Upgrading OpenSolaris

Updated: Dec 12, 2008
OpenSolaris 2008.11 is officially out. Download link here. The new version is far superior than 2008.05 with a lot of new features and bug fixes.

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I just upgraded my OpenSolaris box from build86 (the version installed from the CD image) to build 93. To get the build number of your existing system, use 'uname -v' and it will show 'snv_xx' where xx is the build number. This post only discusses the upgrade from snv_86 to snv_93.

The upgrade process is not straightforward. First of all, use 'upgrade all' or install the 'entire' package in Package Manager will render the system unbootable because of changes in GRUB boot system. Second, direct 'image-update' may also fail due to another bug. Therefore we will do the update manually by creating and updating another BE (Build Environment).

My main reference is this post from OpenSolaris forum. I will list (read: copy directly from the post) the instructions that worked for me. Despite the dollar sign ($) at the following commands, you need root privilege to proceed.

Again, standard warnings in place: back up your important data, don't believe anything on internet, use at your own risk, call your mum, yadi yada.


Steps:

1. Make sure the latest version of IPS software is installed
   
$ BUILD=`uname -v | sed s/snv_//`
$ pfexec pkg refresh
$ pfexec pkg install SUNWipkg@0.5.11-0.$BUILD

   
2. We will build our BE (Build Environment) manually:
   
   First, display the list of the existing BEs on the system
   
$ beadm list
BE Active Active on Mountpoint Space
Name reboot Used
---- ------ --------- ---------- -----
opensolaris yes yes legacy 2.23G

   
3. Here we can see the machine only has one BE namely 'opensolaris'. We need to create another BE and populate it with build 93 files. After we are done, we tell opensolaris to boot the new BE in the next restarting of the machine. By convention, let's call the new BE 'opensolaris-'. Note the trailing hyphen (-).
   
   
4. Execute the following sequence of commands to create, mount and update the new BE
   
$ pfexec beadm create opensolaris-
$ mkdir /tmp/mnt$$
$ pfexec beadm mount opensolaris- /tmp/mnt$$
$ pfexec pkg -R /tmp/mnt$$ image-update
   
5. !!!IMPORTANT!!!: Failure to perform this step will render your machine a piece of dead meat. Update the GRUB configuration on your ZFS boot device(s):
   
$ pfexec /tmp/mnt$$/boot/solaris/bin/update_grub -R /tmp/mnt$$

   
6. Unmount and activate the newly created BE
   
$ pfexec beadm unmount opensolaris-
$ pfexec beadm activate opensolaris-

   
7. [Optional] You can delete the old BE using beadm. Refer to the man page or google around...
   
8. Reboot and you should be good to go. :)
   

Office Blues

This is a true story:

A customer support manager in an IT company thinks the existing customer database is too unorganized. Any support issue older than a few months old at best will need to go through a lot of departments like logistics, manufacturing, and IT to collect information, but most often crucial information like hardware configuration, software version will just be anyone's guess.

The support manager announced proudly he would implement some form of data keeping: customers or vendors gotta fill up support requests, while all the support engineers will need to record down all transaction histories with customers, in MS-Word files.

All the MS-Word files will be saved somewhere as part of the support database.

In case you, my dear reader, don't understand how comical this is, allow me to explain.

First and foremost, these files serve _no_ purpose if they are not integrated and accessible by all relevant stakeholders. For example the support engineer has no easy way to tell what configuration a customer has, and the logistics department doesn't know what kind of bulk discount to give as again there is no easy way to tell what a customer has bought from the company.

Second, there is no known reliable and fast method to search multiple Word files. If you have 100 Word files and need to search through them for a particular customer, good luck. Moreover, Word file format is proprietary and it is at M$'s mercy if future MS-Word will be able to read back old Word documents. Even though the latest docx is in XML format, the question still begs for a rational and technically sound answer.

The most straight forward way that I can think of would be implementing a web-form that updates a centralized database. In this way, the issues are much easier to track.

It is so sad to slowly realize Dilbert actually isn't that absurd.

