Solaris Express 6/2005 (a.k.a. Nevada Build 15) was posted today, providing a host of improvements including aggressive use of large pages, desktop enhancements, the “Nemo” (GLDv3) network driver framework, DTrace enhancements, and a host of bug fixes. You can obtain a free download. An overview of new features is available.
Solaris Express 6/2005 Released
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Eugenia Loli
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Isn’t there more news out there? Does every patch need a headline these days?
No, this is a site dedicated primarily to operating systems… There is not much news unless if you want them to post everyone’s new linux OS they compiled that they are trying sell (And rip people off).. then there would be no room for other important players!
Does is still require that users edit config files for everything instead of using GUI tools? If so, then keep it.
I find it funny that Sun tries to market Solaris as a desktop solution (in addition to its classic role as a server). It’s all over their spiffy website.
We did make progress on the install speed a few builds back, by making sure that CD/DVD DMA is always enabled. We’ve got some further ideas in this space, but they have not yet born fruit.
Only one note: it’s actually build 16 (like mentioned in Alan’s blog) and it’s been available for some time now (not that much though), the link being also on the opensolaris.org site.
Looking forward to more outstanding releases like this.
Out of pure curiosity. Is there a place on opensolaris.org where we can ask for enhancements?
First one will be a ‘lost’ feature: multiple consoles (solaris had this up until SunOS 5.7 IIRC).
Second one: LVM, this is very important, as everything that we have here on Linux is on LVM.
Third: ext3?!? Come-on a Linux -> Solaris migration would be easier to test like this. There was a read-only driver some time ago, maybe that one can be revived.
As I said above: looking forward to more releases.
If by LVM you mean Logical Volume Manager then this has been available from Sun since before the fist line of Linux code was ever written. It has been available under various monkiers (ODS, SDS, DiskSuite, LVM). It has been a core part of Solaris at least since Solaris 9 (it might have been Solaris 8).
You can install onto mirrored root and swap devices, you can even have them created in a fully hands of jumpstart.
As for ext3 there is a read/write driver out there somewhere. There are issues with including this in Solaris though because the ext3 code is GPL and it is a kernel module. My interpretation of the GPL (#include <ianal.h>) is such that even though the Solaris VFS layer interfaces are now CDDL the GPL wouldn’t allow this mixing due to its restrictions (not ones in CDDL).
Lunch with Architects No(Free version) Yes(Paid Version). So this means I get to go for lunch for 99$. Isn’t bad if they take me to my favourite place.
It is in fact Build 15, not 16 as you state. I do know what I’m doing, some days, anyway
But I know this is confusing.
The OpenSolaris community will have the most bleeding of the bleeding edge releases. Solaris Express will lag behind just slightly, and is managed for quality, includes documentation, release notes, etc.
We’ll try to make this more clear going forward, but it’s all be a bit of a rush getting OpenSolaris.org started up. Thanks!
I think they want to be able to either use directly or at least covert/import LVM formatted volumes for use on OpenSolaris, same with ext3.
At this stage you pretty much have to duplicate your drives under Solaris and copy over your data from the Linux host you’re converting from via NFS or some other mechanism, and even then you need to duplicate the volume structure using Solaris native tools and volume manager.
Does it still take ages to install?
Uh, as long as you enabled DMA, it never did. At least not for me. Takes about 30-40 minutes to do a complete install from DVD with DMA enabled. DMA can be manually enabled with Solaris 10 GA it just isn’t by default.
solaris rules~! long live solaris
who don’t care for solaris, quit your complaining and use something else.
Just because you don’t know how to do stuff in solaris (meaning you are ignorant) you should not step on the soap box and tell people you think it sucks.
What I think is that people who do this don’t really know what they want and they try one os install after another…what the heck is the point of this exercise…are you practicing to be a processional desktop OS installer? I’m sure lots of money can be made.
For people more serious, you know who you are, you know the value of Solaris. I’m glad it’s free, and I like using it. We use it at work, and by doing stuff at home and practicing I am better able to support my systems at work.
Not everyone thinks Linux is the Swiss army knife. It has it’s uses, I like it, but I also like Solaris.
The right tool for the right job.
Peace.
The last build wouldn’t boot on the only spare machine I have…an old Aopen mx59 pro motherbooard. Too bad.
Just because you don’t know how to do stuff in solaris (meaning you are ignorant) you should not step on the soap box and tell people you think it sucks.
I’m an admin.
But you’re right. I was going to write a long overly-critical post about how Sun could improve Solaris. But I won’t. I’ll just keep quiet and sit back and enjoy the game.
Actually, I’ll get back to hacking on my Linux.. so much fun. *purrr*
Ignorance is bliss, isn’t it?
Posted by S (IP: —.try.wideopenwest.com)
Just because you don’t know how to do stuff in solaris (meaning you are ignorant) you should not step on the soap box and tell people you think it sucks.
I think “S” is having a bad day?!? IMHO this responce to a valid question was alittle harsh.
Posted by yawn (IP: —.hsd1.ca.comcast.net)
… I was going to write a long overly-critical post about how Sun could improve Solaris. …
Don’t go away mad, I think the Sun and OpenSolaris folks would like to here your suggestions on how to improve Solaris/OpenSolaris….Sans too much “overly-critical” opinion, but I’m sure constructive criticism is more than welcome. Maybe they can answer some questions/assist in solving problems you may have?
But then, maybe “ignorance is bliss”…in the short term anyway. Enjoy your Linux hacking
Now back to Solaris Express…I for one am very pleased to see how SX is evolving (as a Solaris GA user) and I’m sure we’ll be seeing OpenSolaris contributions shortly and maybe some of the constructive criticism from others I mentioned previously.
