Yes!!!
I burned the new Ubuntu 7.10 live cd and booted from it.
I started using the system and after playing an hour I rebooted from my hard disk...
I only got a blank screen with the words : GRUB
I booted from an old 3 1/2" floppy drive and run the Norton Disk Editor 3.0 and compared the partition table
of my hard disk with a saved copy that I had in a file. Not a single byte was changed...
So the problem was inside the solaris partition.
I booted again from ubuntu Live Cd and I noticed that my solaris partition was used as SWAP!!!.
Here you can see that I have 4 gb swap partition and my partition info...
Why has Ubuntu used a partition ID "BF" (Solaris new partition) as a swap????
Maybe because Ubuntu means "Your Solaris will be destroyed!!!"
I don't want to reinstall Solaris again, I give up.
Bye Java Desktop Environment!!! :-(
Thursday, 8 November 2007
Ubuntu : An african word than means "Your Solaris will be destroyed!!!"
Monday, 28 May 2007
Ubuntu Installed Grub - Bye Solaris 10!
As usual Solaris suffered when I tried others operating systems.
One of the most common causes of the Solaris destruction is the fact that the Solaris partition ID is 0x82 (the same as the Linux Swap partition). So if you boot from a Live CD (like Ubuntu) it will automatically assign your Solaris partition as a Swap... Yes!!! without a prompt!!! so it will destroy the Solaris installation!.
Later with Solaris 10 Sun changed the partition ID for 0xbf to avoid this problem.
Another problem is the modified grub that Solaris uses.
As you can read in another post I finally decided to install Ubuntu. I have one hard disk with :
Windows XP (that came with the laptop), PC-BSD 1.3.2, Solaris 10, and Slackware 11 (now Ubuntu 7.04).
I have 4 primary partitions :
Windows - Partition 0
Slackware 11 - Partition 1
PC-BSD - Partition 2
Solaris - Partition 3
I was using LILO in my MBR (Master Boot Record / Partition Table). When I Installed Ubuntu over the Slackware partition, it also installed the grub in the MBR. The problem was that I couldn't boot Solaris again.
Yes... I modified the menu.lst of the grub in Ubuntu hundres of times, but nothing worked... I only got different errors messages : Invalid Partition, Filesystem type unknown, etc.
Finally I decided to search in the Sun Web Site and I found the following :
http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/features/articles/grub_boot_solaris.html
GRUB as obtained from sources other than Sun does not currently recognize Solaris on-disk VTOC and UFS formats. Sun has submitted changes to the GRUB project to support this; until they have been integrated, only the Solaris GRUB will work. If Linux installed GRUB on the master boot block, you will not be able to get to the Solaris OS even if you make the Solaris partition the active partition. In this case, you can chainload from the Linux GRUB by modifying the menu on Linux. Alternatively, you can replace the master boot sector with the Solaris GRUB in the above example, by using the installgrub(1M) command:
installgrub -m /boot/grub/stage1 /boot/grub/stage2 /dev/rdsk/c0t2d0s3
Before the Solaris VTOC and UFS implementation is propagated to the standard GRUB release, only the Solaris version of GRUB will work.I tried the installgrub command booting from the Install DVD and selecting option 6. But I only got an error message : /dev/dsk/c0t0d0 : Not a character device. I tried with rdsk and another disk number but neither worked.
So I reinstalled Solaris again. But when I click "Finish" and the system rebooted the Ubuntu Grub menu appears... I was expecting the Solaris grub... what happend??
I don't really know but maybe Solaris got confused with ubuntu's grub in the MBR.
So I had to use and old 3 1/2" diskette with DOS and a Norton Disk Editor 4. I booted DOS ran DE and selected the hard disk as physical disk and saved the MBR in a file. Just to have a backup of the MBR!
Then I booted from the Windows XP CD and used the recovery console and ran the FIXMBR command (with my fingers crossed).
It deleted ubuntu's grub from the MBR.
Then I Rebooted and installed again Solaris. Without the Ubuntu Grub, the Solaris installation wrote the MBR with its grub.
