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May General Meeting
Silicon Graphics Pandemic Rescue!
How I saved my dream UNIX retro supercomputer from Down Under
Speaker: Rees Machtemes, President,
OT Engineering
Silicon Graphics is now no longer in business, but was once renowned for their hardware-accelerated realtime 3D computer graphics and virtual reality in the 1990s, including pioneering the famous OpenGL software framework. They are most famous for powering animation studios and special effects, like Industrial Light and Magic and Weta Digital, and many more. Of course, they ran UNIX on extremely powerful and expensive custom hardware, with a price tag to match. Since junior high school, I had always wanted an SGI. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I was determined to make my dream happen.
Join me for a fascinating journey on how I found my dream machine, an Onyx2 mini-bar fridge sized "Deskside" graphical supercomputer, in some Aussie bloke's shed. How did it go from being sold "as-is" on eBay for "local pickup only" to a successful power-on at my house in Canada years later? And what do I plan to do with this thing?
Rees is a professional engineer in Alberta with 20 years of industry experience in electric power generation and transmission substation design, food and beverage plant automation, telecommunications, data centres and IT support. He has a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta.
For the five years before he founded OT Engineering, Rees was a Director of Industrial Security at Waterfall Security Solutions and a member of their renowned Industrial Security Team of OT subject matter experts.
In his spare time, he tinkers with old Japanese cars and vintage computers.
707 Fifth
707 - 5 St. S.W.
Third floor conference room C
There is $3 parking after 16:00 one block south of the meeting location, at the Centennial Parkade (Lot 54).
5:30 PM, Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Snacks at 17:30. Meeting begins at 18:00.
Attendance is free for CUUG members, or $10 (cash or e-transfer) at the door for non-CUUG members.
RSVP to office at CUUG if you plan to attend.