Problem with SGI box and DF

[MAD-ness]

I am re-posting this from a post a team-mate made on another forum.

Anyone who knows about SGI systems and Irix, etc. know if this would even be supported and if so, what the possible problem might be?


hi all,

I thought I'd put my old SGI box to good use with the Distributed Folding client. Trouble is, it won't work. When I try to start the client, it responds:

./foldit: ./foldtrajlite: cannot execute

And nothing more. I was under the impression that the DF client would run on anything R5000/Irix 6.5 or better, so do any of you have any idea what the problem could be?

BTW, This is an Indy R5000 w/160MB RAM running Irix 6.5.12.

[bwkaz]

Is the executable format the same as what Irix can load and execute? For example, the Linux client is an ELF executable, and some (very old) kernels can't understand that file format. They only understand a.out executables.

I'm thinking that Irix might be the reverse of this problem; maybe the executable is a.out but the Irix kernel can't read it? What does file foldtrajlite tell you?

[Brian the Fist]

The IRIX binary uses the 64-bit ABI (Application Binary Interface) - is it possible your friend is running this on a 32-bit CPU? In that case, it likely won't run. (Like trying to run a Pentium optimized EXE on a 486).

[MAD-ness]

Yes.

:)


OK, I searched a little in SGI's docs and found this:

quote:Binary Compatibility

Includes both a 32-bit and a 64-bit runtime environment. Systems that use the 64-bit runtime environment support both 32-bit and 64-bit applications; systems that use the 32-bit runtime environment, such as the O2, will only support 32-bit applications.

Systems that support a 32-bit runtime
environment with 64-bit extensions*:

* Indigo R4000
* Indigo2
* Indy
* Challenge S/M R4000
* Indy/Challenge R5000
* O2 R5000
* O2 R10000

*64-bit extensions include support for
XFS filesystem and 64-bit long integers,
excluding 64-bit address spaces.

Systems that support a 64-bit runtime environment:

* Challenge R4000
* Onyx R4000
* POWER Indigo2
* POWER CHALLENGE
* POWER Onyx
* Indigo2 Extreme 10000
* Indigo2 IMPACT 10000
* Origin200
* Origin2000, Cray Origin2000
* Onyx2
* OCTANE


So it seems the Indy doesn't completely support 64-bit applications like the DF client. I'll keep SETI running on it for now. And maybe buy an Origin instead

This is what he had to say and it satisfied him atleast.

Thanks for the replies.