Editing IRIX (section)

==History==
SGI originated the IRIX name in the 1988 release 3.0 of the operating system for the [[SGI IRIS 4D]] series of workstations and servers. Previous releases are identified only by the release number prefixed by "4D1-", such as "4D1-2.2". The "4D1-" prefix continued to be used in official documentation to prefix IRIX release numbers. Prior to the IRIS 4D, SGI bundled the GL2 operating system, based on [[UniSoft]] UniPlus [[System V Unix]], and using the proprietary [[MEX (windowing system)|MEX]] (Multiple EXposure) [[windowing system]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ryan.thoryk.com/sgi/irix_versions.html|title=History of IRIX|author=Ryan Thoryk|date=2021-10-07|access-date=2021-12-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bitsavers.org/pdf/sgi/iris/007-1103-010_IRIS_Programming_Tutorial_v1.0_1986.pdf|title=IRIS Programming Tutorial V1.0|date=1986|publisher=SGI|access-date=2021-12-25|website=Bitsavers}}</ref>

IRIX 3.x is based on [[UNIX System V]] Release 3 with [[4.3BSD]] enhancements, and incorporates the 4Sight [[windowing system]], based on [[NeWS]] and [[IRIS GL]]. SGI's own [[Extent File System]] (EFS) replaces the System V filesystem.<ref name="history">{{cite web
|url=https://ryan.tliquest.net/sgi/irix_versions.html|title=History of IRIX|access-date=November 18, 2022}}</ref>

IRIX 4.0, released in 1991, replaces 4Sight with the [[X Window System]] (X11R4), the [[4Dwm]] [[window manager]] providing a similar look and feel to 4Sight.<ref name="history"/>

IRIX 5.0, released in 1993, incorporates certain features of UNIX System V Release 4, including [[Executable and Linkable Format|ELF]] executables.<ref name=bs-irix/><ref>[http://irix7.com/techpubs/007-4658-001.pdf 64-bit ELF Object File Specification] (Silicon Graphics)</ref><ref name=irixhistory/> IRIX 5.3 introduced the [[XFS]] [[journaling file system]].<ref name=irixhistory/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://xfs.org/docs/xfsdocs-xml-dev/XFS_User_Guide/tmp/en-US/html/ch01s02.html |title=xFS: The Extension of EFS - "x" for To-be-Determined (but the Name Stuck) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714224038/http://xfs.org/docs/xfsdocs-xml-dev/XFS_User_Guide/tmp/en-US/html/ch01s02.html |archive-date=2014-07-14 |website=XFS.org}}</ref>

In 1994, IRIX 6.0 added support for the 64-bit MIPS [[R8000]] processor, but is otherwise similar to IRIX 5.2. Later 6.x releases support other members of the MIPS processor family in 64-bit mode. IRIX 6.3 was released for the [[SGI O2]] workstation only.<ref name=irixhistory>{{cite web
|url=http://www.sgistuff.net/software/irixhistory/index.html
|title=SGIstuff : Software : Irix Versions
|access-date=November 2, 2007
}}</ref> IRIX 6.4 improved [[multiprocessor]] scalability for the [[SGI Octane|Octane]], [[SGI Origin 2000|Origin 2000]], and [[SGI Onyx2|Onyx2]] systems. The Origin 2000 and Onyx2 IRIX 6.4 was marketed as "Cellular IRIX", although it only incorporates some features from the original Cellular IRIX [[distributed operating system]] project.<ref>{{cite conference |author=S. Whitney |author2=J. McCalpin |author3=N. Bitar |author4=J. L. Richardson |author5=L. Stevens |title="The SGI Origin software environment and application performance" |conference=Proceedings IEEE COMPCON 97 Digest of Papers |location=San Jose, CA, USA |date=February 1997 |page=165-170 |doi=10.1109/CMPCON.1997.584691 |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/584691 |website=ieeexplore.ieee.org|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sgi.com/Products/hardware/servers/products/Irix.html|website=sgi.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980203211033/http://www.sgi.com/Products/hardware/servers/products/Irix.html|title=Irix(TM) 6.4|archive-date=February 3, 1998|author=[[Silicon Graphics]]|date=1998}}</ref>

The last major version of IRIX is 6.5, released in May 1998. New minor versions of IRIX 6.5 were released every quarter until 2005, and then four minor releases.<ref name=bs-irix/> Through version 6.5.22, there are two branches of each release: a [[maintenance release]] (identified by an "m" suffix) that includes only fixes to the original IRIX 6.5 code, and a feature release (with an "f" suffix) that includes improvements and enhancements. An overlay upgrade from 6.5.x to the 6.5.22 maintenance release was available as a free download, whereas versions 6.5.23 and higher required an active Silicon Graphics support contract.

