It is known that BusinessObjects servers products like Webintelligence are available on some Unix platforms such as Solaris, HP-UX or more recently Linux for the XI. What it is less known, is that, from the past, BusinessObjects also marketed Unix versions of its clients products (reporter, designer, supervisor, etc...)

In fact, old BusinessObjects 4.1 full client release was also available on AIX, HP-UX, Solaris 2.51 & IRIX 6.2. It is on this last operating system we will try to install a BusinessObjects 4.1 Unix pack.

• 195 Mhz RISC Processor, 175 Mo of RAM, 4 Go of hard Disk.... It was in 1995 all the same!
   

• IRIX 6.5 Operating System (Silicon Graphics personal Unix System)
   

• The Root account needed to perform the install.
   

• The BusinessObjects 4.1 Unix install CD-Rom

Nota : Like any BusinessObjects software, this one requires two serial numbers to activate, during the setup process, the BusinessObjects modules as well as the data sources access (Oracle, Sybase, etc...)

We finaly obtained the needed BusinessObjects 4.1 Unix special keys in an official way via the BusinessObjects licensing service which I would like to thank here again !

2) Copy the install files from the BusinessObjects CD-ROM to the Silicon Graphics workstation

• If your Silicon Graphic have a CD-ROM drive :

In this case, simply introduce the BusinessObjects 4.1 Unix CD-ROM into the drive. Then, in a Unix Shell Window, go in the corresponding IRIX 6.2 directory of your CD-ROM and in the Setup subfolder.

• If you don't have a CD-ROM drive on your Silicon Graphic.

In this case, a little more complicated, you need a DOS/Windows Personal Computer having a CD-ROM drive and a network card, and linked to your Silicon Graphic with a cross-cable or a hub. A file transfert software will ensures the files transfert from the PC to a temporary directory of your Silicon Graphic (/tmp for example)

You need first to configure the IP adress of the PC and the Silicon Graphic in order they can see each other through the network or the cross-cable. We can check it, once linked, using the Ping command between the two computers.

Used IP adress :

• 158.157.248.8 for the DOS/Windows PC

• 158.157.248.9 for the Silicon Graphics

• Sub-Network mask : 255.255.255.0

Once it is done, we can transfert, using an FTP software the BusinessObjects install directory and files from the Personal Computer CD-ROM to the Silicon Graphic /tmp directory.

Nota : If you don't have a CD-ROM drive and use the FTP transfert from a PC, you will face during setup small case troubles.

Explanation : DOS/Windows and Unix systems don't manage case (difference between tiny and capital letters in filenames) in the same way. Then, the files transfered via FTP will see their names forced in small letters when they perhaps had on Unix one or more capital letter characters. We will explain you later how to solve such case...

3) Lauching setup program

Once files and directory moved from the CD-ROM to the /tmp directory, go to /tmp using Shell Window and enter the following commande :

This command will avoid possible rights troubles on install directory and files giving them all rights.

Then, lauch the Setup program

A first error message informs us the script can't manage to localise the Setup.mes file.

We have here the first illustration of the previously mentioned case trouble. The Setup.mes file on the install CD-ROM has became setup.mes (Without Capital S) during the FTP transfert and the script, looking for Setup.mes, can't find it. Then, open another Shell Window, go to the subdirectory where the setup.mes is and rename it Setup.mes using the following command :

Launch again the Setup program

Another error message is diplayed, proof that if the Setup.mes file is now well found, we face another problem...

Using more setup command, we are able to display the setup file content and we see that it is not a binary files but a text format script shell.

The setup script aims to check the platform type (AIX, HP-UX, SunOs or IRIX) using the UNAME system variable, and, depending of his value, to set some variables needed by the setup script.

Written to IRIX release 6.2, the UNAME variable had IRIX value on this release while under IRIX release 6.5, the UNAME value is now IRIX64. This is why we face this error message.

We have now to edit the setup script using text editor like VI...

...and search and replace all IRIX string chains by IRIX64 (there are only 2 occurences). Then, save the edited setup script and start it again.

Once fonts put into cache, we find again the well-know BusinessObjects setup wizard with an old Windows 3.1 look and fell...

Click on Begin to start...

Let's start the setup process filling in the users and firms names in the corresponfing fields.

Enter the following paths :

Main BusinessObjects Folder : /opt/bo

BusinessObjects Shared Folder : /opt/bo/ShData

And click on Next

Nota : Because of rights troubles, the setup program should not be able to create iself the bo directory. In this case, manualy create it yourself using mkdir bo command before at the right place under /opt and launch again the setup program.

On this screen, BusinessObjects setup program show you the products you will be able to install with the serial number you entered previously. By default, all checkbox are checked.

At data access level, the checkbox buton is grayed, which means that only few DataAcess entries are available. In fact, the serial number provided by the BusinessObjects licencing service only activate the Oracle Middleware

Then, click on Install to launch the installation

Then, setup carry on with the file copy operation.

Nota : If you have transfered the installation files using an FTP software, it is now you will probably face other case troubles and file localization. (Objects.lsi on disk1, Makefile on disk3, font afm, help files...)

At each error message, localise the file having trouble, see with which case it is awaited, and, in another Command window, change it case via the command:

# mv badecase.ext BadeCase.Ext

Before launching BusinessObjects, some environment variables must be initialized using the files borc.sh or borc.csh according to the type of used shell.

Like the previous Setup script file, borc.sh and borc.csh are two Shell scripts usng also the UNAME variable and value IRIX64 to identify the platform.

Then, in the same way than previously, edit borc.sh and borc.csh using a text editor text olike VI, and replace all IRIX string found by IRIX64 and save the modified scripts.

Enter the following commands to initialize the environment needed by BusinessObjects execution :

# setenv BOHOME /opt/bo

# source $BOHOME/borc.csh

5) BusinessObjects first start

At the end, launch BusinessObjects using command :

# ./busobj

Nota : You can change the default Windows 3.1 Look & Feel Windows 3.1 into motif clicking in the left higher corner of the window and choosing Change Look and Motif.

Warning : Because we have no Oracle Client on this Silicon Graphic workstation, we will not be able to connect to a repository or create a query using an Univers.

In the same way than previously, launch the designer program with the command:

In the same way than previously, launch the Supervisor program with the command:

Here also, because we don't have an Oracle client software, the repository connexion is not possible and, due to this, the program launching itself.

The only thing which can be done is launching the Repository creation wizard entering :

User Name : GENERAL

Password : SUPERVISOR

But it will not succeed because of the missing Oracle client software.