x86: Boot Processes (Reference)

The following sections include reference information that pertains to booting a Solaris x86 based system that does not implement GRUB based booting.

Note - The GRUB menu has replaced the Solaris Device Configuration Assistant in this release. For more information about booting an x86 based system in this Oracle Solaris release, see Booting an x86 Based System by Using GRUB (Task Map).

x86: Boot Subsystems

During the boot process, the boot subsystem menus allow you to customize boot choices. If the system receives no response during the timeout periods, it continues to boot automatically using the default selections. You can stop the boot process when each boot subsystem menu is displayed. Or, you can let the boot process continue automatically.

At three points during the Solaris boot process, you can make the following choices about a booting system:

Primary Boot Subsystem (Partition Boot Menu) – This first menu appears if multiple operating systems exist on the disk. The menu enables you to boot any of the operating systems installed. By default, the operating system that is designed as active is booted.

Note that if you choose to boot a system other than the Oracle Solaris OS, you cannot reach the next two menus.
Interrupt the Autoboot Process – If the autoboot process is interrupted, you can access the Device Configuration Assistant menu.

The Solaris Device Configuration Assistant enables you to boot the Solaris system from a different boot device, configure new or misconfigured hardware, or perform other device-related or boot-related tasks.
Current Boot Parameters menu – Two forms of this menu exist, one menu for a normal Solaris boot and one menu for a Solaris installation boot:
- The normal Current Boot Parameters menu enables you to boot the Solaris system with options, or enter the boot interpreter.
- The install Current Boot Parameters menu enables you to select the type of installation to be performed or to customize the boot process.

The following table summarizes the purpose of the primary x86 based system boot interfaces. See the sections that follow for a detailed description and example of each boot interface.

Table 16-1 x86: Boot Subsystems

Boot Subsystem	Purpose
Primary Boot Subsystem (Partition Boot menu)	This menu appears if the disk you are booting from contains multiple operating systems, including the Oracle Solaris OS (Solaris OS).
Secondary Boot Subsystem	This menu appears each time you boot the Oracle Solaris release. The system is booted automatically, unless you choose to run the Solaris Device Configuration Assistant by interrupting the autoboot process.
Solaris Device Configuration Assistant/Boot Diskette	There are two ways to access the Device Configuration Assistant menus: Use the Device Configuration Assistant boot diskette or the Oracle Solaris Software CD (on systems that can boot from the CD-ROM drive) to boot the system. Interrupt the autoboot process when you boot the Solaris software from an installed disk.
Current Boot Parameters menu	This menu appears when you boot the Oracle Solaris release from the software media, or the network. The menu presents a list of boot options.

Note - If you need to create the Solaris Device Configuration Assistant boot diskette, go to http://www.oracle.com/webfolder/technetwork/hcl/index.html.

x86: Booting the Solaris Release

In this release, if you are booting an x86 based system with the Oracle Solaris Software CD, DVD, or performing a PXE network boot, the system will boot automatically. To use the Device Configuration Assistant, you must interrupt the boot process by pressing ESC when prompted by the system.

During the device identification phase, the Device Configuration Assistant does the following:

Scans for devices that are installed on the system
Displays the identified devices
Enables you to perform optional tasks such as selecting a keyboard type or editing devices and their resources

During the boot phase, the Device Configuration Assistant does the following:

Displays a list of devices from which to boot. The device marked with an asterisk (*) is the default boot device.
Enables you to perform optional tasks, such as editing autoboot settings and property settings, and choosing the network configuration strategy.

The following section provides examples of menus that appear during the device identification phase. The device output varies based on your system configuration.

x86: Screens Displayed During the Device Identification Phase

Several screens are displayed as the Device Configuration Assistant attempts to identify devices on the system.

This section provides examples of the following boot subsystem screens:

Device Configuration Assistant screen
Bus Enumeration screen
Scanning Devices screen
Identified Devices screen

x86: Device Configuration Assistant Screen

Note - In this Oracle Solaris release, the Device Configuration Assistant Screen has been replaced with the GRUB menu on x86 based systems. For more information, see Booting an x86 Based System by Using GRUB (Task Map).

In the Solaris 10 initial release, the autoboot process bypasses the Device Configuration Assistant menus, unless you press ESC when prompted by the system during the boot phase. If you choose to use the Device Configuration Assistant, the following screen is displayed.

