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System Administration Guide: Oracle Solaris Containers-Resource Management and Oracle Solaris Zones

Package Parameter Information

Setting Package Parameters for Zones

The SUNW_PKG_ALLZONES, SUNW_PKG_HOLLOW, and SUNW_PKG_THISZONE package parameters define the characteristics of packages on a system with zones installed. These parameters must be set so that packages can be administered on a system with non-global zones installed.

The following table lists the four valid combinations for setting package parameters. If you choose setting combinations that are not listed in the following table, those settings are invalid and the package will fail to install.

Ensure that you have set all three package parameters. You can leave all three package parameters blank. The package tools interpret a missing zone package parameter as if the setting were false, but not setting the parameters is strongly discouraged. By setting all three package parameters, you specify the exact behavior the package tools should exhibit when installing or removing the package.

Table 25–1 Valid Package Parameter Settings

SUNW_PKG_ALLZONES Setting

SUNW_PKG_HOLLOW Setting

SUNW_PKG_THISZONE Setting

Package Description 

false 

false 

false 

This is the default setting for packages that do not specify values for all the zone package parameters. 

A package with these settings can be installed in either the global zone or a non-global zone.  

  • If the pkgadd command is run in the global zone, the package is installed in the global zone and in all non-global zones.

  • If the pkgadd command is run in a non-global zone, the package is installed in the non-global zone only.

In both cases, the entire contents of the package is visible in all zones where the package is installed. 

false 

false 

true 

A package with these settings can be installed in either the global zone or a non-global zone. If new non-global zones are created after the installation, the package is not propagated to these new non-global zones. 

  • If the pkgadd command is run in the global zone, the package is installed in the global zone only.

  • If the pkgadd command is run in a non-global zone, the package is installed in the non-global zone only.

In both cases, the entire contents of the package is visible in the zone where the package is installed. 

true 

false 

false 

A package with these settings can be installed in the global zone only. When the pkgadd command is run, the package is installed in the global zone and in all non-global zones. The entire contents of the package is visible in all zones.

Note –

Any attempt to install the package in a non-global zone fails.

true 

true 

false 

A package with these settings can only be installed in the global zone, by the global administrator. When the pkgadd command is run, the contents of the package is fully installed in the global zone. If a package has the package parameters set to these values, the package content itself is not delivered on any non-global zone. Only the package installation information necessary to make the package appear to be installed is installed on all non-global zones. This enables the installation of other packages to be installed that depend on this package.

For package dependency checking purposes, the package appears to be installed in all zones. 

  • In the global zone, the entire contents of the package is visible.

  • In whole root non-global zones, the entire contents of the package is not visible.

  • When a non-global zone inherits a file system from the global zone, a package installed in this file system is visible in a non-global zone. All other files delivered by the package are not visible within the non-global zone.

    For example, a sparse root non-global zone shares certain directories with the global zone. These directories are read-only. Sparse root non-global zones share the /platform file system among others. Another example is packages that deliver files relevant only to booting hardware.

Note –

Any attempt to install the package in a non-global zone fails.

SUNW_PKG_ALLZONES Package Parameter

The optional SUNW_PKG_ALLZONES package parameter describes the zone scope of a package. This parameter defines the following:

The SUNW_PKG_ALLZONES package parameter has two permissible values. These values are true and false. The default value is false. If this parameter is either not set or set to a value other than true or false, the value false is used.

The SUNW_PKG_ALLZONES parameter should be set to true for packages that must be the same package version and patch revision level across all zones. Any package that delivers functionality dependent on a particular Solaris kernel, for example, Solaris 10, should set this parameter to true. Any patch for a package must set the SUNW_PKG_ALLZONES parameter to the same value that is set in the installed package being patched. The patch revision level for any package that sets this parameter to true must be the same across all zones.

Packages that deliver functionality not dependent on a particular Solaris kernel, such as third-party packages or Sun compilers, should set this parameter to false. Any patch for a package that sets this parameter to false must also set this parameter to false. Both the package version or the patch revision level for any package that sets this parameter to false can be different between zones. For example, two non-global zones could each have a different version of a web server installed.

The SUNW_PKG_ALLZONES package parameter values are described in the following table.

