Solaris - it just works

I'm a programmer, yet these days, when I work with computers, I like to just get things done. This wasn't always true - when I was in my twenties, I loved tinkering with computers: software, sometimes even hardware. I played with some of the initial BSD and Linux kernels in the mid 90s,  tweaking driver source code for fun.  But, as I grew older, I became more interested in the task at hand.

So, it was with some procrastination that I approached getting my Ultra 20 equipped with a WiFi card.  I used to live in a small house, had the Ultra 20 on my kitchen table near the DSL. But I moved, and now I have the computer in one room, and the DSL line in another. I use a laptop most of the time, but there are times I just wanted the Ultra 20 to work.

 So I printed out the wifi compatibility list, and trudged down to HiLon, the local electronics market. I went to a bunch of vendors. I bought a Netgear WG311 version 3 card. Turns out I had to download and compile the driver, but directions were clear. Now, it just works.  I had a similar experience installing Solaris on my notebook, and old Toshiba Tecra M1 - it just worked, with the drivers on the Solaris install disks.

 I write this, because if someone working at Sun perceives a lack of compatible Solaris drivers, people outside of Sun must surely believe it's really difficult.  And, I think there was a time this was true, especially Solaris on x86.  But, the reality is, today's commodity hardware is largely supported by Solaris.  It just works.