Then I was able to boot Solaris 10 and modified the menu.lst in Solaris with the following :
------------
title Solaris 10 11/06 s10x_u3wos_10 x86
root (hd0,3,a)
kernel /plataform/i86pc/multiboot
module /plataform/i86pc/boot_archive
title ubuntu, Kernel 2.6.20-15-generic
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=b98c9312-17fb-4e5b-8459-7d4008a8858d ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic
quiet
savedefault
title ubuntu, Kernel 2.6.20-15-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=b98c9312-17fb-4e5b-8459-7d4008a8858d ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic
title PC-BSD 1.3.2
rootnoverify (hd0,2)
chainload +1
title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainload +1
---------
Now I finally can boot Solaris and the others OS again...
Why does my Solaris always get hurt???
Tuesday, 3 April 2007
Solaris DVDs Finally Arrived
They came in a DVD box that containd three DVDs one for Intel, one for Sparc and one of development tools.
I installed Solaris using the downloaded cd images from Sun ftp because I didn't expect the Solaris DVDs to arrive soon as they are free and lots of people are ordering them.
If you want to order your Free Solaris Kit just follow this link :
http://www2.sun.de/dc/forms/reg_us_2211_391.jsp
Recently Sun added a new distribution "Solaris Express, Developer Edition". So you have to choose between :
(The following is an extract from Sun Microsystems page) :
Option 1: Sun Developer Tools and the Solaris 10 Operating System: The most advanced OS on the planet - available for no charge. With industry-leading stability, security,and scalability combined with over 600 new features, such as DTrace, you can trust your most important application deployments to Solaris 10. Includes Sun Studio and NetBeans software.
Option 2: Solaris Express, Developer Edition for x86 systems: Provides a modern desktop environment for Solaris, Java, and Web 2.0 application development. With its simplified installation experience coupled with additional support for common laptops and desktops, developers can more easily create and deploy applications for Solaris 10. Includes Sun Studio and NetBeans software.
A few days ago I played a little with Solaris trying to make any of my USB peripherals work. I used the commands :
rmformat
prtconf
But I couldn't make Solaris recognize any of my USB peripherals (DVD, Hard Disk, Pen Drive, Camera, Printer).
I tried mounting a cd in the laptop internal cd-rom using the mount command, but after a while I discovered that the volfs service was running, so I don't need to manually mount the drive.
Just use the "eject" command line then insert a CD and close the bay.
Monday, 5 February 2007
Installing Solaris 10 on a Compaq Presario 1500 Notebook
Downloading the CD Images
The images can found on this link : http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/get.jsp
I have a slow internet connection so I decided to download the autoextract CD images for windows :
Solaris 10 11/06 x86 CD 1, for downloading onto Windows Only, Multi-language sol-10-u3-ga-x86-v1.exe 166.74 MB
Solaris 10 11/06 x86 CD 2, for downloading onto Windows Only, Multi-language sol-10-u3-ga-x86-v2.exe 200.97 MB
Solaris 10 11/06 x86 CD 3, for downloading onto Windows Only, Multi-language sol-10-u3-ga-x86-v3.exe 101.41 MB
Solaris 10 11/06 x86 CD 4, for downloading onto Windows Only, Multi-language sol-10-u3-ga-x86-v4.exe 261.09 MB
Solaris 10 11/06 x86 CD 5, for downloading onto Windows Only, Multi-language sol-10-u3-ga-x86-v5.exe 230.71 MB
When I executed the .exe file the CPU went to %100 utilization and a message box appears...
What?? 24 minutes on a Pentium 4 of 3 Ghz... Yes, it seems that the algorithm is very very complex... My CPU cried, it tought that I was running SETI@Home again.
My laptop (Pentium 4 - 2.4 ghz) took near 35 minutes per cd... so I spent 3 hours getting all the cds.
So if you don’t want to burn your CPU, download the iso images :
Solaris 10 11/06 x86 CD 1, Multi-language sol-10-u3-ga-x86-v1-iso.zip 308.14 MB
Solaris 10 11/06 x86 CD 2, Multi-language sol-10-u3-ga-x86-v2-iso.zip 373.95 MB
Solaris 10 11/06 x86 CD 3, Multi-language sol-10-u3-ga-x86-v3-iso.zip 168.22 MB
Solaris 10 11/06 x86 CD 4, Multi-language sol-10-u3-ga-x86-v4-iso.zip 588.05 MB
Solaris 10 11/06 x86 CD 5, Multi-language sol-10-u3-ga-x86-v5-iso.zip 437.26 MB
I burned the cds and noticed that each image only occupies half a CD, a waste of 3 cds.
