Solaris Handbook for Sun Peripherals

Appendix B Booting Your System

This appendix describes how to boot your system in different modes.

If a system is powered off, turning it on starts the multiuser boot sequence. See below for procedures on how to boot to different states from the ok prompt.

To Switch to the ok Prompt

When the system is halted, the PROM monitor prompt is either the greater than sign (>) or ok.

  1. Switch from the > prompt to the ok prompt by typing the following command:


    > n
    ok

To Boot After Connecting a Peripheral Device

Booting your system to recognize all newly installed peripheral devices is usually done after:

  1. Boot your system to recognize all newly installed peripheral devices by typing the boot -r command:


    ok boot -r


    Note -

    The boot -r command adds newly installed peripheral devices if you did not perform the touch /reconfigure command in "Shut Down the System".


To Boot Automatically

Booting automatically is as easy as powering on the system. The system automatically loads the operating system, recognizes all connected devices, and boots to multiuser mode.


Note -

To boot automatically, the open boot PROM must be set for automatic boot.


  1. To set the Open Boot PROM to so your system will automatically boot type the following at the ok prompt:


    ok setenv auto-boot? true
    ok reset
    


    Note -

    To prevent the system from booting when the system is powered on set the auto-boot parameter to false.


To Boot to Multiuser State (Init State 3)

Booting to multiuser state is usually done after halting the system or performing some system hardware maintenance task. This is the default boot level where all resources are available and users can log into the system.

  1. Boot to run level 3 by typing the boot command:


    ok boot

The automatic boot procedure starts, displaying a series of startup messages. The system is brought up in multiuser state.

To Boot to Single-User State (Run Level S)

Booting to single-user state is usually done to perform some system maintenance task such as backing up the system. At this level only some file systems are mounted and users cannot log into the system.

  1. Boot to run level S by using the boot -s command:


    ok boot -s
    

    The system boots to single-user state and prompts you for the root password:


    INIT: SINGLE USER MODE
    Type Ctrl-d to proceed with normal startup,
    (or give root password for system maintenance):  xxxxxxx
    

  2. Enter the root password.

  3. To bring the system up to multiuser state after the system maintenance task is performed, press Control-D.

To Boot Interactively

You can boot interactively to make a temporary change to the system file or the kernel. Booting interactively lets you test your changes and recover easily if you have any problems.

This procedure assumes that the system is already shut down.

  1. Boot the system interactively, by typing:


    ok boot -a

  2. Answer the system prompts as described in the table below.

    Table B-1 Interactive Boot Procedure Steps

    If the System Displays ... 

    Do the Following ... 

    Enter filename [kernel/unix]:

    Provide the name of another kernel to use for booting. 

    Or, press Return to use the default kernel (kernel/unix).

    Name of system file [/etc/system]:

    Provide the name of an alternate system file and press Return. 

    Or, press Return to use the default /etc/system file.

    Name of default directory for modules [/kernel /usr/kernel]:

    Provide an alternate path for the modules directory and press Return. 

    Or, press Return to use the default modules directory path. 

    root filesystem type [ufs]:

    Press Return to use the default root file system type: UFS for local disk booting or NFS for diskless clients. 

    Enter physical name of root device

    [/sbus@1,f8000000/esp@0,800000/ sd@3,0:a]:

    Provide an alternate device name and press Return. 

    Or, press Return to use the default physical name of the root device.  

To Stop the Boot Process

Occasionally, you may need to stop the boot process. The specific key sequence depends on your keyboard type. See Step 1 below.

  1. Type the key sequence for your system.

    Use one of the following combination of key sequences:

    • Stop-A (type-5 keyboards)

    • L1-A (type-4 keyboards)

    • Break key (TTY terminals only)

    The monitor mode command prompt is then displayed on the screen:


    ok

  2. To synchronize the disks, type:


    ok sync
    

  3. When you see the syncing file systems. . .done message, press the abort key sequence for your system again (Step 1).

  4. Type the appropriate boot command to restart the boot process.