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3. Resources (Solaris x86 FAQ)
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3. Resources (Solaris x86 FAQ)
(3.0) RESOURCES (3.1) What web and FTP sites do I need to know about?
(3.2) How do I subscribe to the Solaris/x86 mailing list?
Subscribe by sending an e-mail message to <solarisx86-subscribe@yahoogroups.com> or visit Yahoo Groups' Solaris x86 web page at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/solarisx86/ You DON'T have to register to join the list, but you do have to register to read the list archives on the web (sorted by thread and date)
Sun maintains a similar "Solaris on Intel" discussion forum. To access it, go to http://forum.sun.com/ and select "Solaris x86 Platform Edition".
A web-based forum, covering SPARC and x86, is at http://www.solarisforums.com/
(3.3) Where can I obtain Solaris 2/x86 maintenance updates?
Starting with Solaris 7, Sun includes the drivers in the Maintenance Updates (MUs) and updated versions of the OS.
[Thanks to Alan Coopersmith]
(3.4) Where can I obtain Solaris x86 patches?
The Solaris x86 driver updates can be obtained by HTTP from: ftp://sunsolve.Sun.COM/
A listing sorted by release is available by clicking on "Patches" at the SunSolve web page, http://sunsolve.Sun.COM/
Pointers to patches, including one huge *_x86_Recommended.tar.Z file for each release. This directory is publicly accessible--it doesn't require you to be a contract customer. Patches are also available locally at many SunSites.
The "showrev -p" command shows what patches you have installed.
All files replaced by a patch are saved under /var/sadm/patch/ or /var/sadm/pkg/
For Solaris 10, consider using "Sun Update Connection." It's a GUI that manages your patches (similar to MS Windows and Linux update managers). Once installed, just click on the GUI or run "/usr/bin/updatemanager from the command line. It's available for free download from http://www.sun.com/service/sunupdate/ You need to be registered (free), and security and public patches are free. Other patches require a service contract. Currently, Sun Update Connection is available only for Solaris 10, but if not patched it doesn't work (hangs) with Solaris zones (bug). I recommend only applying critical security patches and patches for specific problems you've had. Don't blindly apply all patches.
(3.5) How can I obtain freeware, shareware, and GNU software on a CD-ROM?
Solaris 8 comes with some GNU utilities, such as gzip and less. More binary packages for GNU and other Open Source software are in a separate CD. The CD is installed after Solaris is installed. The packages on the CD all start with "SFW" (SFW stands for "Sun Freeware").
For older versions of Solaris, Micromata of Kassel, Germany offers its "Summertime" CD with precompiled software for Solaris SPARC and Intel, http://www.micromata.com/summertime/
See question 3.1 above for FTP and web software sites.
(3.6) What UNIX-like operating systems are available on x86?
Note that the open source versions can also be purchased on CD-ROM, which is a convenient way to get it. For Linux, there are multiple vendors selling CD-ROMs (e.g., RedHat, http://www.redhat.com/). Other systems are over the horizon, in beta, or for teaching/research. E.g., GNU's HURD http://www.gnu.ai.mit.edu/software/hurd/, Tanenbaum's Minix http://www.cs.vu.nl/~ast/minix.html, or Lucent/Bell Labs' Plan 9, http://plan9.bell-labs.com/
(3.7) What books are available on Solaris x86?
(3.8) What magazine articles are available on Solaris x86?
"Sun injects Solaris X86 with new life as it makes its way to 64 bits" Sun World. Feb. 1997 by Rick Cook. http://www.Sun.COM/sunworldonline/swol-02-1997/swol-02-solarisX86.html
Note: please send other submissions to Dan Anderson at http://dan.drydog.com/comment.html
(3.9) What's new for Solaris 10?
Solaris 10 for x86 was released in 2005. Solaris 10 features include: an improved TCP/IP stack ("Fire Engine"), "Solaris Zones" (partitioning software that's sort of like an enhanced chroot jail--one kernel, many OS instances), "ZFS" Dynamic File System, (mirroring, volume management, performance, scalability, and reliability improvements) "FMA/Greenline" with self-healing features and fault management, NFS v4, Gnome 2, DTrace diagnostic software, AMD64 support, and Linux binary support.
Solaris 10 06/06 now uses GRUB for x86 booting, along with support for ZFS (Zettabyte 128-bit Filesystem), and lxrun (to run Linux binaries).
Solaris 10 x86 is available at http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/binaries_program.xml
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