Pro OpenSolaris (Expert's Voice in Open Source) [Paperback]

Harry Foxwell (Author), Christine Tran (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2009 | ISBN-10: 1430218916 | ISBN-13: 978-1430218913 | Edition: 1

OpenSolaris is a rapidly evolving operating system with roots in Solaris 10, suitable for deployment on laptops, desktop workstations, storage appliances, and data center servers from the smallest single–purpose systems to the largest enterprise–class systems. The growing OpenSolaris community now has hundreds of thousands of participants and users in government agencies, commercial businesses, and universities, with more than 100 user groups around the world contributing to the use and advancement of OpenSolaris. New releases of OpenSolaris become available every six months, with contributions from both Sun engineers and OpenSolaris community members; this book covers the OpenSolaris 2008.11 release.

Pro OpenSolaris was written to demonstrate that you can host your open source applications and solutions on OpenSolaris, taking advantage of its advanced features such as containers and other forms of virtualization, the ZFS file system, and DTrace. It's assumed that you are already fairly knowledgeable about developing on Linux systems, so the authors give an overview of the similarities and differences between Linux and OpenSolaris, and then present details on how to use the Service Management Facility (SMF), ZFS, zones, and even a bit of DTrace. They also provide pointers to the many project communities associated with new OpenSolaris features. Special focus is given to web development using familiar applications such as Apache, Tomcat, and MySQL, along with the NetBeans IDE, and showing you how to exploit some of OpenSolaris's unique technologies.

What you’ll learn

• Discover the secrets of the ZFS, the most powerful file system ever conceived
• Explore OpenSolaris AMP (Apache, MySQL, PHP) and GlassFish in the context of Web 2.0 and Linux/Solaris, respectively
• Familiarize yourself with the new security administration features of OpenSolaris, including changes in DTrace

Who this book is for

Linux system administrators and programmers who would like to know what they have missed since Solaris became an open-source operating system.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Harry Foxwell is a system engineer for Sun Microsystems Federal, Inc., specializing in operating system support (Solaris, OpenSolaris, and Linux). He is also an adjunct professor of computer science at George Mason University, where he has taught, among other classes, operating system courses based on OpenSolaris. He has also written several book reviews for ACM's Computing Reviews.

A bio is not available for this author.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (April 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1430218916
• ISBN-13: 978-1430218913
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.6 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,550,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Computers & Technology > Operating Systems > Solaris

More About the Author

Harry Foxwell is a Principal Engineer for Oracle in the Washington DC area, where he is responsible for solutions consulting and customer education on Cloud Computing, Solaris, Linux, Open Source software, and Virtualization technologies.

Harry has worked for Oracle and Sun Microsystems (acquired by Oracle in 2010) since 1995. Prior to that he worked for 6 years as a UNIX and Internet specialist for Digital Equipment Corporation; he has worked with UNIX systems since 1979 and has been a Linux user since 1995. He blogs frequently on Cloud Computing at http://blogs.oracle.com/drcloud

Harry has been influential in developing and promoting Oracle's Linux and Solaris strategies and messages. He is coauthor of the book Pro OpenSolaris (Apress, April 2009) and two Sun BluePrints: Slicing and Dicing Servers: A Guide to Virtualization and Containment Technologies, Sun BluePrints Online, October 2005, and The Sun BluePrints Guide to Solaris Containers: Virtualization in the Solaris Operating System, Sun BluePrints Online, October 2006. He is coauthor of Oracle Solaris 11 System Administration The Complete Reference, to be published in September 2012.

He earned his doctorate in Information Technology in 2003 from George Mason University (Fairfax, VA), and has since taught graduate courses at GMU in Computer Architecture, Operating Systems Security, and in Electronic Commerce.

Harry is a Vietnam veteran; he served as a platoon sergeant in the US Army's 1st Infantry Division in 1968-1969; (awarded Air Medal, and Bronze Star).

He is also an amateur astronomer and contributing member of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club, a USATT member and competitive table tennis player, and a USSF (Soccer) referee.

See also http://cs.gmu.edu/~hfoxwell/Resume.html for additional career details.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll want to start using OpenSolaris now! June 17, 2009

By Alan Formy-Duval

Format:Paperback

Pro OpenSolaris is an excellent primer to Sun's new operating system - OpenSolaris! The book provides a great introduction to OpenSolaris for anyone not accustomed to a UNIX environment and a great transition guide for anyone looking to transition from older UNIX or Linux platforms. Administrators familiar with earlier Solaris versions will find Pro OpenSolaris a benefit in transitioning to the latest technologies such as the Zetabyte File System (ZFS) and the various ways to employ virtualization. The fluid discussions and excellent screenshots allow the user to quickly learn the ins and outs of the system. This book has shown how easy it is to get an OpenSolaris system up and running and all the fun that can be had for both legacy Solaris users and Linux users alike!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction and exploration May 4, 2009

By Mark E. Heily

Format:Paperback

This book is written in an informal, conversational style that makes it easy and fun to read. Unlike other introductory texts, however, this one provides a wealth of technical knowledge and experience, and assumes a minimum level of familiarity with Linux/Unix. It covers everything that makes OpenSolaris an interesting addition to the free software ecosystem. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on Containers, ZFS, DTrace, and SMF.

I would have liked to see a little more coverage on the OpenSolaris community and development processes work, and a little less focus on how things are done in the Linux world. Overall, however, the book does a great job of exploring all of the material you need to get started with OpenSolaris.

I hope you have some extra time on your hands, because this is the kind of book that makes you want to install OpenSolaris and tinker with it for hours.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide for the uninitiated! October 18, 2010

By Gjorgi Varelov

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just got this book today and am already half way through it, it's a great read, authors keep your attention while preserving a level of discussion not too newbie- ish but not too high- level either.
Yes, you could search and search for days through the maze of online articles on OpenSolaris, but this book is more than a compilation of online material.
Its main focus is on the hallmarks of OpenSolaris that make it such a great system, authors explain it in a way that motivates you to try it on your own and join the crowd of Solaris- initiated enthusiasts.
A tiny word of caution: you have to have at least some familiarity with Linux (in any flavor) and its command- line. That familiarity becomes handy to keep up with the discussion.
I have never thought of OpenSolaris as anything more than yet another Linux distro until I got this book.
I hope more from these authors is on the way regarding OpenSolaris, keeping this style and level of discussion.
On a sad note, it seems the OpenSolaris project itself stalled after Oracle took over Sun. Let's hope that's gonna change...