Solaris Device Configuration Assistant
                                             
The Solaris(TM)Device Configuration Assistant
scans to identify system hardware, lists identified devices, and can
boot the Solaris software from a specified device. This program must be
used to install the Solaris operating environment, add a driver,
or change the hardware on the system. 

> To perform a full scan to identify all system hardware, choose Continue. 
> To diagnose possible full scan failures, choose Specific Scan.
> To add new or updated device drivers, choose Add Driver. 

About navigation...  
    - The mouse cannot be used. 
    - If the keyboard does not have function keys or they do not respond,
      press ESC. The legend at the bottom of the screen will change to
      show the ESC keys to use for navigation. 
    - The F2 key performs the default action.

F2_Continue        F3_Specific Scan        F4_Add Driver        F6_Help

x86: Bus Enumeration Screen

The Bus Enumeration screen appears briefly while the Device Configuration Assistant gathers hardware configuration data for devices that can be detected automatically.

Bus Enumeration

Determining bus types and gathering hardware configuration data ...

Please wait ...

x86: Scanning Devices Screen

The Scanning Devices screen appears while the Device Configuration Assistant manually scans for devices that can only be detected with special drivers.

Scanning Devices

The system is being scanned to identify system hardware.

If the scanning stalls, press the system's reset button. When the
system reboots, choose Specific Scan or Help.


Scanning: Floppy disk controller

#######################
|      |        |         |         |         |
0              20       40        60           80       100

Please wait ...

x86: Identified Devices Screen

The Identified Devices screen displays which devices have been identified on the system. From here, you can continue to the Boot Solaris menu.

Or, you can perform the following optional device tasks:

Setting a keyboard configuration
Viewing and editing devices
Setting up a serial console
Saving and deleting configurations

Identified Devices

The following devices have been identified on this system. To identify
devices not on this list or to modify device characteristics, such as
keyboard configuration, choose Device Tasks. Platform types may be
included in this list.

ISA: Floppy disk controller
    ISA: Motherboard
    ISA: PnP bios: 16550-compatible serial controller
    ISA: PnP bios: 16550-compatible serial controller
    ISA: PnP bios: Mouse controller
    ISA: PnP bios: Parallel port
    ISA: System keyboard (US-English)
    PCI: Bus Mastering IDE controller
    PCI: Universal Serial Bus
    PCI: VGA compatible display adapter

F2_Continue   F3_Back   F4_Device Tasks   F6_Help

x86: Menus Displayed During the Boot Phase

Note - Starting with the Solaris 10 1/06 release the GRUB is displayed when the system is booted. For more information about GRUB based booting, see Booting an x86 Based System by Using GRUB (Task Map).

During this phase, you can determine the way in which the system is booted.

The following menus are displayed during the boot phase:

Boot Solaris menu
Current Boot Parameters menu

x86: Boot Solaris Menu

The Boot Solaris menu allows you to select the device from which to boot the Oracle Solaris release. You can also perform optional tasks, such as viewing and editing autoboot and property settings. Once you select a boot device and you choose Continue, the Solaris kernel begins to boot.

Boot Solaris
Select one of the identified devices to boot the Solaris kernel and
choose Continue.

To perform optional features, such as modifying the autoboot and property
settings, choose Boot Tasks.

An asterisk (*) indicates the current default boot device.

> To make a selection use the arrow keys, and press Enter to mark it [X].

[X]  DISK: (*) Target 0:QUANTUM  FIREBALL1280A
on Bus Mastering IDE controller on Board PCI at Dev 7, Func 1
[ ]  DISK: Target 1:ST5660A
on Bus Mastering IDE controller on Board PCI at Dev 7, Func 1
[ ]  DISK: Target 0:Maxtor 9 0680D4
    on Bus Mastering IDE controller on Board PCI at Dev 7, Func 1
[ ]  CD  : Target 1:TOSHIBA  CD-ROM XM-5602B  1546
    on Bus Mastering IDE controller on Board PCI at Dev 7, Func 1

F2_Continue   F3_Back   F4_Boot Tasks   F6_Help

x86: Current Boot Parameters Menu

This menu appears each time you boot the Oracle Solaris release from the local disk. Let the five-second timeout elapse if you want to boot the default kernel. If you want to boot with different options, select an appropriate option before the timeout period elapses.

                     <<< Current Boot Parameters >>>
Boot path: /pci@0,0/pci-ide@7,1/ide@0/cmdk@0,0:a
Boot args: 
Type    b [file-name] [boot-flags] <ENTER>       to boot with options
or      i <ENTER>                                to enter boot interpreter
or      <ENTER>                                  to boot with defaults
 
 
                     <<< timeout in 5 seconds >>>
 
Select (b)oot or (i)nterpreter:

x86: Boot Process

The following table describes the boot process on x86 based systems.

