Solaris 10 10/09 Release Notes

Before You Begin

This section contains critical installation issues that you need to be aware of before installing or upgrading to Solaris 10 OS. These issues might have an impact that would prevent installation or upgrades from completing successfully. If bugs in this section apply to your system, you might need to perform the recommended workarounds before you install or upgrade.

Solaris Live Upgrade and Solaris Zones

Starting with the Solaris 10 8/07 release, using Solaris Live Upgrade with Solaris zones is supported. For more information about this, see InfoDoc 206844 at http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-61-206844-1.

Solaris Live Upgrade Restrictions

For Solaris Live Upgrade to operate correctly, a limited set of patch revisions must be installed for a given OS version. Make sure you have the most recently updated patch list by consulting http://sunsolve.sun.com. The Solaris 10 10/09 release has the following Solaris Live Upgrade restrictions:

These patches provide the new p7zip functionality. Solaris Live Upgrade requires p7zip functionality in order to support upgrade to Solaris 10 10/09.


Note –

The minimum required patch information for the live boot environment, prior to using Solaris Live Upgrade is provided in Infodoc 206844 at http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-61-206844-1.


Using Solaris Live Upgrade With a Zone Root on a ZFS File System

The Solaris 10 10/09 release provides the ability to install a ZFS root file system and configure a zone root on ZFS. Typically, you can create and configure a zone root on ZFS as you wish. If you plan to use Solaris Live Upgrade with ZFS and zone configurations, review the following information:

For a detailed description of supported zone configurations to be upgraded or patched in the Solaris 10 10/09 release, see Migrating a UFS Root File System to a ZFS Root File System (Solaris Live Upgrade) in Solaris ZFS Administration Guide.

For complete instructions on setting up these configurations, see Solaris Installation and Solaris Live Upgrade Requirements for ZFS Support in Solaris ZFS Administration Guide.

Review the information in this chapter before you begin your migration to a ZFS root file system or before setting up zones on a system with a ZFS root file system. Follow the recommended procedure exactly to set up zones on a system with ZFS root file system to ensure that you can use Solaris Live Upgrade on that system.

Upgrading a Solaris Trusted Extensions System That is Configured with Labeled Zones

Solaris systems that are configured with Solaris Trusted Extensions use non-global zones. Upgrading these systems is the same as upgrading a Solaris system that uses zones, and has the same issues.

Patching Miniroot on SPARC and x86 Machines

The procedures for using patchadd with the -C destination specifier to patch a miniroot on SPARC and x86 machines have changed. You must now unpack the miniroot, apply patches, then repack the miniroot.

See the following for the detailed steps:

Solaris Data Encryption Supplement on Solaris 10 Updates

Starting with the Solaris 10 8/07 release, the Solaris Data Encryption Supplement packages are included by default with the Solaris 10 OS software. You no longer need to install and download these packages.

Additional Procedures Required When Installing GNOME Display Manager Patches for Solaris 10 10/09 Release

The following patches are applied to resolve problems that were reported in CR 6277164 and CR 6214222:

The sections that follow provide further steps that you must perform to completely resolve the reported problems. For more information, read the Special Install Instructions section of the patch README for these patches.

x86: Systems With elx or pcelx NICs Fail Network Configuration

Systems with an elx or a pcelx network interface card (NIC) fail to install. During the configuration of the NIC, the following error message might be displayed:


WARNING: elx: transmit or jabber underrun: d0<UNDER, INTR, CPLT>

See the elxl(7D) or pcelx(7D) man page for more information.

Workaround: Install and run on systems that do not have elx or pcelx NICs.

Default Size of /var File System Inadequate

The default size of the /var file system might be insufficient if the /var file system is located on a separate slice.

You must manually specify a larger slice size for the /var file system.


Note –

If the /var file system is not on a separate slice or partition, this problem does not occur.


Workaround: Choose one of the following workarounds.

x86: Do Not Upgrade Hewlett-Packard (HP) Vectra XU Series Systems With BIOS Version GG.06.13

The Solaris 10 software includes a feature that enables you to install large partitions. The system BIOS must support logical block addressing (LBA). BIOS Version GG.06.13 does not support LBA access. The Solaris boot programs cannot manage this conflict. This issue can also affect other HP Vectra systems.

If you perform this upgrade, your HP system can no longer boot. Only a blank black screen with a flashing underscore cursor is displayed.

Workaround: Do not upgrade HP Vectra XU Series systems with the latest BIOS Version GG.06.13 to the Solaris 10 release. This version no longer supports these systems.

You can still boot your system by using the boot diskette or boot CD because the boot paths do not use the hard disk code. Then select the hard disk as your bootable device instead of the network or CD-ROM drive.