No Want to Go Back

Today I got an email from JobStreet. Upon opening it, it was my old friend, Intel Penang, looking for a senior BIOS engineer. Due to my background, coupled with the dire situation in Malaysia to find experienced and competent engineers, a lot of MNCs are looking everywhere to hire the suitable candidates.

I recall BIOS engineer is one of the rarest animals in the engineering kingdom, but the salary doesn't seem higher because of that. During my days in Intel, our department had been looking for years for a BIOS engineer.

Usually BIOS is the software that starts once CPU boots up until the execution is handed to the operating system. A bootloader is part of BIOS, but there are other modules like POST (Power On Self Test) and device configuration (RAID, HDD boot sequence, etc.). In a nutshell, BIOS deals mainly with initialization, self-test, and configurations of hardware system.

BIOS engineers not only need to know programming well (especially code optimization because the memory on chip is limited), they also need to know protocols like I2C, SPI, etc., and have an adequate understanding of electronics. On top of all the above, they must have a lot of patience in debugging because at the BIOS level, even the CPU is not yet fully initialized, let alone the memory systems and other peripherals. With all the above requirements, a good BIOS engineer will need typical 5 - 8 years of experience to be competent, and you understand why they are so rare now? ;)

Back to the resume request, I thought for a while, recalling all the memories I had back in Penang. I shook my head and rejected the request.

It is time to move on.

This Week In Review

This past week has been pretty painful, literally, for me.

I got rid of my lower right wisdom tooth, after its attempt to break free and impacted on my jaw bone. The pain was non-trivial and I was waken up at mid-night and frantically searched the web for "wisdom tooth extraction" in Singapore.

Its attempt was proven futile, but costly, I had the wisdom tooth removed promptly within a few days, and it costed me S$520, inclusive of GST.

After the operation, I was given a 5 day medical leave, and deliberately I only notified a few of the buddies in Singapore. Then I did a clean up of reading materials in my room, starting from the Financial Times I bought from UK, the pile of library books which would be due in a few days time, and the online news sites.

Aside from the time I was drugged to slumber by the almighty painkiller, I kept on reading, reading, and reading.

The first front was on investment. At that time Iran just test-fired some missiles to warn the westerners not to screw with its nuclear programs. I thought crude oil price would shoot through the roof and hit US$150. If this were true, stock prices would take a hefty hit and dropped like a stone. That means a put option on the stock index, or simply put option of any banks would earn me money. However I warned myself not to jump in haste, mainly I made too many mistakes not because I acted too slow, but too fast to the point I didn't think carefully. Hence I did a sand-boxing of the equity I was about to buy. The first day after the test-fire the stock really dipped slightly and the sandbox showed a small profit, but the imaginary profit evaporated in the following few days and now the accumulated loss at the sandbox is around -5%. Note this trend is oscillating, so eventually I could be correct. I will let the sandbox result guide my subsequent decision.

The second front was on my doing an MBA. Now I am kind of convinced getting an MBA won't take me too far. In fact, I am more and more confident keeping my core competency as technical guy would be much more better off. On top of that, an engineer who knows about finance and management will be much more sought-after (and thus valuable), than a manager who knows engineering and technology.

The Search of Stability

My ex-Intel colleague just bought a house, and he shares some of the pictures. I include one of those below.



We attach very heavy weight on our place of stay, or what we call 'home'. I admit I am also longing for a relatively stable place where I can rest and recuperate. But not now, because living a too comfortable life will reduce my desire to take risks. Anything good enough is usually not good enough, especially judging from my current achievements.

When turning back is the cliff, just forge ahead and fight. Cruel, but useful.

Happy Birthday

I thought I would forget, but no, I never forgot even once in these years.

However this is the first time I won't tell her. I reason it is time to let go, it is nice for her to forget also. Any slightest hint from her will drive me crazy for weeks. Life has to move on, especially while there is no common goal to fix the relationship.

Happy Birthday. Forgive me.

Love,

7/4/2008.