[OpenIndiana-discuss] OI on small x86 systems

[James]

On 01/05/2018 23:09, Tomasz Kłoczko wrote:
> On 1 May 2018 at 21:14, Jerry Kemp <sun.mail.list47 at oryx.us> wrote:
>> I've been looking for some small x86/x64 systems like this to run Open
>> Indiana on, for personal/hobby purposes.
...

> Another thing is that this HW has 128GB eMMc so I'm not sure is it
> will be possible to use OI with this eMMc as root dev.

I don't think eMMC (nor MMC) works under Solaris but perhaps someone 
will be kind enough to give a definitive answer here.  Also what 
barriers are there to making it work?  (Writing/porting drivers...)


> I have 1TB miniPCI Samsung Evo 960 SATA plugged in this HW (miniPCI
> slot is configurable at BIOS level to support SATA or NVMe over this
> interface) and another spindle connected over SATA connector so at
> least those devices should be possible to use with OI.

That is promising.

I have a couple of Z83V "Mini PC"s.  Intel Atom x5-Z8350 4-core 1.92GHz, 
2GB DDR3, 32GB eMMC, Intel Graphics VGA Port, Gbit Ethernet, WiFi.

The Z83V only has EFI boot so OI does not work.  Are there similar 
machines with legacy boot?  Perhaps the UP will work.  What work is 
required to make OI work with UEFI?

I have put Linux Mint on a Z83V in the hope of replacing at least one of 
my SunRays for basic desktop usage.  Please don't write in but - Linux 
feels like going back to Solaria 9 with up-to-date added software, eg, 
new Firefox works but the OS does not use ZFS.  I'd much rather have OI 
on it.

I ran Solaris 11.3 for test (no graphics) and used USB memory sticks as 
eMMC is non-working.  The eMMC storage is built in (clue in the name) 
but by using USB a ZFS mirror with hot swap is possible.  USB2 is fast 
enough. The USB3 memory stick I tried used 1W, got very hot and failed.

The performance is perfectly adequate.  Power range: 3W idle 5W busy 
with no screen, +2W for active graphics.

The Z83V's CPU is the same model used in the basic UP-Board.  I'd like 
to try an UP.  The UP has Pi style IO which I assume will not work until 
someone write drivers for OI.  How hard is it?  Otherwise an ESP8266 
doing the physical IO with WiFi to a real computer will be the answer.


Other small systems I own:
A1SAi-2750F Supermicro - runs OI, Power 14W/28W (without storage).
N3700 ASRock Mini-ITX - runs S11 with graphics, didn't try OI, power 
11W/15W.
J3455, tried both ASRock and Gigabyte Mini-ITX MBs - no graphics with 
S11 nor OI. 10W/16W.

Compare with SunRay3+ active power 14W (plus 125W for a 1U server in 
another room).
I hardly class my C2750 systems as small but compared with say a 
SunBlade 2000 they are small except in performance.



James.