[OmniOS-discuss] X11 application support

[Theo Schlossnagle]

We don't package X11 libs in code, because nothing in core needs them to
run or build.  The core is the smallest self sustainable set of packages.

We encourage the "layered-cake" approach using multiple repos.

We take that stance because the problem is deeper and more complex than you
elude to.

Your vendor ships something that needs X11 libs.  But they don't ship
OmniOS binaries (if they didn't they'd have no X11 deps). So, what you have
instead are likely Solaris binaries.  Now, while Solaris 10 and earlier
binaries will run on OmniOS, we only guarantee that the system ABIs are
stable. X11 is not that.  So, in order to run those Solaris 10 binaries
that need X11 client libs we have a possible ABI issue.  If we were to ship
X11 client libs, we may not ship the same ones as with Solaris 10 (we are
newer after all), so that binary might explode if you convince it to link
against the ones we would have provided.  The only way to make sure it
works is to copy over the libs from a Solaris 10 box and LD_LIBRARY_PATH
them for your app.  This has the highest probability of working.

I can share our approach to such things, it may or may not help.  I have a
private IPS repo for my junk.  Without own private IPS repo, I concern
myself less with the redistribution rights of what I place in there.  We
take an IPS-or-nothing approach.  If I find myself with a piece of software
that doesn't have an IPS (tar, installer, etc. etc.).  I take a machine and
install it, I find all files it provided and create an IPS manifest, I SMF
it if it hasn't been and put that int he manifest. I run it, if it doesn't
work due to missing libraries, I create a private directory somewhere
reasonable and relative to the install path and place the missing shared
libraries in there.  I add that to the LD_LIBRARY_PATH in the SMF manifest
and add the libs to the package manifest.... once it works, I pkgsend the
manifest to my server and voila.  I know how said piece of software
installable via IPS in non-snowflake fashion.

I would say, this process is required once in a blue moon.

While I'm sure we all find the need to hack up a piece of software to run
on a foreign OS, I'll caveat that hacking a piece of mission critical
software to run on OmniOS that isn't shipped for OmniOS is likely easier
than hacking your EULA to allow you to do so or hacking your support
contract for said software to be valid or useful.

Best regards,

Theo

On Fri, May 17, 2013 at 1:34 PM, Bob Friesenhahn <
bfriesen at simple.dallas.tx.us> wrote:

> On Fri, 17 May 2013, Theo Schlossnagle wrote:
>
>  A few things that might help you our
>> 1) this is not in core by design.
>> 2) using a browser remotely sounds painful... try ssh options to either
>> forward a port (-L) or act as a SOCKS proxy (-D) both
>> *super* useful.
>> 3) this does not solve your "I can only manage an HBA with a Java GUI
>> issue"... you should burn that vendor's offices down*.
>>
>
> I have some mission-critical software here from Sun which uses an "Install
> Shield" type installer on Solaris.  I am not sure if the installer is
> x86/SPARC binaries, or based on Java.  Once installed, the software runs
> headless on a server.
>
> There is other software (useful on servers) where use of X11 is optional
> at run-time yet the binaries will fail to run if the X11 libraries are
> missing.  If the X11 libraries are missing, then it is necessary to create
> a special build of the software and commonly-available pre-compiled
> binaries won't work.
>
> Basic X11 client libraries and support files (all highly-portable stuff)
> seems like a basic requirement.  This is quite different than an X11
> server, which has substantial hardware dependencies.
>
>
>  4) There are people using Joyent's pkgsrc work to build X libs.
>>
>
> That sounds helpful.
>
> Bob
> --
> Bob Friesenhahn
> bfriesen at simple.dallas.tx.us, http://www.simplesystems.org/**
> users/bfriesen/ <http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen/>
> GraphicsMagick Maintainer,    http://www.GraphicsMagick.org/
>



-- 

Theo Schlossnagle

http://omniti.com/is/theo-schlossnagle
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