I have the OpenSolaris Student Pack DVD.

Insert the OpenSolaris Student Pack DVD in your laptop. This DVD includes software that enables you to easily set up a VirtualBox^TM inside your current operating system (OS). You can run the OpenSolaris 2008.05 OS from inside this VirtualBox. For instructions, see the “Running OpenSolaris in a VirtualBox” instructions on the DVD.

I have the OpenSolaris 2008.05 Live CD.

Insert the Live CD in your laptop and reboot. The Live CD boots to a minimal OpenSolaris 2008.05 OS. You can explore the OpenSolaris OS on the CD without affecting the existing operating system on your laptop.

Note - This procedure assumes, as is usually the case, that the CD drive is booted before the hard drive in the BIOS boot order.

To install the OpenSolaris OS, see the icon for Chapter 1, Getting Started With OpenSolaris 2008.05 on the desktop. You have the following choices:

• To install the OpenSolaris 2008.05 release as the only operating system on your laptop, see the installation Roadmap.

• To install a run the OpenSolaris 2008.05 OS inside a virtual machine, see Running OpenSolaris Using VirtualBox.

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  Note - For this option, you must first install the VirtualBox application. After VirtualBox is installed, reboot your existing operating system. Then, insert the OpenSolaris Live CD in the CD/ROM drive, open VirtualBox and set the Live CD to run “in the box.”

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• To run the OpenSolaris 2008.05 OS in a separate partition from your existing OS, see Preparing for a Multiboot Environment.

I do not have either the Live CD or the OpenSolaris Student Pack DVD.

You can download the OpenSolaris ISO image for the OpenSolaris 2008.05 release. See OpenSolaris.com.

Then, use the installation procedures described above to install the release either to the whole disk, to a VirtualBox, or to a partition.

Note - For the VirtualBox option, you must first install the VirtualBox application in your current operating system. Then, you can run the OpenSolaris OS in the VirtualBox with the ISO image option selected. See instructions in Running OpenSolaris Using VirtualBox.

Set up and administer system.

See the OpenSolaris System Administration Guide on the OpenSolaris Student Pack DVD for instructions including:

• Set up audio and video

• Set up printing

• Using basic commands

• Introduction to file systems

• Troubleshooting

Install and update software packages on your system.

See Package Manager (IPS GUI). The Package Manager enables you to install, update, and manage packages on your installed system.

For specific instructions about installing developer applications, such as NetBeans 6.1, OpenOffice.org, GlassFish v2 Application Server, and Sun Studio Express 5/08, see Installing Developer Software (Tasks).

Explore the OpenOffice word processing and spreadsheet applications.

See Getting Started With OpenOffice.org 2.x.

Set up a Web application developer environment.

See OpenSolaris 2008.05 Developer Environment. See, also, the Web Stack Getting Started Guide.

Explore the Sun Studio developer software.

See Getting Started With Sun Studio Software.

Set up and explore NetBeans.

See NetBeans IDE Java Quick Start Tutorial.

Develop Java SE applications in NetBeans IDE 6.0.

See Introduction to Developing General Java Applications.

Explore PHP development in NetBeans.

See Getting Started with PHP Development in NetBeans.

Develop a simple device driver.

See Device Driver Tutorial.

Explore DTrace.

Dtrace is a dynamic tracing facility that can display relevant information about kernel or user processes. See DTrace User Guide.

Upgrade an installed OpenSolaris release.

See Chapter 3, Upgrading and Managing Your Boot Environments.

Explore the OpenSolaris project and community.

The OpenSolaris 2008.05 release was developed as a project of the OpenSolaris community. You can explore this ongoing project. And, you can join the OpenSolaris community, as they develop future releases of the OpenSolaris operating system.

See Introduction to Operating Systems: A Hands-On Approach Using the OpenSolaris Project. See, also, OpenSolaris.org - the OpenSolaris community Web site

Explore additional OpenSolaris documentation.

See any of the following OpenSolaris documentation sites:

• OpenSolaris Documentation Hub

• OpenSolaris Documentation Index

• ZFS Documentation Hub

• xVM Hypervisor Documentation Hub