Before Install
Unfortunately the magic number of a Solaris Partition is the same as a Linux Swap partition (the number “82”), so it is neccesary to be really carefull to avoid Linux overwriting all the Solaris partition, I remember many years ago when I installed a new RedHat Version on the same disk as an old Solaris and my Solaris was destroyed because Linux used the Solaris Partition as a Swap!!!
Another important things is that Solaris requieres a Primary Partition.
So I had to move my linux swap Partition to an Extended Partition, because Solaris could get confused.
But in my case I had to change another configuration, I’m testing Xandros on the same disk. And Xandros automatically generates the /etc/fstab file on every boot. So I had to deactivated this feature to avoid the Solaris partition getting overwritten, to do that I edited the file /sbin/etcdev2fstab
And changed the line :
My $flnm=”/etc/fstab”;
To :
My $flnm=”/etc/fstab2”;
In my case I didn’t have enogh unallocated space on my disk. So I had to defrag the NFTS partition consolidating all the free space and then shrink the partition. To do that there are various options. In my opinion PerfectDisk 8 is the best defragmentating utility, and another useful tools is Acronis Partition Manager or Partition Magic 8.
So my hard disk was configured as :
hda1 : NTFS - Windows XP
hda2 : Reiserf 3 - Xandros
The boot loader was LILO.
I booted from install cd and accepted all the detected hardware, but something went wrong.
So I spent more than 4 hours trying diferents video drivers, resolutions, monitor types.
The problem was that most of time when I tried different resolutions the display went all black and I had to reset the computer and start again.
At last!!! Yes At Last!!! I discovered that the following configuration worked well :
Video Device : ATI Technologies Inc. Radeon Mobility M7 LW
Video Driver : XF86-RADEON
Resolution / Colors : 1280x1024 16777216 Colors @ 85 Hz
Screen Size : 15 – Inch (38 cm)
Monitor Type : Multifrequency 90 Khz (up to 1600x1200 @ 72 Hz)
Keyboard Type : Generic Us-English (104-Key)
Poiting Device : Generic USB Mouse (3 button)
The Installation Screen appears :
And I relax for a while. Then I choosed the Instalation Type :
And click “Next”.
To my surprise the following screen appears :
“WARNING : A Linux fdisk partition was found on this disk (c0d0), which is the default bootdisk. Having a Linux fdisk partition on the same disk as Solaris fdisk partition is not supported.
Do you want to load the default layout?
Yes No”
What is that? I want to test Solaris on my disk, but I don’t want to uninstall Linux!!!
I really don’t like this kind of restrictions.
If I choose “YES” the default layout is all the hard disk for Solaris.... good bye Windows and Linux!I rebooted again, created a primary linux swap partition using Linux. Then when I reached that screen again I chose “NO” and selected the partition that I had created.
Finally the next screen “Ready to Install”
Then after a while the setup program asked for the location of the installation media, I choose “CDROM”, then it asked for the second CD, I inserted the CD, and I had to chose OK.
After 10 minutes the installation program asked again... about the installation media.!?!?
What? I’m installing using CDs.. so Why does the setup program ask again and again for all the 5 CDs???
Its crazy, but I had to select "from CD-ROM" five times. Then insert the CD, and press continue.
Finally after nearly an hour all the software was installed. So I Rebooted and Grub Appears:
Then I logged on and the desktop appeared.
After playing a little I was surprised by the old fashioned Screen Savers! They reminded me of the old times of the "after dark" screensaver in the beginning of the 90’s :
It has the classic Fireworks and the Spinning Lines :
Some Issues
1. When I rebooted the computer the greeting was “Welcome to unknow”
I have my computer connected to a broadband internet service provider with DHCP. So I opened a console/terminal and run the command :
setuname –n Horus
Then change the file :
/etc/default/dhcpagent
Deleting the value number ‘12’ because 12 is query Hostname to the DHCP server.
Now the welcome screen is :
2. When booting I can see a Message in the console : “Loghost could not be resolved“
These was resolved when I added the word “loghost” in the file /etc/hosts
127.0.0.1 localhost loghost
Conclusion
It wasn’t an easy installation, it took me aproximately 9 hours. I had to spend a lot of time decompressing the images, trying different video modes, and partitioning the hard disk to keep linux and solaris on the same hard disk.
If you want to install Solaris be really carefull with the partition manager. If I had chossen the “Default layaout” I would have destroyed completly the Linux and Windows installations on my hard disk.
Next steps
I will try to configure my external USB devices (printer, dvd writer, etc)
