Moving from OpenSolaris to FreeBSD

[alp]

I'd like to share my experience about migrating from OpenSolaris to FreeBSD. I really like both OS. My duty includes support both SXCE, FreeBSD (and Linux) servers. I like to have the same OS on my home workstation and server (it makes testing and live easier - more operations are done automatically then). So, I have FreeBSD on my work desktop and OpenSolaris on home computer. Unfortunately OpenSolaris is in some troubles and uncertain condition now. So I decided to migrate to FreeBSD at my home workstation. I'm going to share my experience here: http://alp-notes.blogspot.com/.
I've just explored different scenarios of migration. The most adequate was to break ZFS mirror in Solaris, partition one of the disks in FreeBSD (using MBR layout, Solaris didn't want to see GPT disks partitioned under FreeBSD), create zfs pool on its slice, install FreeBSD there, import this zfs pool to Solaris and move data by means of zfs send |zfs recv on Solaris (after this operation I had to renew zpool.cache file in FreeBSD booting from DVD).
Now I'm going to add second drive to my pool, make some more tests and later make this process on real hardware...

Some impressions: sysinstall is rather outdated. I'm waiting for new installer based on code from PC-BSD

 

[alp]

Some updates on this story. I've just installed FreeBSD 8.1 on one disk from Solaris zfs mirror. Unfortunately, I forgot to detach this disk from Solaris pool. Now I have FreeBSD on one disk and OpenSolaris on other. However I hit OpenSolaris 6923585 bug and couldn't boot OpenSolaris. (I wanted to move my data from OSOL rpool to FreeBSD zpool, OpenSolaris can work with FreeBSD pool, but not vice versa). So I have to burn OpenSolaris b134 CD to copy my data...

 

[vermaden]

Some impressions: sysinstall is rather outdated. I'm waiting for new installer based on code from PC-BSD

I encourage to 'do it yourself' way, its very flexible:
http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=12082

OpenSolaris can work with FreeBSD pool, but not vice versa

Depends what FreeBSD and what OpenSolaris versions You are using, FreeBSD 8.1 is comaptible with OpenSolaris 2009.06 (both ZFS v14).

So, I'd like to try hard way - FreeBSD/x86.
- Using x86 system will allow me to use wine without tambourines.
- Adobe Flash will work by means of nspluginwrapper.

Go amd64 all the way mate, I have done so and I have Flash and WINE working without a problem.

For Flash, You use the same way as in i386 (even fullscreen works flawlessly):

/etc/rc.conf
  linux_enable="YES"

/etc/fstab
  linproc  /usr/compat/linux/proc  linprocfs  rw  0  0

# kldload linux
# pkg_add -r linux_base-f10
# pkg_add -r nspluginwrapper
# pkg_add -r firefox35
# pkg_add -r linux-f10-nspr
# pkg_add -r linux-f10-sqlite3
# pkg_add -r linux-f10-curl
# pkg_add -r linux-f10-libssh2
# pkg_add -r linux-f10-nss
# mount linproc
# /etc/rc.d/abi restart
# cd /usr/ports/www/linux-f10-flashplugin10 && make install clean

% find / -name libflashplayer.so
    /usr/local/lib/npapi/linux-f10-flashplugin/libflashplayer.so
% nspluginwrapper -v -i /usr/local/lib/npapi/linux-f10-flashplugin/libflashplayer.so

(sometimes also needed)

$ cp /usr/local/lib/npapi/linux-f10-flashplugin/libflashplayer.so ~/.mozilla/plugins

... as for WINE on amd64, I do it that way:
http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=13982

 

[alp]

Depends what FreeBSD and what OpenSolaris versions You are using, FreeBSD 8.1 is comaptible with OpenSolaris 2009.06 (both ZFS v14).

Just came to another annoying thing: FreeBSD doesn't support ZFS v 4. It makes zfs send|zfs recv impossible... tar is our best friend.

Go amd64 all the way mate, I have done so and I have Flash and WINE working without a problem.

Installing 32-bit world (and some 32-bit ports) to make wine work is an overhead. I don't like this idea... I'll try i386 first. I have only 2 Gb of RAM, so I don't see necessity of amd64. If ZFS proves to be quite stable on i386, there is no other reasons to use amd64.

For Flash, You use the same way as in i386 (even fullscreen works flawlessly):

/etc/rc.conf
  linux_enable="YES"
...

I know, but firstly I'd like to look at new version of gnash. If youtube is working, it will be enough for me.

 

[fronclynne]

I have only 2 Gb of RAM, so I don't see necessity of amd64. If ZFS proves to be quite stable on i386, there is no other reasons to use amd64.

AFIK, it just requires a bit more tuning, & you're quite right about the necessity. Maybe it's just confirmation bias, but i386 feels snappier on the same hardware. Binaries also seem to be around 10% smaller for i386.

Vermaden's instructions are quite good, the livefs/rescuecd method is much much much easier (and sane) for an experienced FreeBSD user/admin. Also, I think the PCBSD installer can install FreeBSD too (I haven't played with it, but I've heard rumours). Plus [thread=16242]this[/thread].