[rescue] The infamous missing CD...

[Earl D. Baugh Jr.]

After not being able to find the Software Supplement CD for Solaris 9, 
8/03, I mailed Sun about this missing CD.  (and mentioned that this was the 
second try I had made to get Solaris 9...and my growing assumption that 
along with their download packaging process being "broken" and 
"incomplete", that I was being led to believe that they're making it 
difficult for downloaders to try to force folks to purchase media kits) 
After waiting a day, I finally got my first response which was to send them 
the order numbers so they could check out what I had asked for (dunno why 
they needed this...doesn't make any sense). Then replied:

 >In response to your inquiry, please refer to the following URL for the
 >Solaris 9 Companion Software CD downloads:
 >http://wwws.sun.com/software/solaris/freeware/
 >
 >If you need further assistance, please feel free to contact us.
 >
 >We are conducting a brief survey to help us improve the quality of our
 >e-mail response service.   Please take a few moments to fill in the
 >survey then e-mail it back to us.
 >
 >Thank you in advance for your time in helping us improve our e-mail
 >response service.

So, they, like a few other folks, seemed to think I hadn't correctly 
identified the disk.  I had, cause I had tried twice with two different 
Freeware disks, and then went digging thru the Sun on-line docs and found 
the table of contents for this CD.   It is a different disk...not the 
Freeware, it's stuff like Java 3d, Show Me TV, etc.  (Stuff that I could 
actually USE...) BTW, I let them know what I thought of their first attempt 
to "help" via e-mail in the survey.....

So I clearly told them:

 > >I am NOT looking for the SOFTWARE COMPANION, I am looking for
 > >the SOFTWARE SUPPLEMENT (for 8/03).   According to your install
 > >program THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THING.

So, they told me :

 >We apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced.  You should be
 >able to ignore the request you are receiving to use Solaris.  Because of
 >your email, the Solaris team is considering adding the Supplement to the
 >download package.  Meanwhile, try bypassing the request.  You may also
 >consult the installation instructions at:
 >
 >http://wwws.sun.com/software/solaris/binaries/singleinstructions.html
 >
 >Again, we apologize for any inconvenience that may have caused.  If you
 >need further assistance, please feel free to contact us.

Oh, they're considering "adding" it?  Well that doesn't help much...esp 
since there were packages I'd like to use...and before anybody says "why are
you so upset, they've made it a free download......I'm upset because if 
they're going to decide to offer the software for free download, they 
should be able
to MAKE IT USABLE or DOCUMENT WHAT IS MISSING AND WHAT TO IGNORE, or 
PRODUCE A DIFFERENT INSTALL PROGRAM THAT'S NOT GOING TO ASK FOR IT.  If 
they don't want to do this, fine, make it only available for $$.  That's 
fine.  But don't make it "seem" to be all there, make it confusing for 
users who download it as almost a "bait and switch" type of set 
up.  Anyway, I asked:

 >Well, then how do I get the packages that are on this CD??
 >I.e. Java 3d, Open GL, etc...I also have a Sun Video capture board which
 >uses the Show Me software...so, I'm just out of luck??

And so to that they said:

>We apologize for any inconvenience.  The Solaris 9 Supplemental CD is
>available with the purchase of the Solaris 9 Media Kit.  Please refer to
>the following URL for further information:
>
>http://wwws.sun.com/software/solaris/binaries/package.html
>
>If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.

So, I sent off my last mail to them which said in part:

 >So, my original assumption is correct, that you've left parts off so
 >that downloaders are forced to purchase the media kits in order to
 >receive all of the Solaris Software.   I'll be sure to let everyone I know
 >know about this.....since you don't list it on your web site anywhere.
 >
 >You could at least post this so folks don't spend a lot of time trying
 >to figure out how important this CD is, and whether or not it's going
 >to cause any problems with it not being there.    All your install program
 >and web site have done is shown me that Sun doesn't know how to
 >package a product for download....

Maybe I'll hear something back....but I suspect that's the last I'll 
hear...(I will post if they do decide to make it available...)  At least 
this way, I can tell folks that when they're installing Solaris 9, WHEN it 
asks you for the Supplement Software CD, you have to tell it to "skip" if 
you did the download.  Don't bother looking for it on the Sun site, at 
least for Solaris 9, 8/03.  Oh, and also, if you're trying to load Solaris 
9, 4/03, you'll have to skip the two "Document CD's" WHEN asked for...same 
problem...

Earl