Adding a Solaris Patch

Use the patchadd command to add patches to servers or standalone systems. If you need to add a patch to a diskless client system, see Patching Diskless Client OS Services.

When you add a patch, the patchadd command calls the pkgadd command to install the patch packages from the patch directory to a local system's disk. More specifically, the patchadd command:

• Determines the Solaris version number of the managing host and the target host

• Updates the patch package's pkginfo file with information about patches obsoleted by the patch being installed, other patches required by this patch, and patches incompatible with this patch

During the patch installation, patchadd keeps a log of the patch installation in /var/sadm/patch/patch-number/log file for current Solaris versions.

The patchadd command will not install a patch under the following conditions:

• The package is not fully installed on the host

• The patch packages architecture differs from the system's architecture

• The patch packages version does not match the installed package's version

• A patch with the same base code and a higher version number is already installed

• The patch is incompatible with another, already installed patch. Each installed patch keeps this information in its pkginfo file.

• The patch being installed requires another patch that is not installed

How to Add a Solaris Patch

This procedure assumes that you have already pulled the patch from one of the sites listed in Accessing Solaris Patches.

1. Become superuser.

2. Review the information in the patch README file, typically called patch-id.README.

3. Add the patch.

   # patchadd /patch-dir/patch-ID-revision

4. Verify that the patch is added.

   # patchadd -p | grep patch-ID-revision

Example—Adding a Solaris Patch

The following example adds the Solaris 8 patch, 111879–01.

# patchadd /export/Sol8patch/111879-01

Checking installed patches...
Verifying sufficient filesystem capacity (dry run method)...
Installing patch packages...

Patch number 111879-01 has been successfully installed.
See /var/sadm/patch/111879-01/log for details

Patch packages installed:
  SUNWwsr
# patchadd -p | grep 111879-01
Patch: 111879-01 Obsoletes:  Requires:  Incompatibles:  Packages: SUNWwsr

How to Download and Add a Solaris Patch From SunSolve

1. (Optional) Log in to the system where the patch will be applied.

   Or, you can download the patch and use the ftp command to copy the patch to the target system.

2. Open a Web browser and go to the SunSolve patch site:

   http://sunsolve.Sun.COM/pub-cgi/show.pl?target=patches/patch-access

3. Determine if you are going to download a recommended a specific patch or patch cluster. Then select one of the following:

   1. Enter the patch number (patch-ID) in the "Find Patch" search field and click on Find Patch.

      Entering patch-ID downloads the latest patch revision.

      If this patch is a freely available, the patch README is displayed. If this patch is not a freely available, an ACCESS DENIED message is displayed.

      There are different patch numbers for SPARC and IA systems, which are listed in the displayed patch README. Make sure you install the patch that matches your system architecture.

   2. Click on a recommended patch cluster based on the Solaris release running on the system to be patched.

4. Click on the Download HTTP or FTP button.

   After the patch or patches are download successfully, you can close the Web browser.

5. Change to the directory that contains the downloaded patch package, if necessary.

6. Unzip the patch package.

   % unzip patch-ID-revision

7. Become superuser.

8. Add the patch or patches.

   # patchadd patch-ID-revision