Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!serval!yoda.eecs.wsu.edu!rnelson
From: rnelson@yoda.eecs.wsu.edu (Roger Nelson - Grad Student)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Re: Reboot Key sequence
Message-ID: <1991Apr29.213439.15902@serval.net.wsu.edu>
Date: 29 Apr 91 21:34:39 GMT
References: <1991Apr29.124821@ncd18a.cs.Virginia.EDU>
Sender: news@serval.net.wsu.edu (USENET News System)
Organization: Washington State University
Lines: 26

In article <1991Apr29.124821@ncd18a.cs.Virginia.EDU> you write:
>Is there a reboot key sequence such that for example when a machine locks up I
>can press a couple of keys instead of hitting the reset button?
>

Good heavens NO!    UNIX != MS-DOS

You should avoid resetting your SGI's at all costs.  
Resetting the machine without shutting down UNIX can cause serious
file system damage (In most cases, UNIX will do a pretty good job of
fixing things, however).

If your graphics console is locking up, you should have a terminal in
serial port 1 with which you can bring the system down nicely.  An
inexpensive terminal is well worth the time and aggrevation of 
reinstalling software and recovering from damaged file systems.

If the machine is locking up, you are doing something wrong, or there
is something wrong with the OS, or you are playing around with 
root priviledges <- I bet it's this one :-).

You should only use the magic button or power down if you are not able
to login from a terminal on a serial port.

I have only had to reset our machines once in the last six months when
I incorrectly mounted a harddisk partition.