Occasionally, you might need to install a patch on your SGI workstation. These patches are released by SGI to fix bugs, restore functionality, or fix security problems. Installing a patch is very similar to installing software, and the Software Manager makes your job a little easier.

Obtaining a Patch

You can obtain a needed patch from your SGI Authorized Caller. If you are an SGI Authorized Caller, then you can obtain patches from SGI's SurfZone website. You need to register yourself before you can enter the SurfZone; either your workstation's serial number or support contract number is needed to download patches.

Installing a Patch

Once you're downloaded the patch to your local machine, you can then install it using the Software Manager.

In this example, I am assuming you've made a directory called /tmp/SGIPatches, under which you've put the patch you've obtained from SGI or your Authorized Caller. If you've put the patch under a different directory, that's fine. Just substitute your directory name for /tmp/SGIPatches.

Start up the Software Manager by typing

swmgr

as root in a UNIX shell. Enter the directory under which the patch is installed (e.g. /tmp/SGIPatches) in the text box near the top of the screen (in the image below, /CDROM/dist is in the text box) and click the "Lookup" button with your mouse. The Software Manager will then start to read the distributions in that directory.

Since patches should only be installed when you're encountered a problem (SGI's words, not mine), patches are never part of a default installtion. This means you must use the custom installation method to install the patch.

Here are a few things to remember as you install the patch:

• Be certain to read the release notes (relnotes) that come with the patch!  These notes contain valuable information, such as known conflicts with other patches or software packages.
• Be certain to read the release notes (relnotes) that come with the patch. No, this is not a typo. It is listed twice because it is very important.

Once you have reached this point, you are ready to start the custom installation process, so you may click here to contine.