Belenix 0.7 works, but it doesn't find my NIC

While OpenSolaris 2008.05 refused to do just about anything on every computer I've tried, the OpenSolaris-based MilaX runs like the proverbial wind on most of those boxes. So I figured it was time to try BeleniX, another project that brings a GUI and live-CD environment to OpenSolaris.

Belenix didn't boot on my VIA C3 Samuel box, but I didn't expect that. It did boot on one of our Dell Optiplex GX520 desktops (Pentium 4, 3 GHz, 512 MB RAM).

It ran well both in KDE and Xfce modes ... but.

And there is a "but."

The OS didn't find my Ethernet interface, and that made getting networking into the box impossible with my level of skill in Solaris (which, in case you didn't know, is none).

The folks at Belenix say in their how-to that writing a static IP helper app is on their list of things to do.

Luckily MilaX already has one -- and a good one at that. Now all MilaX needs is a few more applications, especially Firefox. It's a sweet little system, for sure.

I should try version 0.3, in which the Netsurf browser has replaced Dillo.

And the bigger OpenSolaris-based projects would do well to look at what MilaX is doing right.