Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations

Creating a Profile Diskette for Standalone Systems

A diskette that contains a JumpStart directory is called a profile diskette. A system that is not connected to the network does not have access to a profile server. As a result, you must create a JumpStart directory on a diskette if a system is not connected to a network. The system on which you create a profile diskette must have a diskette drive.

The JumpStart directory contains all of the essential custom JumpStart files, for example, the rules file, rules.ok file, and profiles. You must save the JumpStart directory in the root (/) directory of the profile diskette.

See on of the following procedures:

ProcedureSPARC: To Create a Profile Diskette


Note –

This procedure assumes that the system is running Volume Manager. If you are not using Volume Manager to manage diskettes, CDs, and DVDs, refer to System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems for detailed information about managing removable media without Volume Manager.


Steps
  1. Log in as superuser on a SPARC based system to which a diskette drive is attached.

  2. Insert a blank diskette or a diskette that can be overwritten in the diskette drive.

  3. Mount the diskette.


    # volcheck
    
  4. Determine if the diskette contains a UNIX file system (UFS).

    Examine the contents of the file /etc/mnttab on the system for an entry such as the following:


    /vol/dev/diskette0/scrap  /floppy/scrap  ufs  suid,rw,largefiles,dev=1740008  927147040
    • If the entry exists, go to Step 6.

    • If the entry does not exist, go to the next step.

  5. Create a UFS on the diskette.


    # newfs /vol/dev/aliases/floppy0
    
  6. Determine if you want to copy examples of custom JumpStart files to your JumpStart directory.

    • If no, go to Step 9.

    • If yes, use the following decision table to determine what to do next.

    Example Locations 

    Instructions 

    The Solaris Operating System for SPARC Platforms DVD or the Solaris Software for SPARC Platforms - 1 CD  

    Insert the Solaris Operating System for SPARC Platforms DVD or the Solaris Software for SPARC Platforms - 1 CD into the server's CD-ROM drive. 

    Volume Manager automatically mounts the CD. 

    An image of the Solaris Operating System for SPARC Platforms DVD or the Solaris Software for SPARC Platforms - 1 CD on a local disk

    Change the directory to the location of the Solaris Operating System for SPARC Platforms DVD or the Solaris Software for SPARC Platforms - 1 CD image. For example, type the following command: 


    cd /export/install
    

  7. Copy the example custom JumpStart files into the JumpStart directory on the profile diskette.


    # cp -r media_path/Solaris_10/Misc/jumpstart_sample/* jumpstart_dir_path
    
    media_path

    The path to the CD, DVD, or image on the local disk

    jumpstart_dir_path

    The path to the profile diskette where you want to place the example custom JumpStart files


    Note –

    You must place all custom JumpStart installation files in the root (/) directory on the diskette.


    For example, the following command copies the contents of jumpstart_sample on the Solaris Software for SPARC Platforms - 1 CD to the root (/) directory on a profile diskette that is named scrap:


    cp -r /cdrom/sol_10_sparc/s0/Solaris_10/Misc/jumpstart_sample/* /floppy/scrap
    
  8. Update the example JumpStart files on the profile diskette so that the files work in your environment.

  9. Ensure that root owns the JumpStart directory and that permissions are set to 755.

  10. Eject the diskette.


    # eject floppy
    

    You have completed the creation of a profile diskette. You can now update the rules file and create profiles on the profile diskette to perform custom JumpStart installations. To continue, go to Creating the rules File.

Procedurex86: To Create a Profile Diskette With GRUB

Starting with the Solaris 10 1/06 release, use the following procedure. The Solaris Device Configuration Assistant software is no longer used to boot a system. A GRUB menu is provided during the installation procedure that enables the boot process.

If you are using the Solaris 10 3/05 release, see x86: For the Solaris 10 3/05 Release: To Create a Profile Diskette.


Note –

This procedure assumes that the system is running Volume Manager. If you are not using Volume Manager to manage diskettes, CDs, and DVDs, refer to System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems for detailed information about managing removable media without Volume Manager.


Steps
  1. Log in as superuser on an x86 based system to which a diskette drive is attached.

  2. Insert a blank diskette or a diskette that can be overwritten into the diskette drive.

  3. Mount the diskette.


    # volcheck
    
  4. Determine if you want to copy examples of custom JumpStart files to your JumpStart directory.

    • If no, go to Step 7.

    • If yes, use the following decision table to determine what to do next.

    Example Locations 

    Instructions 

    The Solaris Operating System for x86 Platforms DVD or the Solaris Software for x86 Platforms - 1 CD  

    Insert the Solaris Operating System for x86 Platforms DVD or the Solaris Software for x86 Platforms - 1 CD into the server's CD-ROM drive. 

    Volume Manager automatically mounts the CD. 

    An image of the Solaris Operating System for x86 Platforms DVD or the Solaris Software for x86 Platforms - 1 CD on a local disk

    Change directory to the location of the Solaris Operating System for x86 Platforms DVD or the Solaris Software for x86 Platforms - 1 CD image. For example, type the following: 


    cd /export/install

  5. Copy the example custom JumpStart files into the JumpStart directory on the profile diskette.


    # cp -r media_path/Solaris_10/Misc/jumpstart_sample/* jumpstart_dir_path
    
    media_path

    The path to the CD, DVD, or image on the local disk

    jumpstart_dir_path

    The path to the profile diskette where you want to place the example custom JumpStart files


    Note –

    You must place all custom JumpStart installation files in the root (/) directory on the profile diskette.