Table 16-2 x86: Description of the Boot Process

Boot Phase	Description
BIOS	1. When the system is turned on, the BIOS runs self-test diagnostics to verify the system's hardware and memory. The system begins to boot automatically if no errors are found. If errors are found, error messages are displayed that describe recovery options. The BIOS of additional hardware devices are run at this time.
	2. The BIOS boot program tries to read the first disk sector from the boot device. This first disk sector on the boot device contains the master boot record `mboot`, which is loaded and executed. If no `mboot` file is found, an error message is displayed.
Boot Programs	3. The master boot record, `mboot`, contains disk information needed to find the active partition and the location of the Solaris boot program, `pboot`, loads and executes `pboot`, `mboot`.
	4. The Solaris boot program, `pboot`, loads `bootblk`, the primary boot program. The purpose of `bootblk` is to load the secondary boot program, which is located in the UFS file system.
	5. If there is more than one bootable partition, `bootblk` reads the `fdisk` table to locate the default boot partition, and builds and displays a menu of available partitions. You have a 30 seconds to select an alternate partition from which to boot. This step occurs only if there is more than one bootable partition present on the system.
	6. `bootblk` finds and executes the secondary boot program, `boot.bin` or `ufsboot`, in the root (`/`) file system. You have five seconds to interrupt the autoboot to start the Solaris Device Configuration Assistant.
	7. The secondary boot program, `boot.bin` or `ufsboot`, starts a command interpreter that executes the `/etc/bootrc` script. This script provides a menu of choices for booting the system. The default action is to load and execute the kernel. You have a 5–second interval to specify a boot option or to start the boot interpreter.
Kernel initialization	8. The kernel initializes itself and begins loading modules by using the secondary boot program (`boot.bin` or `ufsboot`) to read the files. When the kernel has loaded enough modules to mount the root (`/`) file system, the kernel unmaps the secondary boot program and continues, using its own resources.
	9. The kernel creates a user process and starts the `/sbin/init` process, which starts other processes by reading the `/etc/inittab` file.
`init`	10. In this Oracle Solaris release, the `/sbin/init` process starts `/lib/svc/bin/svc.startd`, which starts system services that do the following: Check and mount file systems Configure network and devices Start various processes and perform system maintenance tasks In addition, `svc.startd` executes the run control (`rc`) scripts for compatibility.

x86: Boot Files

In addition to the run control scripts and boot files, there are additional boot files that are associated with booting x86 based systems.

Table 16-3 x86: Boot Files

File	Description
`/etc/bootrc`	Contains menus and options for booting the Oracle Solaris release.
`/boot`	Contains files and directories needed to boot the system.
`/boot/mdboot`	DOS executable that loads the first-level bootstrap program (`strap.com`) into memory from disk.
`/boot/mdbootbp`	DOS executable that loads the first-level bootstrap program (`strap.com`) into memory from diskette.
`/boot/rc.d`	Directory that contains install scripts. Do not modify the contents of this directory.
`/boot/solaris`	Directory that contains items for the boot subsystem.
`/boot/solaris/boot.bin`	Loads the Solaris kernel or stand-alone `kmdb`. In addition, this executable provides some boot firmware services.
`/boot/solaris/boot.rc`	Prints the Oracle Solaris Operating OS on an x86 system and runs the Device Configuration Assistant in DOS-emulation mode.
`/boot/solaris/bootconf.exe`	DOS executable for the Device Configuration Assistant.
`/boot/solaris/bootconf.txt`	Text file that contains internationalized messages for Device Configuration Assistant (`bootconf.exe`).
`/boot/solaris/bootenv.rc`	Stores `eeprom` variables that are used to set up the boot environment.
`/boot/solaris/devicedb`	Directory that contains the `master` file, a database of all possible devices supported with realmode drivers.
`/boot/solaris/drivers`	Directory that contains realmode drivers.
`/boot/solaris/itup2.exe`	DOS executable run during install time update (ITU) process.
`/boot/solaris/machines`	Obsolete directory.
`/boot/solaris/nbp`	File associated with network booting.
`/boot/solaris/strap.rc`	File that contains instructions on what load module to load and where in memory it should be loaded.
`/boot/strap.com`	DOS executable that loads the second-level bootstrap program into memory.

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