OpenSolaris 2009.11, a Long Term Look

I've been using OpenSolaris 2009.06 for some time now. I have really enjoyed the feeling of security I get with all of my files hosted on my large-ish ZFS pool. However there have been some issues which I would like to bring up, and some other things I would like to compliment.

First, OpenSolaris has great package management software. I haven't found something yet that I'm unable to install except for high end scanner software for scanning film and slides. That cannot be blamed on OpenSolaris. Second, the minor differences in commands from ZFS and Linux are minimal enough that I had no issue learning OpenSolaris. Third, setup was quick and easy and I had a ZFS protected, secure Samba share going in my house in under 15 minutes on a fresh install.

Some of the issues I've come across are the difference in speed between OpenSolaris and Linux. OpenSolaris can be sluggish at times, especially when logging in to SSH. I've also had issues with the built in CIFS occasionally failing, whether due to the computers attaching to it, or the service itself. I installed Samba from source, but eventually went back to the CIFS for simplicity.

So these are some basic views on OpenSolaris after a few months of use. If you haven't tried it yet, I would suggest it as it was rather interesting if nothing more to try.