Month: August 2007

  • Sun Introduces Non-Native (Linux) Zone Support

    The “What’s New” document for Solaris 10 8/07 states the update “..includes the tools necessary to install a CentOS 3.5 to 3.8 or Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.5 to 3.8 inside a non-global zone. Machines running the Solaris OS in either 32-bit or 64-bit mode can execute 32-bit Linux applications.” Additionally, “DTrace can now be used in a non-global zone..” and ZFS gets even cooler. w00t.

  • Solaris 10 x64: Get Your Sound Card Working

    When I built the $1000, 2TB file server, the on-board nVidia HD audio support of the Asus M2NPV-VM motherboard didn’t work out of the box. It’s a trivial fix using the recently open sourced OSS drivers from 4Front Technologies. (I also tested a Creative Audigy 2 PCI sound card using these drivers under Solaris 10 11/06, and the playback worked just as well.)

    1. Download the Solaris x64 .pkg.
    2. `pkgadd -d oss-solaris-v4.0-1004-i386.pkg`
    3. `osstest`. You should here the sweet sweet sound of.. umm.. sound, and the following printed on the console..

    bash-3.00$ osstest
    Sound subsystem and version: OSS 4.0 (build 1004/200707062145) (0x00040002)
    Platform: SunOS/i86pc 5.10 Generic_118855-33

    *** Scanning sound adapter #-1 ***
    /dev/oss/hdaudio0/pcm0 (audio engine 0): nVidia HD Audio play-front output
    Note! Device is in use (by PID 0/VMIX) but will try anyway
    – Performing audio playback test…
    OK OK OK
    /dev/oss/hdaudio0/pcm1 (audio engine 1): nVidia HD Audio play-side output
    – Performing audio playback test…
    OK OK OK
    /dev/oss/hdaudio0/pcm2 (audio engine 2): nVidia HD Audio play-center/LFE output
    – Performing audio playback test…
    OK OK OK
    /dev/oss/hdaudio0/spdout0 (audio engine 3): nVidia HD Audio spdif output
    – Performing audio playback test…
    OK OK OK
    /dev/oss/hdaudio0/pcmin0 (audio engine 4): nVidia HD Audio record input
    – Skipping input only device

    *** All tests completed OK ***