Table 25–2 SUNW_PKG_ALLZONES Package Parameter Values

Value 

Description 

false

This package can be installed from the global zone to the global zone only, or to the global zone and to all non-global zones. The package can also be installed from any non-global zone to the same non-global zone. 

  • The global administrator can install the package on the global zone only.

  • The global administrator can install the package on the global zone and on all non-global zones.

  • The zone administrator can install the package on a non-global zone.

If removed from the global zone, the package is not removed from other zones. The package can be removed from individual non-global zones. 

  • The package is not required to be installed on the global zone.

  • The package is not required to be installed on any non-global zone.

  • The package is not required to be identical across all zones. Different versions of the package can exist on individual zones.

  • The package delivers software that is not implicitly shared across all zones. This means that the package is not operating system-specific. Most application-level software is in this category. Examples include the StarOffice product or a web server.

true

If installed on the global zone, this package must also be installed on all non-global zones. If removed from the global zone, the package must also be removed from all non-global zones. 

  • If the package is installed, it must be installed on the global zone. The package is then automatically installed on all non-global zones.

  • The version of the package must be identical on all zones.

  • The package delivers software that is implicitly shared across all zones. The package is dependent on the versions of software that are implicitly shared across all zones. The package should be visible in all non-global zones. Examples include kernel modules.

    These packages allow the non-global zone to resolve dependencies on packages that are installed in the global zone by requiring that the entire package be installed on all non-global zones.

  • Only the global administrator can install the package. A zone administrator cannot install the package on a non-global zone.

SUNW_PKG_HOLLOW Package Parameter

The SUNW_PKG_HOLLOW package parameter defines whether a package should be visible in any non-global zone if that package is required to be installed and be identical in all zones.

The SUNW_PKG_HOLLOW package parameter has two permissible values, true or false.

The SUNW_PKG_HOLLOW package parameter values are described in the following table.

Table 25–3 SUNW_PKG_HOLLOW Package Parameter Values

Value 

Description 

false

This is not a “hollow” package: 

  • If installed on the global zone, the package content and installation information are required on all non-global zones.

  • The package delivers software that should be visible in all non-global zones. An example is the package that delivers the truss command.

  • Other than the restrictions for the current setting of the SUNW_PKG_ALLZONES package parameter, no additional restrictions are defined.

true

This is a “hollow” package: 

  • The package content is not delivered on any non-global zone. However, the package installation information is required on all non-global zones.

  • The package delivers software that should not be visible in all non-global zones. Examples include kernel drivers and system configuration files that work only in the global zone. This setting allows the non-global zone to resolve dependencies on packages that are installed only on the global zone without actually installing the package data.

  • The package is recognized as being installed in all zones for purposes of dependency checking by other packages that rely on this package being installed.

  • This package setting includes all of the restrictions defined for setting SUNW_PKG_ALLZONES to true.

  • In the global zone, the package is recognized as having been installed, and all components of the package are installed. Directories are created, files are installed, and class action and other scripts are run as appropriate when the package is installed.

  • In a non-global zone, the package is recognized as having been installed, but no components of the package are installed. No directories are created, no files are installed, and no class action or other install scripts are run when the package is installed.

  • When the package is removed from the global zone, the system recognizes that the package was completely installed. Appropriate directories and files are removed, and class action or other install scripts are run when the package is removed.

SUNW_PKG_THISZONE Package Parameter

The SUNW_PKG_THISZONE package parameter defines whether a package must be installed in the current zone, global or non-global, only. The SUNW_PKG_THISZONE package parameter has two permissible values. These values are true and false. The default value is false.

The SUNW_PKG_THISZONE package parameter values are described in the following table.

Table 25–4 SUNW_PKG_THISZONE Package Parameter Values

Value 

Description 

false

  • If pkgadd is run in a non-global zone, the package is installed in the current zone only.

  • If pkgadd is run in the global zone, the package is installed in the global zone and also installed in all currently installed non-global zones. In addition, the package will be propagated to all future, newly installed non-global zones.

true

  • The package is installed in the current zone only.

  • If installed in the global zone, the package is not added to any currently existing or yet-to-be-created non-global zones. This is the same behavior that occurs when the -G option is specified to pkgadd.