Corrections: Para 2 Line 2 to read as " I am NOT sure if I am technically right in saying this - "
On 9/24/07, Sivasubramanian Muthusamy <shiva.madras at gmail.com> wrote: > Dear Moinak, > > Base on all that you have said, a small footprint solaris that will > support WiFi access and browser with support for Active X is a > not-too-distant achievement. > > On your suggestions of disk compression to further reduce the > footprint - I am sure if I am technically righ in saying this - disk > compression of the O/S footprint would merely minimise the space > required for installation, but for the O/S to operate, the installed > footprint may have to be decompressed, which means that additional RAM > would be required. > > The idea of a small footprint is not only to minimise disk space, disk > space, from a commercial point of view is not expensive to expand. The > cost difference between a 128MB flash/diskspace and a 256 MB diskspace > wouldn't be all that insignificant. > > The idea of the smallest possible footprint is to minimise the > hardware resources required as also to minimize the demands or stress > on the processor. Besides a small footprint O/s would also minimise > the power requirements ??? > > Based on these considerations, is disk compression a good idea? Disk > compression would make a 256 MB footprint LOOK LIKE a 128 MB foot > print, but it does not become a 128 MB footprint, so to speak. > > Sivasubramanian Muthusamy > > > > On 9/23/07, Moinak Ghosh <Moinak.Ghosh at sun.com> wrote: > > Sivasubramanian Muthusamy wrote: > > > Dear Moinack, > > > > > > Thank you for the detailed technical insight into the problem. > > > > > > I have not assumed that it is a technically easy task. It is indeed > > > complex and would require a large team of technical experts to work on > > > it for weeks, perhaps months. > > > > > > > Not - that - complex either unless one is looking at code > > modifications in the kernel > > to strip down functionality for fitting in embedded devices. That is > > a different ball > > game. > > > > > But what is the maximum that can be QUICKLY shedded or stripped from > > > the lowest available footprint ? For instance if one Solaris expert > > > examines the list of packages in the most recent Belenix or any other > > > sub 1 GB flavor and strips the MOST OBVIOUS unnecessary packages > > > leaving the essential components of the GUI and the essential browser > > > components, how small can it IMMDIATELY and EFFORTLESSLY get ? > > > > > > If it can come down to 400 - 600 MB, it is still fine. I am thinking > > > of a proof of concept prototype, and would proceed on the belief that > > > it it can effortlessly get down to 400 - 600 MB, it can get down to > > > sub 128 MB with concerted efforts, coordinated and funded research. > > > > > > > Sub-400 footprint is not too difficult to achieve. Others have > > already tried that per the > > links sent out earlier. What I was thinking of was something similar > > to FreeNAS > > http://www.freenas.org/ . This will require compression on the disk > > to further reduce > > the footprint. > > > > > I have two boards, one with a more 'powerful' processor of 500 MHz, an > > > AMD Geode dubbed Geode 800 (this one with a generous DDR II ? 1 GB > > > Ram) , and another a more demanding 333 MHz Geode processor board with > > > a DDR I 256 MB ram. On both these boards the hard drives are generous, > > > the 500 MHz board has a 40 GB hard disk, entirely unused, but for this > > > purpose we will set aside a 512 MB partition or use a 512 MB USD drive > > > as a hard disk. And on the 333 Mhz board a 512 MB USB can be used as > > > hard drive. I hope both these boards can take a 400 - 600 MB foot > > > print, lower if it can get lower effortlessly. > > > > > > > Solaris can boot on the AMD Geode. You might want to consider booting > > off a > > Compact Flash rather than a harddisk