[OpenIndiana-discuss] Probably small question

Jim Klimov jim at cos.ru
Tue Aug 21 14:08:23 UTC 2012


2012-08-21 17:45, Michael Zandstra пишет:
> Any ideas on how to get packages on OpenIndiana through a USB stick? (Currently downloading complete repository since you can't download single packages... bit of a bummer)...

Note that for many people USB connections for a file server (especially
connections to external JBOD towers) proved to be unreliable and
unpredictable, though this greatly depends on the USB chips used
(most are cheap and corners were cut by designers - which shows
up under heavy loads).

I'm not sure about transferring packages with a stick. The older
SVR4 package toolset included a utility called "pkgtrans" to
migrate packaging between different supported formats. There was
also talk about file-based repositories "per package" in IPS -
and IPS does command that packages are available from defined
repos - but I am not sure whether that was implemented.

If your LiveCD/LiveUSB boot with GUI and WiFi works, you can try
to boot the computer with that, import the existing rpool with
its text-based image, and use package installation into an
"alternate root" to add the needed networking components into
the installed image. Somewhat along these lines, from Live env:

# zpool import -f -R /a rpool
# zfs umount -a
This unmounts automounted pieces of the rpool which you don't
need at the moment, but that would block mount of the rootfs.
You can also try to use "zpool import -N" instead, with recent OI.

# zfs list -r rpool/ROOT
note the dataset name, to use in the next command:

# zfs mount rpool/ROOT/openindiana

# df -k /a
This should hopefully show that the mount worked, like this:
Filesystem            kbytes    used   avail capacity  Mounted on
rpool/ROOT/openindiana
                      61415424  448551 27930174     2%    /a

Now you can use pkg commands related to that rootfs with "-R"
argument going first, i.e. (theoretically):
# pkg -R /a install --require-new-be --be-name=openindiana-wifi \
   wpa wificonfig ath

If the command for any reason refuses to create the new BE or
the backup BE, you can create a ZFS snapshot to be able to
rollback just in case, and skip those options and have the
drivers added to your live BE. Cross the fingers that nothing
breaks - though on a freshly installed system there is not
much loss in reinstalling (except SSD wear in your case) ;)

Also, when you get your system working, look into moving the
intensive writes - the swap, log devices, etc. - away from
rpool SSD onto spinning rust or disposable SSDs in order to
prolong the flash cells' lifespan of your boot device.

//Jim





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