Chapter 1 Introduction

The Solaris 8 Maintenance Update 7 Installation Guide explains how to install and back out the Solaris^TM 8 Maintenance Update^TM 7 (MU7) software. This guide is for system administrators installing the MU7 software. For late-breaking MU7 issues identified too late to be included in this guide, refer to the Solaris 8 Maintenance Update 7 Installation Guide at http://docs.sun.com.

If you need more information on general procedures for system administration, refer to the Solaris 8 System Administration Guide, Volumes I, II, and III.

What Is the Solaris 8 Maintenance Update 7

The Solaris 8 MU7 contains the same set of patches as the ones prepackaged on the Solaris 8 2/02 software CDs. These patches have been tested together and packaged for a one-step installation. The MU7 installation automatically updates your system without regressing any patches you have previously installed.

The Solaris 8 MU7 is available on a CD or as a file for download from the Web.

When to Install the Solaris 8 Maintenance Update 7

If your system is running the Solaris 8, Solaris 8 6/00, Solaris 8 10/00, Solaris 8 1/01, Solaris 8 4/01, Solaris 8 7/01, or Solaris 8 10/01 operating environment and you want to apply patches released in the Solaris 8 2/02 operating environment without losing patches you previously applied to your system, install the Solaris 8 MU7. Patches applied using the MU7 can be backed out.

If your system is running the Solaris 8 operating environment, or a Solaris 8 Update release, and you want to fully upgrade to new features and hardware support, install the Solaris 8 2/02 operating environment. The patches applied by installing the Solaris 8 2/02 operating environment will replace any previously installed Solaris 8 patches and cannot be backed out of the release.

Maintenance Updates are primarily designed to update the Solaris operating environment to a known, tested patch-level. If you want to apply a particular patch, and only that patch, do so through your normal support channels.

The name of this product is Solaris 8 MU7, but code or package path names might use Solaris 2.8 or SunOS^TM 5.8. Always follow the code or path as it is written in this document.