[oi-dev] Where should SPARC go?

[Andrew Luke Nesbit]

On 17/01/2020 14:32, Volker A. Brandt wrote:
> Hi Andrew!

Hi Volker!  Thank you for the warm and encouraging message.

>> I have been discussing my options for what OS to install on a Sun
>> T5140.  I plan to use this as a multi-user OS, virtualization host,
>> and ZFS file server.
> 
> The T5140 are nice machines.

Yes, I believe that this should be an interesting and productive machine 
to work with.

I have yet to take full inventory of its hardware and to see how I can 
upgrade it to make the most of it.  Thankfully I have a local contact 
who is a Sun & SPARC & Solaris expert.  He has been very helpful and 
charges very reasonable rates to individuals.

>> It will be exposed to the Internet so other users can log in to the
>> base OS or their VM's.  I will therefore harden the system and deploy
>> it in a network environment such as a DMZ and/or allow access via a
>> hardened VPN or jump box.
> 
> Depending on what hardware you have available, you may want to use
> a LDOM for this.

This has been suggested by other Solaris users and admins too.

I am actually re-considering which of the following two options will be 
better:

-   Installing Solaris 11.3, which will function as a stable(?) base OS, 
and using an LDOM to install some port of illumos that works on this 
SPARC.  The problem is that Solaris 11.3 is EOL (see below) and this is 
causing me to rething.

-   Installing a port of illumos that works on this SPARC directly to 
the bare metal.  In this case I would hope that this port also supports 
LDOM's without too much trouble.  However on the contrary I will take 
your advice to go with Solaris 11.3 (see below).

Of course the advantage of LDOM's is that experimenting with different 
OS'es, plus developing any illumos-derived per se, would presumably be 
easier.

>> My current plan is first to install Oracle Solaris 11.3 and evaluate
>> Solaris as an option.  Before 11.3 reaches EOL I would re-evaluate
>> whether to invest in newer, supported hardware to run a newer and
>> supported version of Solaris.
> 
> Solaris 11.3 has already reached EOL.  If you have a support contract,
> you can still get security updates, but even those will stop soon.

I don't have a support contract as this machine is for non-commercial 
use.  This means that certain critical documents are unavailable to me, 
e.g., the document that explains when various components of Solaris 11.3 
will be EOL'ed.  Here I am particularly concerned about security updates.

>> It would be ideal and preferable if I could use an illumos-derived OS
>> as a user.  The aim would be to develop my skills and ultimately
>> contribute to SPARC support.  This is a more productive goal I think.
> 
> That is certainly possible.

Does "possible" imply a good end user experience?

Do you know which illumos-derived OS on SPARC provides the best user 
experience?

>> This thread has given me the impression that OpenIndiana has (some?)
>> SPARC support.  However according to the OI FAQ I would have to run a
>> different illumos-derived OS for SPARC support (
>> https://www.openindiana.org/documentation/faq/#does-openindiana-provide-a-sparc-release
>> ).
> 
> This FAQ does not reflect recent developments.  Gary Mills has success-
> fully compiled a subset of OpenIndiana to run on SPARC.

I will contact Gary and find out where this is at now.

>> Please could somebody clarify for me?  Also, would OpenIndiana run on
>> my T5140?
> 
> That subset would, yes.

I'm very interested to find out what this subset is.  If the 
documentation could be pulled up to date then I think this would help a 
lot for new users to understand where SPARC is currently at re: support.

> I would suggest that you investigate LDOMs a.k.a. "Oracle VM for SPARC",
> and install Solaris 11.3 in a control domain on your T5140.  Then, you
> can create LDOMs (= SPARC VMs) and install the Illumos-based OS of your
> choice inside those LDOMs.

OK, so even though Solaris 11.3 is EOL and eventually even security 
patches will stop being provided, this would still be the recommended 
option?

I tried reading the document in the 11.3 documentation library that 
explains when various aspects of 11.3 will be EOL but unfortunately I 
need a support contract to access it.  Do you know when security updates 
will stop being provided?

> Currently, there are:
> 
> - Solaris 11.3
> 
> - Tribblix (a minimal system using the SVR4 package format)
> 
> - OpenIndiana (a subset of Openindiana using IPS packages)
> 
> - v9os (an older version of OmniOS, using IPS packages)
> 
> - Dilos, running Debian userland on an Illumos-based kernel
> 
> Unfortuately, OpenSXCE is not developed any more.

It seems to me that Tribblix and Dilos are the most actively developed 
open source options for SPARC.  Would this be an accurate assessment?

Is OpenIndiana officially focused on x86 or do the development 
priorities also include SPARC?  (Assuming that the resources exist for 
supporting SPARC.)

> Feel free to ask any questions you might have.  The Illumos mailing list
> is also worth joining, if you aren't on it already.

For the base OS I think it would be wise to choose something well 
documented and providing a reliable and robust user experience.

I'll take your suggestion to start with Solaris 11.3.  I will ask, other 
people who know, what the EOL date for security updates is.

I have also subscribed to various illumos lists and am heartened to see 
so much development there.

Thanks again for such a warm welcome.  I'm looking forward to starting 
work with this machine.

Kind regards,

Andrew
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