SPARC: Older Firmware Might Need Boot Flash PROM Update

On SPARC based systems, Solaris 10 OS runs in 64–bit mode only. Some Sun4UTM systems might need to be updated to a higher level of OpenBootTM firmware in the flash PROM to run the OS in 64-bit mode. The following systems might require a flash PROM update:

The following table lists the UltraSPARC systems and the minimum firmware versions that are required to run the 64–bit Solaris 10 OS. System type is the equivalent of the output of the uname -i command. You can determine which firmware version you are running by using the prtconf -V command.

Table 1–1 Minimum Firmware Versions Required to Run 64–Bit Solaris Software on UltraSPARC Systems

System Type From uname -i

Minimum Firmware Version From prtconf -V

SUNW,Ultra-2 

3.11.2 

SUNW,Ultra-4 

3.7.107 

SUNW,Ultra-Enterprise 

3.2.16 

If a system is not listed in the previous table, the system does not need a flash PROM update. For instructions to perform a flash PROM update, see any edition of the Solaris 8 Sun Hardware Platform Guide at http://docs.sun.com.


Note –

Upgrading firmware on both SPARC and x86 systems can lead to significant performance improvements. See the Firmware section on the BigAdmin Patching Hub at http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/patches/overview.jsp. See also, the FAQ at http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/patches/firmware/faq.jsp.


Solaris Management Console 2.1 Software Is Not Compatible With Solaris Management Console 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.0.2 Software

Solaris Management Console 2.1 software is not compatible with Solaris Management Console 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.0.2 software. If you are upgrading to the Solaris 10 release, and you have Solaris Management Console 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.0.2 software installed, you must first uninstall the Solaris Management Console software before you upgrade. Solaris Management Console software might exist on your system if you installed the SEAS 2.0 overbox, the SEAS 3.0 overbox, or the Solaris 8 Admin Pack.

Workaround: Choose one of the following workarounds:

x86: Failure of BIOS Device Utility Prevents Installation or Upgrade From Being Completed (6362108)

On certain occasions, the utility for BIOS devices (/sbin/biosdev) might fail and prevent a successful installation or upgrade. The failure can occur under either of the following circumstances:

The following error message is displayed:


biosdev: Could not match any!!

Workaround: Make sure that you reboot the system after applying Patch ID 117435-02. Ensure that identical disks to be used in the installation or upgrade are configured with different fdisk-partition layouts.

The following example is based on a system that has two disks with identical fdisk-partition layouts. To change the layouts, perform the following steps.

  1. Become superuser.

  2. Start the disk maintenance utility.


    # format
    

    A list of available disks in the system is displayed.

  3. To select the disk whose fdisk partition you want to change, type the disk's number.

  4. From the list of Format options, select fdisk.

    The disk's partition information and a list of fdisk options are displayed.

  5. To change the disk's layout, choose one of the following:

    • To specify a different active partition, press 2.

    • To add another disk partition, press 1.

    • To delete an unused partition, press 3.

  6. To save your changes and exit the fdisk menu, press 5.

  7. To exit the disk maintenance utility, select Quit from the Format options.

  8. Reboot the system.

  9. After the system reboots, verify that the error message no longer appears. As superuser, type the following command:


    # /sbin/biosdev
    

    If the error message is still generated, repeat the procedure but select a different option in Step 5.

  10. If the system contains other identical disks with identical fdisk-partition layouts, repeat Steps 1-9 on these disks. Otherwise, you can proceed with your Solaris installation or upgrade.

Cannot Create a Solaris Flash Archive When Solaris Zones Are Installed (6246943)

Starting with the current Solaris release, a Solaris Flash archive cannot be properly created when a non-global zone is installed. The Solaris Flash feature is not currently compatible with the Solaris containers (zones) feature.

Do not use the flar create command to create a Solaris Flash archive in these instances:

If you create a Solaris Flash archive in such an instance, the resulting archive might not install properly when the archive is deployed.

Workaround: It might be possible to create a Solaris Flash archive of a system that has installed zones if they are all halted. For more information, see http://opensolaris.org/os/community/zones/faq/flar_zones/.

x86: Sun Java Workstations 2100Z Might Panic When Booting From Solaris 10 Operating System DVD (6214356)

The DVD combo-drive firmware in a Sun Java Workstation 2100Z might cause a system panic. The panic occurs when you boot the workstation from the Solaris 10 Operating System DVD. After the kernel banner is displayed, the following message is very quickly flashed:


panic[cpu0]/thread=fec1be20: mod_hold_stub: 
Couldn't load stub module sched/TS_DTBL
fec25cb0 genunix:mod_hold_stub+139 (fec04088, 63, fea11)
fec25cc4 unix:stubs_common_code+9 (1, 8, fec026e4)
fec25ce4 unix:disp_add+3d (fec026dc)
fec25d00 genunix:mod_installsched+a4 (fef01530, fef01518)
fec25d20 genunix:mod_install+2f (fef01518, fec25d3c,)
fec25d2c TS:_init+d (0, d6d89c88, fec25d)
fec25d3c genunix:modinstall+d9 (d6d89c88)
fec25d50 genunix:mod_hold_installed_mod+2e (d6d77640, 1, fec25d)
fec25d7c genunix:modload+ac (fec026c4, fec26c4)
fec25d98 genunix:scheduler_load+3d (fec026c4, fec026dc)
fec25db4 genunix:getcid+50 (fec026c4, fec28514)
fec25dcc unix:dispinit+df (fec25ddc, fe814ba9)
fec25dd4 unix:startup_modules+d5 (fec25dec, fe8cac37)
fec25ddc unix:startup+19 (fe800000, 166130, 7)
fec25dec genunix:main+16 ()

Then the system automatically resets.

