Documentation Plan: Dual-Booting OpenSolaris DP2 with a Second Operating System

Project

Dual-Booting OpenSolaris DP2 with Ubuntu Linux 

Dual-Booting OpenSolaris DP2 with Vista 

Background

A growing array of installation material is available for OpenSolaris Indiana. Unfortunately, documentation for users wishing to dual-boot DP2 alongside Microsoft Vista or Ubuntu Linux is often inapplicable to their needs, out-of-date, and obsolete. Even if they find topical blogs or posts on OpenSolaris.org forums – and know how to separate the wheat from the chaff – they experience information right and wrong, up-to-date and obsolete.

This is especially true of Vista, which last summer required a workaround to boot alongside OpenSolaris. Though this problem was fixed in newer builds of OpenSolaris, the issue continues to dominate the results of search queries about dual-booting OpenSolaris and Vista.

This project will thus explain how to dual-boot OpenSolaris on a system that already runs Vista or Ubuntu Linux. These operating systems were chosen for their marketplace relevance. Moving forward, we should pursue feedback from the OpenSolaris community to determine the demand for dual-boot installation guides for other operating systems.

Constraints

I've scheduled due dates to maximize the time available for editing instruction guides and producing screencasts. Nevertheless, this time will be very limited, as shown below.

Deliverables and Deadlines

Microsoft Vista and OpenSolaris Dual-Boot Installation Instructions

This new OpenSolaris.org page will detail how to install OpenSolaris Developer Preview 2 on a system that already runs Vista. It will begin with copy leveraged from its parent site's Get It page, but Vista dual-boot-specific instructions will replace the present “Install OpenSolaris Developer Preview” section.

• Beta deadline: 3/19
• Feedback: 3/19-3/21
• Final deadline: 4/8

Ubuntu Linux and OpenSolaris Dual-Boot Installation Instructions

This document will be similar to the above document, except that it will be tailored to Ubuntu Linux users.

• Beta deadline: 3/25
• Feedback: 3/21-3/27
• Final deadline: 4/8

Microsoft Vista and OpenSolaris Dual-Boot Installation Screencast

This flash screencast will track the progress of a user installing OpenSolaris DP2 alongside Vista, using instructions from the Vista dual-install instruction guide.

• Beta deadline: 4/18
• Feedback: 4/8-4/15
• Final deadline: 4/25

Ubuntu Linux and OpenSolaris Dual-Boot Installation Screencast

This flash screencast will track the progress of a user installing OpenSolaris DP2 alongside Ubuntu Linux, using instructions from the Ubuntu dual-install instruction guide.

• Beta deadline: 4/25
• Feedback: 4/8-4/15
• Final deadline: 4/28

Resources

There are OpenSolaris dual-boot guides of all shapes and sizes. The following material provides context and foundation.

• Doc Reviews at OpenSolaris.org
• Multi-booting Solaris and other operating systems 
• OpenSolaris Screencasts 
• OpenSolaris Starter Kit 

People

Thank you to everyone who have help me out thus far. These people, as well as others who have been suggested as future resources, are acknowledged below.

• Julie Bettis
• Mark Brundege
• Marty Duey
• Michelle Olson
• Mike Patino
• Diane Plampin
• Sue Weber
• Dwayne Wolf
• Ginnie Wray