and Specifications
    Appendix A. Ergonomics Guide
    Index


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