Workaround: Choose one of the following options:

Workaround 1: Modify some BIOS configuration settings. This temporary workaround enables a Solaris 10 installation to be completed. However, this method might cause poor read-DVD performance. Follow these steps:

  1. During system boot, press F2 at the prompt to enter the setup.

    The screen displays attachment-type options similar to the following example:


    Primary Master [ ]
    Primary Slave [ ]
    Secondary Master [CD-ROM]
    Secondary Slave [ ]
  2. Choose the DVD drive's attachment type by selecting the attachment type for CD-ROM.


    Note –

    The screen might display more than one attachment type for CD-ROM, for example, if your system has multiple optical drives. In such cases, you might need to open the system case to determine the DVD drive's point of attachment. Make sure that you select the correct attachment type that applies to the DVD drive.


  3. After selecting the correct CD-ROM attachment type, press Enter.

    The next screen appears with Type:[Auto] automatically selected.

  4. Press the spacebar twice to change the selection to Type:[CD-ROM].

  5. Use the arrow keys to select Transfer Mode.

  6. Press Enter to display a list of other Transfer Mode options.

  7. Use the arrow keys to select Standard, then press Enter to accept your selection.

  8. Press F10 to save the configuration changes and exit BIOS setup.

    The system restarts.

Workaround 2: Update the DVD combo drive's firmware to v1.12. This option requires your DVD combo drive to be attached to a system that is running Microsoft Windows. Follow these steps.

  1. Remove your DVD combo drive from the Sun Java Workstation 2100z. See the workstation's user's guide for steps to remove the drive properly.

  2. Connect the drive to a system that is running Microsoft Windows. Make sure to change the drive's master and slave jumper settings, if needed.

  3. Go to AOpen's download center at http://download.aopen.com.tw/default.aspx.

  4. Search for your DVD drive's firmware by using the following information:

    • Product: Combo drives

    • Model: COM5232/AAH

    • Categories: Firmware

  5. Download and install the firmware version R1.12.

  6. Reinstall the drive on the workstation. If needed, restore the original master and slave jumper settings.


Note –

Newer versions of the firmware might already be available at the site. Sun's tests confirm that the v1.12 release resolves the panic issue. Sun cannot confirm whether newer firmware revisions after v1.12 similarly resolve the problem.


x86: Serial Consoles of Some Sun Fire Systems Do Not Work (6208412)

The serial console (ttya) on the following Sun Fire systems does not work by default:

To use the serial console, you must manually configure the system's BIOS.

Workaround: This workaround requires your system to have a Sun keyboard and a display monitor. Follow these steps:

  1. Boot the machine.

  2. During system boot, press F2 at the prompt to access the Phoenix BIOS.

  3. Under Peripherals, change the comm port from disabled to enabled.

  4. Save the configuration and boot the system.

  5. Use the eeprom command to change input-device and output-device to ttya.


Note –

Pressing the Stop and N keys at system boot to reset the low-level firmware to default settings does not work on these systems.


Solaris Installation GUI Program Might Fail on Systems With Existing x86 fdisk Boot Partitions (6186606)

The Solaris installation GUI program might fail on a system with an existing x86 boot partition. The failure occurs if the existing x86 boot partition was created with the Solaris text-based installer. The following error message is displayed.


Default layout will not work on this system.
Error:
Error: ERROR: Could not create explicit fdisk partition on c0t0d0,
requested cylinders 14581 - 14597 in use by fdisk partition 1
Error:
Error: ERROR: System installation failed
Pfinstall failed. Exit stat= java.lang.UNIXProcess@a89ce3 2 
artition on c0t0d0, requested cylinders 14581 - 14597 in use by fdisk
partition 1  ERROR: System installation failed

Workaround: Choose one of the following workarounds.

Workaround 1: When the installation program prompts you to select an installation type, select 3 Solaris Interactive Text (Desktop Session).

Workaround 2: If you use the Solaris installation GUI program, follow these steps.

  1. Begin the installation.

  2. At the prompt to select an installation type, select Custom Install.

    The custom installation panels prompt you for information about the locales, software, and disks that you want to install.

  3. Answer the questions on the screens as appropriate for your system.

  4. On the Fdisk Selection screen, check the disk that contains the x86boot partition.

  5. Remove the x86boot partition by changing it to UNUSED in the pull-down menu.

  6. Add the x86boot partition back by changing UNUSED back to x86boot.

  7. Continue the installation.