Gabriel Carrillo's Weblog: Dropping jewels!

I have a setup where I multiboot Solaris and Ubuntu, and I occasionally install the newest release of Solaris to try out new features.  Each time I do so, however, Solaris overwrites the existing Linux GRUB install with its own, and I lose the ability to boot to Ubuntu, even though it's still there on the disk.  Here is one method to recover the Linux GRUB (using the Ubuntu Alternate install disc, since that's what I have) and the choices I select:

1. Boot from Alternate CD
2. Choose "Rescue a broken system"
3. Choose Language (English, United States)
4. Detect Keyboard Layout (No, U.S. English, U.S. English)
5. Detecting HW, Scanning CDROM, Additional components
6. Configure networking (Cancel, Continue, Do not configure at this time)
7. Hostname (Default, Continue)
8. Detecting HW...
9. Choose root filesystem device (/dev/sda1)
10. Rescue Operations Mode (Reinstall GRUB boot loader)
11. I need to install GRUB to MBR, so type hd0 and press continue
12. System runs grub-install hd0 to write boot loader to MBR
13. Reboot

Upon reboot, I now see my original GRUB boot menu, and I can now boot into my Ubuntu installation.  Note that these steps are not specific to an Ubuntu/Solaris setup, but should also work for Ubuntu/<other OS> or even Linux/<other OS>, depending on recovery disk options.

 

Build 72 of Nevada contains the Intel 2.1.0 driver and other necessary Xorg components to successfully deliver full resolution(1680x1050) on my Latitude D830 with integrated GMA x3100 graphics core.  Graphics now work out of box! ;)  I still believe some of the 3D acceleration components have yet to be integrated into Solaris however, so we can look forward to that.

I have upgraded my Solaris install on my Dell Latitude D830 to the build 66 release of Solaris Express Community edition. I then BFU'd with the latest bits on 6/18/07. So what's changed? I now have a bit more support for my chipset, the 965GM, thanks to a putback for CR 6492209 "Intel 965 chipsets should have AGP support". And, apparently, the VESA driver is now recognizing the GMA x3100 integrated graphics core correctly. But I still don't have a good xorg.conf file to get full resolution out of my display. (I haven't located the necessary specs for the LCD, and Dell was no help.) Anyways, here's a quick run-through of what is working: Wireless (Intel Pro Wireless 3945ABG, working with a 'B' access point, at least), Graphics (GMA x3100), USB, Touchpad. Here are somethings I'm still working on: Sound (Should be able to get this going with OSS). My apologies if this post is thin. I well definitely elaborate upon the hardware and steps needed to get it functioning when I'm spending less time configuring this laptop and more time using it. I will also learn how to format these posts so that they are easier to skim ;)

This is my first post, and I'm just trying it out. However, I am working on getting full hardware support for a Dell Latitude D830 from SXDE, so once I get the kinks worked out I will post details on the process. I have installed SXDE 2/07 already, and it's very cool...however the laptop contains Intel's new Centrino (Santa Rosa) chipset, so the internals are quite new. I will try SXDE 5/07 tonight, and we'll see if everything pretty much works out-of-the-box.