Know How OpenSolaris

Install

  • opensolaris.org/os/downloads/ download
  • Extract the .zip files, concat the files to one big .ISO, burn it to medium
  • Boot from the medium and follow instructions on screen
  • Edit grub to boot the other partitions.

Install trouble

  • My motherboard is ASUS P5WD2
  • Create sun partitions with another tool: The partitioner expects other partitions to start at partition 0. This is known bug (I found traces that it is known for ages that the Solaris partitioner does not work as expected). I had something at the end of the drive (and thus it used the last of the 4 partition entries) which was not detected by Solaris Express install. The standard fix was to manually create a Solaris partition using fdisk from a Linux boot (or with any other partition manager). The installer then can use this partition if it has the right type (linux fdisk knows about the ID).
  • Fix the GRUB menu: The sun BOOTADM detects all other active partitions, but does not support entries for them. Why? With chainloading it would be easy to boot those "unknown" partitions! So you have to add it yourself. I use makeactive, such that it remembers the last choice I did. At the end add via vi /boot/grub/menu.lst:
    title Linux
      rootnoverify (hd0,3)
      chainloader +1
      makeactive
  • Network card not detected: My network card was not detected. I simply saw nothing on the usual (like ifconfig). Boot explains nothing, too (dmesg). So I had to dig deeper.

Finding the apropriate network driver

The opensolaris documentation about troubleshooting NIC card problems is .. just not there. The apropriate FAQ entry is .. plain empty. 'Nuff said, so you are on your own to find how. Here was my way of doing it:

  • Fire up Google and try to find hints. Wield a machete to cut through the dschungle. The usual stuff at the beginning. Here what I did:
  • Look for the networking device:
    /usr/X11/bin/scanpci
    reveals
    pci bus 0x0001 cardnum 0x05 function 0x00: Vendor 0x11ab device 0x4320
     Marvell Technlogy Group Ltd. 88E8001 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
  • Look for the driver:
    prtconf -v
    under the node with name='model' where value='Ethernet controller' there is the information 'pci1043,811a (driver not attached)'.
  • I am still puzzled what this wants to say to me
  • I googled for the PCI ID of the device (pci1043,811a)
  • www.opensolaris.org/os/community/laptop/wireless/ndis/ There is some information how to get an NDIS driver (which is for Windows) running under Solaris.
  • solaris.reys.net/english/2006/04/a8n-sli_networking_in_solaris explains how to get on the drivers (if you are puzzled which one: They are all the same, just pick the first)
  • Installed it according to the readme which was enclosed. This revealed, that the driver SK98sol already is there. Sigh.
  • Following command shall do it:
    [ /usr/sbin/update_drv -a -i '"pci1043,811a"' sk98sol but it does not work. I am out.