to save power. > > > > > Ethernet has to work, Wifi has to work, and if Wifi can't work > > > immediately with the present level of work done on WiFi, it is stil > > > Ok, for a proof of concept, we can take it forward further after > > > initial success on this level, on these boards. > > > > > > The concept of the device in question is an Internet Access handheld, > > > possibly with a 8.5" LCD screen, running solaris ( ultimately ) on 128 > > > MB Ram and 128 HDD, accessing internet by wire and by wifi, with a > > > browser with graphic componnets such as Flash / Active X. I understand > > > that Active X is not supported by Solaris, we will come to that later. > > > Good Audio is needed, so we may have to think of Open Sound. > > > > > > WiFi is under development, Wi Fi can wait till the project moves on to > > > the next level of research. > > > > > > > Wifi will work if you use one of the supported chipsets like Intel > > PRO/Wireless. > > http://www.opensolaris.org/os/community/laptop/wireless/ > > > > It should be possible to support ActiveX using Wine and the Crossover > > Plugin, > > though I have not tried it. Wine does work on Solaris however: > > http://freshmeat.net/projects/crossover/ > > > > Regards, > > Moinak. > > > > > Thank you Moinak, for being interactive. > > > > > > Sivasubramanian Muthusamy. > > > > > > > > > On 9/23/07, Moinak Ghosh <Moinak.Ghosh at sun.com> wrote: > > > > > >> Sivasubramanian Muthusamy wrote: > > >> > > >>> Dear Moinak, > > >>> > > >>> That was a good guess that I did not understand what this is all about. > > >>> > > >>> I thought that you have arrived at a version of Solaris that is > > >>> stripped down from the 3.5 GB+ install size down to 70 MB. > > >>> > > >>> There was an earlier post on this subject with a valuable response > > >>> from Ananth Shrinivas that led to > > >>> http://blogs.sun.com/szhou/entry/build_a_minimal_solaris_image and > > >>> http://solaristhings.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-small-can-you-make-open-solaris.html > > >>> . I thought that Solaris 70 is a work in that direction. > > >>> > > >>> If Solaris 70 is not exactly that, then I am looking for a minimal, > > >>> bare minimal, stripped down version of solaris with just the basic > > >>> files needed to boot the GUI to have a minimal browser running. > > >>> > > >>> Apart from the response from Ananth Shrinivas I have some more leads > > >>> on this, and am ready with two minimal boards and some interesting > > >>> hardware to try a minimal installation. Can I ask installation help > > >>> from Open Solaris ? > > >>> > > >>> > > >> What you are looking at requires quite a bit of work. The > > >> OS image must be configured to exactly handle one piece > > >> of controlled hardware. It will only contain drivers specific > > >> to that hardware. You will also need to tune to your use > > >> case. If for example one is building a storage box then it > > >> will need to have all the storage and networking related > > >> software: ZFS, NFS, iSCSI, Samba, Rsync etc. > > >> If you want GUI then you need Xorg. However just Xorg > > >> alone in it's entirety is about 170MB. So you will have to > > >> strip the Xorg setup as well. Remove all headers, docs, > > >> drivers. Have only the video driver for the video card > > >> you are using. Remove all unused libraries - depends on > > >> what apps you want to run on your minimal system. > > >> > > >> And all these cannot only be tackled by reducing the > > >> number of packages installed. Some of the tuning needs > > >> to go down to sub-package granularity. Essentially you > > >> will have to deal with understanding the purpose of > > >> individual files and deciding whether you need them > > >> or not. > > >> > > >> There is a plan to prepare a minimal image of BeleniX > > >> which can be tailored to fit vaious needs. For eg. the > > >> Storage/NAS