A 2001 ''[[Computerworld]]'' review found IRIX in a "critical" state. SGI had been moving its efforts to [[Linux]] and the [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]-based [[SGI Visual Workstation]] but MIPS and IRIX customers convinced SGI to continue to support its platform through 2006.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2584450/vital-signs-for-unix.html|title=Vital Signs for Unix|author=Tom Yager|newspaper=[[Computerworld]]|date=November 19, 2001|access-date=November 18, 2022}}</ref> On September 6, 2006, an SGI press release announced the end of the MIPS and IRIX product lines.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.sgi.com/support/mips_irix.html
|title=SGI - Services & Support: End of General Availability for MIPS IRIX Products
|access-date=November 2, 2007
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071019230510/http://www.sgi.com/support/mips_irix.html |archive-date = October 19, 2007}}</ref> Production ended on December 29, 2006, with final deliveries in March 2007, except by special arrangement. Support for these products ended in December 2013 and they will receive no further updates.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.sgi.com/services/support/irix_mips_support.html
|title=SGI Support of MIPS® IRIX® Products Changes December 2013
|access-date=March 3, 2014}}
</ref>

Much of IRIX's core technology has been open sourced and ported by SGI to Linux,<ref name=irixlinux>{{cite journal|url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/article/4421|journal=[[Linux Journal]]|title=Porting from IRIX to Linux|author=George Koharchik|date=January 31, 2001|access-date=August 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041226003358/https://www.linuxjournal.com/article/4421|archive-date=December 26, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sgi.com/software/lsf/|website=sgi.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011211125640/http://www.sgi.com/software/lsf/|title=Load Sharing Facility|archive-date=December 11, 2001|author=[[Silicon Graphics]]|date=2001}}</ref><ref name=seddon/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sgi.com/products/software/opengl/overview.html|title=SGI – OpenGL Overview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041031094901/http://www.sgi.com/products/software/opengl/overview.html|archive-date=October 31, 2004|access-date=August 20, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=July 31, 2006|title=OpenGL ARB to Pass Control of OpenGL Specification to Khronos Group|url=https://www.khronos.org/news/press/opengl_arb_to_pass_control_of_opengl_specification_to_khronos_group|access-date=August 20, 2024|website=The Khronos Group|language=en}}</ref> including XFS.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://olstrans.sourceforge.net/release/OLS2000-xfs/OLS2000-xfs.html | title= Porting XFS to Linux | website= Olstrans.SourceForge.net | date= 2000-07-21 | access-date= 2024-08-19 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130225112334/http://olstrans.sourceforge.net/release/OLS2000-xfs/OLS2000-xfs.html | archive-date= 2013-02-25 | url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/ChangeLog-2.4.25 | title= Linux kernel 2.4.25 changelog | website= [[kernel.org]] | date= 2004-02-18 | access-date= 2024-08-19 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140819083123/https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/ChangeLog-2.4.25 | archive-date= 2014-08-19 | url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Common threads: Advanced filesystem implementor's guide, Part 9, Introducing XFS |author= Daniel Robbins |work= Developer Works |publisher= IBM |date= January 1, 2002 |url= http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-fs9/index.html | access-date=August 19, 2024 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150904032700/http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-fs9/index.html| archive-date= September 4, 2015 }}</ref>

