Huawei ... "avoided"

This time I didn't wanted to spent my Time on configuring my UMTS-USB-Modem and all the necessary Scripts to dial in. Instead I am just using the Internet-Connection (via UMTS-USB-Modem) of my Windows XP Notebook.
That's really simple to set up. Just right-click on the Dial-In-Connection and enable "Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)". This creates a Server (with DHCP-Service and the IP-Adress 192.168.0.1) behind an other Networkport (Ethernet or WLAN). Opensolaris will get all the necessary Data (IP-Adress, DNS and Defaultroute, etc.) automatically via NWAM.
But if you want to use SSH and/or VNC with your machine, you have to find out the IP-Adress. Since it gets its Adress from the DHCP-Service it will be always a different one. To find out the IP-Adress simply start the Command-Prompt on the Windows-Machine and type "arp -a". This shows the IP-Adress of the connected Machine (if there's only one Machine connected, like in my Case).

A new Shutdown Bug

After installing Opensolaris 2009.06 and playing around a little bit, I wanted to re-activate my old CIFS-Share to backup my Windows Notebook with Sync Toy to the Share.
I installed the Packages, updated pam.conf, resetted the Password of the User and enabled sharing. All was fine and the Backup run smoothly.
But unfortounatly the Machine did not shutdown after work was done and I told it to do so. There was no Errormessage ... nothing, it just did nothing. Since I only added the CIFS-Stuff, I disabled the "smb/server" and tried to shut the Machine down. This time there was no Problem.
I found a discussion on opensolaris.org/cifs-discuss, but unfortounatly there is no Workaround or Fix (for 2009.06, the thread says the affected bugs are fixed in Build 114). So I wrote a simple Skript, wich disables the Server and shuts the Machine down.

Saying Hello to Solaris...

...(again), this Time on my Fileserver. That machine was my old Desktop-Computer and now works as my Testlab for Testing Opensolaris and some Web-Application-Stuff. Since it is not connected to the Internet, I ordered an Opensolaris-CD to install the latest Version 2009.06.

Installation went smoothly and the "Shutdown-Bug" (see some Posts earlier) was also fixed. The only thing I did so far, was to enable Login via VNC and give the Machine a static IP-Adress (because my Network is only that Machine and my Notebook ;-) ).

For Installation I attached a Monitor and installed the NVIDIA-Driver for the Graphiccard to play around with Compiz a little. Unfortounatly the Windows don't have any Borders with Compiz enabled. But thats not a Problem, because I removed the Monitor after Installation and initial Configuration.

Saying Goodbye to Solaris ....

... on my Notebook only, since I wanted to use all its Features (Fingerprint Reader, Suspend/Resume) and the ATI x1400 was only basically working (native Resolution of 1680x1050, but no Compiz).
Opensolaris is still running on my old Desktop-PC (now used as "Fileserver") and in VirutalBox on my Notebook, so its not really a Goodbye.
Let's see what 2009.06 will bring, I will defenitly check it out.

Update on compiling MPlayer

I did an:

# gmake uninstall
$ gmake distclean
$ ./configure --prefix=/opt/mplayer --enable-gui
$ gmake
# gmake install


and now it is running. I also installed SUNWgroff. I am not sure why there were Errors about "MMX_EXT unknown in function gmc_mmx() " while compiling the first time. This time it was all OK.

(Also) Compiling MPlayer

I tried to compile MPlayer by following this Post of the Observatory-Blog. Like some other People, I got some Errors. I try to collect the Actions and Workarounds here, that helped me to compile MPlayer.

As Enda O'Connor wrote in a Comment to the mentioned Blogpost, you have to install additional Packages. At least you need to install SUNWgawk. I recommend to check, if you have all needed Headers installed (like SUNWxorg-headers).

To make sure the GNU-Version of awk will be used while compiling, add it to your PATH-Variable:

$: export PATH=/usr/gnu/bin:$PATH

On my Machine (IBM z61m Noteboook) I had to disable MMX to compile:

$: ./configure --prefix=/opt/mplayer --enable-gui --disable-mmx --disable-mmxext

Unfortunatly I could compile and install MPlayer whitout Errors, but if I start it I get the following Message:


Obviously something went totally wrong :-( I will try to compile (and configure) MPlayer again, and provide an Update if its running.

UPDATE: See next Blogpost. Disabling of MMX was not necessary!

It's shipping!!!

Yeah!

Today I received the Shipping-Mail for my copy of the Opensolaris Bible. There are three Example-Chapters available for Download (Chapter 1, Chapter 3 and Chapter 8). And If you want to have a visual impression of the Book, just look here ;-)

Shutdown-Bug Workaround

If you have installed Opensolaris 2008.11 and your Machine wont shut down, you're may hitting the Bug 4887 at defect.opensolaris.org. There is a Description of a Workaround in the Comments to this Bug (see here).
After applying these Changes my Laptop shuts down properly.

NWAM and static IP-Adress

I wanted to give my Fileserver a static IP-Adress. While the GUI for NWAM was core-dumping when I tried to set up a static IP-Adress with it, I looked for other ways. The simpliest way is to change a Config-File of NWAM:

# svcadm disable nwam
# vi /etc/nwam/llp

change "bge0 dchp" to "bge0 static 192.168.1.1/24"

# svcadm enable nwam

And that's all.

Digging Deeper II: 2008.11 SysAdminGuide

If you want to learn more about the last Opensolaris-Release (2008.11), you can read the "System Administration Guide" or download it.

It provides Information for the general use of Opensolaris:

• Working from the Command Line (goto)
  
• Configuring Thunderbird Mail Account Settings (goto)
• Tips for the Opensolaris Release (goto)

And, of Course, Information for the Opensolaris-Killer-Features:

• Managing Services (SMF) (goto)
• Administering Automatic Network Connection (goto)
• Managing ZFS/NFS/CIFS File Systems (goto)