Page 1 (1-8 of 8 questions)Last Updated September 1, 2009
Q:
Why isn't there a DVD-based installation for the SPARC platform in the OpenSolaris 2009.06 release?
A:
The only interactive installer we have right now is the GUI used on the x86 live CD. The OpenSolaris OS has very limited support for SPARC graphics drivers, so a graphical installer for SPARC would currently be useful to very few people. Therefore, we focused initially on getting the Automated Installer running on SPARC, and opted to wait until we had a text-based interactive installer available to produce SPARC media. That project is in progress and expected to be ready later in 2009.
Dave Miner - August 28, 2009
Q:
The OpenSolaris Automated Installer is very different from JumpStart; why replace JumpStart?
A:
As we looked at the patching and upgrade problems in the Solaris OS, we concluded that some of the functionality was in the wrong place: The packaging system seemed insufficiently intelligent to update packages between versions efficiently, with upgrades and patches handled entirely by software layered above the packaging system. JumpStart's design was reflective of the old functionality split, and the introduction of the Image Packaging System (IPS) to handle the update and patching required a near-complete rewrite to accommodate it. As well, we see requirements for much greater ease of use, scalability and security in deployment infrastructures, and a requirement for customers to more easily create and deploy customized OS distributions. The Distribution Constructor and Automated Installer are designed to work together to meet those requirements and share underlying technology.
Dave Miner - August 28, 2009
Q:
Can I use the Automated Installer with DHCP servers for operating systems other than Solaris?
A:
Yes, the DHCP configuration required for AI is very limited and should be compatible with DHCP servers running Linux or Microsoft Windows operating systems. We don't have documentation available for this yet, but knowledgeable DHCP administrators should be able to configure DHCP appropriately based on the information provided by
installadm when it configures an AI service. We'd especially welcome community contributions of procedures used in configuring DHCP on other platforms to expand the documentation.
Dave Miner - August 28, 2009
Q:
When can we expect a text installation method? I love Caiman and all, but I need some text-mode love.
A:
The text installer is under development right now, expected to be available in OpenSolaris development builds late in 2009. You can see more details at
http://www.opensolaris.org/os/project/caiman/TextInstallerProject/.
Michael Carruthers - August 31, 2009
Q:
I'd like to say that the new OpenSolaris installer is fantastic, and a big improvement over the previous installer in the Solaris 10 OS. It's much easier to use, faster, and slicker. However, at present there is no way for an end user to do a minimal install - they are forced to install large amounts of software, such as X, GNOME, CUPS, etc.
A:
Whilst this is fine for people trying OpenSolaris out as a development platform, I believe more and more people are going to be deploying OpenSolaris servers. Our company for example is a mostly Solaris 10 shop, but we do have OpenSolaris on all our Sun Fire x4500 and x4540 servers. It makes no sense for us to set up an Automated Install server for OpenSolaris until we're rolling it out on a large numbers of servers, so we have no choice but to install all the software, and then disable all the services. We've tried un-installing unnecessary packages, but this just seems to break the system. A lot of end users will want to do a minimal install, to run on their NAS, or home server, or indeed on their Sun Fire x4500s or what have you. These users want a minimal install option. All other comparable Linux distributions aimed at servers provide a method of choosing what package set they get, for example "Desktop, Server or Minimal". ....OpenSolaris could very well be the shape of Solaris in the future. Therefore these features in the OpenSolaris installer are critical. I understand that one of the key goals of the new installer was to simplify things as much as possible, by minimising the number of options available. However there's a core difference between simplifying an installer, and removing choice. An "advanced options" tickbox on the splash screen of the installer would make perfect sense; it would not clutter the UI at all, would not confuse people, yet would enable a few additional screens that large numbers of "advanced users" want. Are there any plans for this sort of feature on the installer roadmap? If not, could this please be reconsidered, as I believe it is an essential feature of the OpenSolaris installer.
A long question, several points to answer!
- You are correct that OpenSolaris is the development base for the Solaris OS going forwards. Since the name for the product that will replace Solaris 10 for long-term support is something that won't be decided until much closer to release date, "Solaris Next" is the name that you'll see us use in the development mailing lists. Our primary focus in development at this time is to finish the basic features required for the users to whom we'll be marketing Solaris Next, including users such as yourself. The OpenSolaris Live CD is, as you observe, explicitly designed for developer desktop/laptop environments, not servers. - We're working on a text-based installer that will install a different basic package set, oriented at server users. I expect that this will be available as a separate media download in future OpenSolaris releases and should be closer to the basic install you're advocating. - We're not at this time exploring adding alternate paths through the graphical installer such as "advanced". Our philosophy with all of our interactive installer interfaces is to remain fairly minimal, focused on getting the system installed and then getting out of the way. Automated Installation is the solution most suited for extensive customization of an installation. - We actually expect that deploying an Automated Installation server should be simple and fast enough that it's useful for users with fewer than 10 systems to deploy, because data indicates that even users at that level would use and benefit from automation if it's made easy enough. We're not there yet, but Automated Installation is significantly easier for new users to set up than the older technologies used in Solaris 10, and should be made even better as we progress. Alasdair Lumsden - August 31, 2009
Q:
Is there a best (in the sense of easiest) way to move from the Solaris 10 OS to OpenSolaris?
A:
I've seen Bob Netherton's post about coexistence in ZFS and find that oddly appealing, but is there a better way? My primary concern is to bring across all the customization and configuration information more than anything else. Even a checklist for install and customize for the change would be nice.
Unfortunately, at this time we don't have a particularly clean or easy solution for
moving from Solaris 10 to OpenSolaris. This is something that is being worked on and
should improve, as we'll be adding more options for preservation of existing slices and
allowing for OpenSolaris to be installed in the same ZFS pool as Solaris 10. Bob's
posting (Solaris and OpenSolaris coexistence in the same root zpool) is as good an answer as there is for now.
Dan - August 31, 2009
Q:
Do you plan to include an Active Directory client that makes it simple for a
novice to bind an OpenSolaris computer to the domain?
Ubuntu includes Likewise Open, and it works very well.
I know that I can install Likewise Open myself, but I prefer that it come with the OS to reduce
the risk of OS patches disrupting login access for end users.
A:
Active Directory support has been available in OpenSolaris for quite some time in support
of the integrated CIFS client and server. Beginning with 2009.06 it is much more
straightforward to configure OpenSolaris as a client for user authentication thanks to
integration of Active Directory with the nameservice switch. I don't know of
particularly extensive how-to documentation on this topic yet, but you can start with the
ad(5) man page.
The main thing that I believe is not done yet is the use of AD for the printers database. Joseph Kotran - September 1, 2009
Q:
Is there any project at Sun to supply OpenSolaris right away as a server configuration (for web apps, etc.) without the whole X/desktop environment?
A:
The project you're interested in is the Text Installer, which is part of the Caiman project on OpenSolaris. It is focused on supplying a server-oriented installation that should meet your needs.
Arnaud Zieba - September 1, 2009
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