thing I just mentioned. It is possible to > > >> prepare very minimal GUI desktop experience, but > > >> needs a predetermined video card and controlled set > > >> of apps. > > >> > > >> Regards, > > >> Moinak. > > >> > > >> > > >>> Thank you. > > >>> Sivasubramanian Muthusamy. > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> On 9/22/07, Moinak Ghosh <Moinak.Ghosh at sun.com> wrote: > > >>> > > >>> > > >>>> Sivasubramanian Muthusamy wrote: > > >>>> > > >>>> > > >>>>> Dear Shivakumar, > > >>>>> > > >>>>> Thank you for this response. This will help me get started. > > >>>>> > > >>>>> > > >>>>> > > >>>> Siva, are you expecting a version of OpenSolaris that uses > > >>>> 70MB of space after installation or runs in 70MB of RAM ? > > >>>> > > >>>> By 70MB, I indicated that the install process will block up > > >>>> 70MB of RAM and use some more for running the processes. > > >>>> > > >>>> Regards, > > >>>> Moinak. > > >>>> > > >>>> > > >>>> > > >>>>> Sivasubramanian Muthusamy > > >>>>> > > >>>>> On 9/21/07, S h i v <shivakumar.gn at gmail.com> wrote: > > >>>>> > > >>>>> > > >>>>> > > >>>>>> On 9/21/07, Sivasubramanian Muthusamy <shiva.madras at gmail.com> > > >>>>>> wrote: > > >>>>>> > > >>>>>> > > >>>>>> > > >>>>>>> Dear Moinak Ghosh, > > >>>>>>> > > >>>>>>> I am attempting to install a small foot print solaris on a AMD Geode > > >>>>>>> 700 board as also on a phone. Could you please tell me when this 70 > > >>>>>>> MB > > >>>>>>> foot print solaris experss is expected? > > >>>>>>> > > >>>>>>> > > >>>>>>> > > >>>>>>> > > >>>>>> As per Moinak's mail above the first beta is expected sometime in Oct > > >>>>>> "It will be possible to do this once a Slim Install beta release is > > >>>>>> available, > > >>>>>> sometime in Oct...." > > >>>>>> > > >>>>>> The second release will be in March. > > >>>>>> http://www.opensolaris.org/os/project/caiman/Slim_Install > > >>>>>> > > >>>>>> Also see > > >>>>>> http://www.opensolaris.org/os/project/caiman/Slim_Install/uiroadmap > > >>>>>> > > >>>>>> The below thread provides some details as to what goes into each of > > >>>>>> these 2 releases > > >>>>>> http://www.opensolaris.org/jive/thread.jspa?threadID=38317&tstart=0 > > >>>>>> > > >>>>>> regards > > >>>>>> Shiv > > >>>>>> > > >>>>>> > > >>>>>> > > >>>>>> > > >>>>> _______________________________________________ > > >>>>> ug-bosug mailing list > > >>>>> List-Unsubscribe: mailto:ug-bosug-unsubscribe at opensolaris.org > > >>>>> List-Owner: mailto:ug-bosug-owner at opensolaris.org > > >>>>> List-Archives: http://www.opensolaris.org/jive/forum.jspa?forumID=54 > > >>>>> > > >>>>> > > >>>>> > > >>>> _______________________________________________ > > >>>> ug-bosug mailing list > > >>>> List-Unsubscribe: mailto:ug-bosug-unsubscribe at opensolaris.org > > >>>> List-Owner: mailto:ug-bosug-owner at opensolaris.org > > >>>> List-Archives: http://www.opensolaris.org/jive/forum.jspa?forumID=54 > > >>>> > > >>>> > > >>>> > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > Sivasubramanian Muthusamy > CEO > Isolated Networks > Whitefield, 389/1 Perundurai Road > Erode 638 011 > Tamilnadu India > http://www.isolatednetworks.com > email: isolatedn at gmail.com > ++91 424 4030334 > Mobile Phone number +91 99524 03099 > ++91 424 4030334 > > DISCLAIMER: > > This message (including attachment if any) from Isolated Networks is > confidential and may be privileged. If you have received this message > by mistake please notify the sender by return e-mail and delete this > message from your system. Any unauthorized use, disclosure or > dissemination of this message in whole or in part is strictly > prohibited. > _______________________________________________ > ug-bosug mailing list > List-Unsubscribe: mailto:ug-bosug-unsubscribe at opensolaris.org > List-Owner: mailto:ug-bosug-owner at opensolaris.org > List-Archives: http://www.opensolaris.org/jive/forum.jspa?forumID=54 >