GO*NIX
(Please, let us not spend too much time on rhetoric…)
RJW, we’d love to have you involved with OpenSolaris and/or Solaris– so if you could get us some details about the problem, we’d appreciate it. It could also be that the New Boot architecture in 6/2005 will help. Feel free to come over to http://www.opensolaris.org and either post a message, or file a bug report (at http://bugs.opensolaris.org ). I took a look at the specs of the Aopen MX59 Pro, and didn’t see any specific reason it wouldn’t work. Which CPU do you have plugged in there?
I also found the MX59 Pro II on the Solaris Hardware Compatibility List. I couldn’t immediately work out how significant the differences between Pro and Pro II might be: http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/hcl/data/sol/components/details/318.htm…
It may be as simple as adding a driver, or you might have found a more substantial problem. We’d love to know what that is. Thanks!
Just because you don’t know how to do stuff in solaris (meaning you are ignorant) you should not step on the soap box and tell people you think it sucks.
I’m an admin.
But you’re right. I was going to write a long overly-critical post about how Sun could improve Solaris. But I won’t. I’ll just keep quiet and sit back and enjoy the game.
Actually, I’ll get back to hacking on my Linux.. so much fun. *purrr*
Ignorance is bliss, isn’t it?
I bet my house (OK, apartement) that you will NOT keep your promise, and will, instead, come back spouting your ignorance on these boards, in the very near future. Guys like you are so acutely aware of their insignificance that they will use any opportunity to sound off, if only to demonstrate what majestic assholes they are.
Does is still require that users edit config files for everything instead of using GUI tools? If so, then keep it.
I find it funny that Sun tries to market Solaris as a desktop solution (in addition to its classic role as a server). It’s all over their spiffy website.
Why do you need a GUI to get things done?
Read the documentation, and implement the stuff you want; soon enough you’ll be doing all this off the top of your head.
Thing I love to Solaris, install it, and it just keeps running; as a server, its bloody awesome, as a desktop/workstation, it still needs more work, but it is getting there, gradually (in a slow and painful speed one might add).
I find it funny that Sun tries to market Solaris as a desktop solution (in addition to its classic role as a server). It’s all over their spiffy website.
I just want to point out four things about Solaris as a desktop OS.
1. As a developer and a tinkerer, it is a highly useful platform, due to the focus on observability. I never lack the tools to understand what my system is doing. It is also fast, free, and stable.
2. Thousands of people at Sun use Solaris as a desktop. Many use Sun Ray appliances, and Sun has saved a ton of money as the result of not having to repair, cool and power thousands of relatively complex desktop systems. The repair procedure for the Sun Ray is to walk to the nearest “repair station,” fetch a new one, and plug it in. The user session resumes where it left off since the appliance is stateless. I’d say that the acquisition of Tarantella ( http://www.tarantella.com/ ) underscores that strategy.
3. I went to http://www.sun.com/solaris and I counted effectively only one mention of “desktop” on the page, in a link to another page. Sure, there are pages which explain what desktop technologies exist in Solaris, but they are hardly a shoutfest as is implied by the above comment. It seems like the poster is upset about a marketing campaign which does not seem to me to exist.
4. To the Solaris advocates who have often replied “Who needs GUIs? Bah!” Well, I respectfully disagree. We need to make software more easily accessible because that drives down everyone’s cost, and increases adoption.
Thanks,
-dp
Sigh, another release I cannot use. I hope OpenSolaris grows a working 19160 driver. In the meantime I’ll keep using FreeBSD and Linux. Solaris’ x86 weakness has always been its abysmal hardware support, and it seems it’s still the case.
Dan,
I think part of the confusion here is the definition of “desktop” based on who is using it and what you are trying to achieve. As a system administrator, I spend the vast majority of my time using SSH and running commands from a CLI session (PuTTy, dtterm, etc.). I also have a Sun Ray on my desk and use it to access the HIGH side network, and for the vast majority of what I do is through several dtterm windows. I also work in an environment where X is viewed as “bad”, so the use of X is limited.
Using Solaris as a desktop replacement for Windows, I think there is some room for improvement. But I also understand where Sun is coming from in terms of desktop usability and I think that point gets lost on many. There are major differences between corporate and individual desktops. For the most part I personally could use either CDE or JDS with minor issues, but I understand that I won’t be able to play Unreal Tournament 2004 and possibly play some multimedia content. But this is me and for many “your mileage may vary”.
That is my two cents on GUI versus non-GUI.
I think it all starts to make more sense once you replace ‘desktop’ with ‘corporate desktop’, which is where I believe our JDS* offerings (and Solaris-based is one of them) are mostly targeted.
Corporate desktop == limited set of certified applications (which unfortunately typically doesn’t include UT2004 =), administered by IT folks
Thanks,
Dmitri
Java2D Team
I am very pleased with the direction that Solaris has taken. It has caused me to take a second look at it when evaluating what o/s to use on a particular project. Several gripes I have are that keeping the distribution minimized is very hard. I like the fact that Solaris now comes with a very minimal install, but after you tack on apps necessary to make zones work, I might as well installed the end user cluster. Could you guys look into making it much easier to minimize Solaris. Also more drivers. It sucks that I use Solaris x86 and have to use end user built drivers for something as popular as a Dell 8500 laptop. Logging also needs to change. Maybe take a look at Red Hats model (it is more logical than the current Solaris model). That is all.
http://www.hup.hu/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=9065