In 2009, SGI filed for bankruptcy and then was purchased by [[Rackable Systems]],<ref>{{cite press release|url = http://www.sgi.com/company_info/newsroom/press_releases/2009/april/rackable.html|title = Rackable Systems Announces Agreement to Acquire Silicon Graphics Inc.|access-date = August 20, 2024|date = April 1, 2009|publisher = Silicon Graphics}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|url = http://www.rackable.com/news/pressrelease.aspx?prid=693|title = Rackable Systems Completes Acquisition of Silicon Graphics Assets|access-date = August 20, 2024|date = May 11, 2009|publisher = [[Rackable Systems]]|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090511040251/http://www.rackable.com/news/pressrelease.aspx?prid=693|archive-date = May 11, 2009|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|url = http://www.rackable.com/news/pressrelease.aspx?prid=699|title = Rackable Systems Receives Court Approval to Purchase Silicon Graphics Assets|access-date = August 20, 2024|date = April 30, 2009|publisher = [[Rackable Systems]]|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090514034511/http://www.rackable.com/news/pressrelease.aspx?prid=699|archive-date = May 14, 2009|url-status = dead}}</ref> which was later purchased by [[Hewlett Packard Enterprise]] in 2016.<ref name="HPE-SGI">{{cite press release
 | url         = https://www.hpe.com/us/en/newsroom/news-archive/press-release/2016/08/1272793-hewlett-packard-enterprise-to-acquire-sgi-to-extend-leadership-in-high-growth-big-data-analytics-and-high-performance-computing.html
 | title       = Hewlett Packard Enterprise to Acquire SGI to Extend Leadership in High-Growth Big Data Analytics and High-Performance Computing
 | accessdate  = 2024-08-20
 | date        = 2016-08-11
 | publisher   = Hewlett Packard Enterprise
 | url-status  = dead
 | archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20160911162616/https://www.hpe.com/us/en/newsroom/news-archive/press-release/2016/08/1272793-hewlett-packard-enterprise-to-acquire-sgi-to-extend-leadership-in-high-growth-big-data-analytics-and-high-performance-computing.html
 | archivedate = 2016-09-11}}</ref><ref name="HPE-SGI-done">{{cite press release
 | url         = https://www.hpe.com/us/en/newsroom/news-archive/press-release/2016/11/Hewlett-Packard-Enterprise-Completes-Acquisition-of-SGI.html
 | title       = Hewlett Packard Enterprise Completes Acquisition of SGI
 | accessdate  = 2024-08-20
 | date        = 2016-11-01
 | publisher   = Hewlett Packard Enterprise
 | url-status  = dead
 | archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20161103234625/https://www.hpe.com/us/en/newsroom/news-archive/press-release/2016/11/Hewlett-Packard-Enterprise-Completes-Acquisition-of-SGI.html
 | archivedate = 2016-11-03}}</ref> All SGI hardware produced after 2007 is based on either [[IA-64]] or [[x86-64]] architecture, so it is incapable of running IRIX and is instead intended for [[Red Hat Enterprise Linux]] or [[SUSE Linux Enterprise Server]].<ref>{{Cite news |title= New Deskside Silicon Graphics Prism System Offers Double the Memory of IBM and HP Systems |work= News release |date= April 26, 2005 |url= http://www.sgi.com/company_info/newsroom/press_releases/2005/april/prism_deskside.html |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20050427113159/http://www.sgi.com/company_info/newsroom/press_releases/2005/april/prism_deskside.html |archive-date= April 27, 2005 |access-date= August 20, 2024 }}</ref><ref>[[Silicon Graphics|Silicon Graphics, Inc.]] (14 November 2005). ''SGI Launches New Flagship Altix 4000 Platform''. ([[Press release]]).</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sgi.com/support/mips_irix.html |title=End of General Availability for MIPS IRIX Products |access-date=August 20, 2024 |publisher=Silicon Graphics |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426090853/http://www.sgi.com/support/mips_irix.html |archive-date=April 26, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.hpcwire.com/features/Back_to_the_Future_SGI_Returns_to_Visualization.html
|title=Back to the Future: SGI Returns to Visualization
|date=2008-04-11
|work=HPCwire
|accessdate=2024-08-20
}}</ref><ref name="altix-uv-pr">{{cite web|url=http://www.sgi.com/company_info/newsroom/press_releases/2009/november/altix_uv.html|title=SGI Unveils Altix UV, the World's Fastest Supercomputer|date=2009-11-16|work=www.sgi.com|publisher=[[Silicon Graphics International]]|accessdate=2024-08-20| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20091121150316/http://www.sgi.com/company_info/newsroom/press_releases/2009/november/altix_uv.html| archivedate= November 21, 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> HPE has not stated any plans for IRIX development or source code release.