    For example, the following command copies the contents of jumpstart_sample on the Solaris Software for x86 Platforms - 1 CD to the root (/) directory on a profile diskette that is named scrap:


    cp -r /cdrom/sol_10_x86/Solaris_10/Misc/jumpstart_sample/* /floppy/scrap
    
  6. Update the example JumpStart files on the profile diskette so that the files work in your environment.

  7. Ensure that root owns the JumpStart directory and that permissions are set to 755.

  8. Eject the diskette by clicking Eject Disk in the File Manager window or by typing eject floppy on the command line.

  9. In the Removable Media Manager dialog box, click OK.

  10. Manually eject the diskette.

See Also

You have completed the creation of a profile diskette. Now you can update the rules file and create profiles on the profile diskette to perform custom JumpStart installations. To continue, go to Creating the rules File.

Procedurex86: For the Solaris 10 3/05 Release: To Create a Profile Diskette

If you are using the Solaris 10 3/05 release, use this procedure.

Starting with the Solaris 10 1/06 release, the Solaris Device Configuration Assistant software is no longer used to boot a system. A GRUB menu is provided during the installation procedure that enables the boot process. For instructions, see x86: To Create a Profile Diskette With GRUB.


Note –

This procedure assumes that the system is running Volume Manager. If you are not using Volume Manager to manage diskettes, CDs, and DVDs, refer to System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems for detailed information about managing removable media without Volume Manager.


Steps
  1. Log in as superuser on an x86 based system to which a diskette drive is attached.

  2. Insert the Solaris 10 3/05 Device Configuration Assistant diskette into the diskette drive (usually drive A). You use this diskette as the profile diskette.


    x86 only –

    You can copy the Device Configuration Assistant software to a diskette from the Solaris Operating System for x86 Platforms DVD or Solaris Software for x86 Platforms - 2 CD by using the procedure in Solaris 10 3/05 for x86: Copying the Boot Software to a Diskette in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations.


  3. Mount the diskette.


    # volcheck
    
  4. Copy the image of the Solaris 10 3/05 Device Configuration Assistant to the system's hard disk.


    # dd if=/vol/dev/aliases/floppy0 of=boot_image
    

    In the command, boot_image is the name of the file into which you want to copy the image of the Solaris 10 3/05 Device Configuration Assistant. You can specify an absolute path name.

    For example, the following command copies the boot diskette to a file that is named boot_save:


    dd if=/vol/dev/aliases/floppy0 of=boot_save
    
  5. Eject the diskette by clicking Eject Disk in the File Manager window or by typing eject floppy on the command line.

  6. In the Removable Media Manager dialog box, click OK.

  7. Manually eject the Solaris 10 3/05 Device Configuration Assistant diskette.

  8. Insert a blank diskette or a diskette that can be overwritten into the diskette drive.

  9. Mount the diskette.


    # volcheck
    
  10. Format the diskette.


    # fdformat -d -U
    
  11. Copy the Solaris 10 3/05 Device Configuration Assistant image from the system's hard disk to the formatted diskette.


    # dd if=boot_image of=/vol/dev/aliases/floppy0
    

    In the command, boot_image is the name of the file where you want to copy the image of the Solaris 10 3/05 Device Configuration Assistant. You can specify an absolute path name.

  12. Determine if you want to copy examples of custom JumpStart files to your JumpStart directory.

    • If no, go to Step 7.

    • If yes, use the following decision table to determine what to do next.

    Example Locations 

    Instructions 

    The Solaris Operating System for x86 Platforms DVD or the Solaris Software for x86 Platforms - 1 CD  

    Insert the Solaris Operating System for x86 Platforms DVD or the Solaris Software for x86 Platforms - 1 CD into the server's CD-ROM drive. 

    Volume Manager automatically mounts the CD. 

    An image of the Solaris Operating System for x86 Platforms DVD or the Solaris Software for x86 Platforms - 1 CD on a local disk

    Change directory to the location of the Solaris Operating System for x86 Platforms DVD or the Solaris Software for x86 Platforms - 1 CD image. For example, type the following: 


    cd /export/install

  13. Copy the example custom JumpStart files into the JumpStart directory on the profile diskette.


    # cp -r media_path/Solaris_10/Misc/jumpstart_sample/* jumpstart_dir_path
    
    media_path

    The path to the CD, DVD, or image on the local disk

    jumpstart_dir_path

    The path to the profile diskette where you want to place the example custom JumpStart files


    Note –

    You must place all custom JumpStart installation files in the root (/) directory on the profile diskette.


    For example, the following command copies the contents of jumpstart_sample on the Solaris Software for x86 Platforms - 1 CD to the root (/) directory on a profile diskette that is named scrap:


    cp -r /cdrom/sol_10_x86/s2/Solaris_10/Misc/jumpstart_sample/* /floppy/scrap
    
  14. Update the example JumpStart files on the profile diskette so that the files work in your environment.

  15. Ensure that root owns the JumpStart directory and that permissions are set to 755.

  16. Eject the diskette by clicking Eject Disk in the File Manager window or by typing eject floppy on the command line.

  17. In the Removable Media Manager dialog box, click OK.

  18. Manually eject the diskette.

See Also

You have completed the creation of a profile diskette. Now you can update the rules file and create profiles on the profile diskette to perform custom JumpStart installations. To continue, go to Creating the rules File.