OpenIndiana with Napp-it

napp-it site is a good source of information on Solaris flavors.  Decided to go with its advise and try OpenIndiana in hope that SMART information can be retrieved from the hard drives connected to motherboard.  This time used live CD.  It IS more user friendly than text install.  No problems with network setup this time!

Here are my notes:

• Still no SMART info.  Major bummer.  A storage appliance which can not tell the temperature of the hard drive or do SMART diagnostics is a joke.
• X kernel panics when intel video driver is used. So I am forced to use vesa driver instead.  Which does not support resolution higher than 800x600.  Which, in turn, makes some configuration GUI unusable.  Will try to follow these recommendations. 
  Tried it! Got nothing but kernel panic. So I am stuck with 800x600 resolution.
• Spent some time learning how to force boot into single user mode from GRUB prompt.
• disabled graphical login:
  svcadm disable svc:/application/graphical-login/gdm 
  Did not figure out how to start gnome desktop for those cases when GUI is desired, so later enabled GDM back.
• verified that CPU SpeedStep capability is recognized:
  
  

  alex@nas:/etc/X11# kstat -m cpu_info -s supported_frequencies_Hz
  module: cpu_info                        instance: 0
  name:   cpu_info0                       class:    misc
          supported_frequencies_Hz        1203000000:1803000000
  
  module: cpu_info                        instance: 1
  name:   cpu_info1                       class:    misc
          supported_frequencies_Hz        1203000000:1803000000
  

  
  Too bad this capability is never used and I always have:
  

  alex@nas:/etc/X11# kstat -m cpu_info -s current_clock_Hz
  module: cpu_info                        instance: 0
  name:   cpu_info0                       class:    misc
          current_clock_Hz                1803000000
  
  module: cpu_info                        instance: 1
  name:   cpu_info1                       class:    misc
          current_clock_Hz                1803000000
  

I am really disappointed with my inability to take advantage of SMART and feel this is a must have.  So I decided to jump the gun.  Investigated HBA controller options.  Done!  Ordered adapter and cables.
Finalized the plan for hard drives.  I will start with a mirror of 2x3.5" drives for performance testing and will take it from there.  OS will be stored on a mirror of 2x2.5" drives.  Got it!  Not to forget the cage!  I grew to like these!  So convenient for fast changes!  Looks like I can't move OS to a new smaller drive - another reinstall is in order.
Update: after trying FreeNAS, I decided to stick with it.  Or NAS4Free.  At least for now.  Booting from flash is soooo attractive.  So I cancelled an order for 2.5" drive and the cage.
Wooof.