Before You Begin

This section contains critical installation issues that you need to be aware of before installing or upgrading to the Oracle Solaris 10 OS. These issues might prevent an installation or upgrade from completing successfully. If bugs in this section apply to your system, you might need to perform the recommended workarounds before you install or upgrade.

EMC PowerPath

Currently released EMC PowerPath versions as of August 18, 2011, are incompatible with the following kernel patches:

144500-19
144501-19

These kernel patches are already applied in the Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 image.

Until EMC provides a fix for the issue, EMC PowerPath versions released on or before August 18, 2011, should not be installed on a system running Oracle Solaris 8/11. Also, on systems running earlier versions of Oracle Solaris 10, the patches (144500-19 and 144501-19) should not be applied if a version of EMC PowerPath released on or before August 18, 2011, is also installed.

EMC have released PowerPath for Solaris 5.3 P02 to fix emc275344.

Live Upgrade and Oracle Solaris Zones

Starting with the Solaris 10 8/07 release, the use of Live Upgrade with Oracle Solaris Zones is supported. For more information, see InfoDoc 1004881.1 at My Oracle Support.

Live Upgrade Restrictions

For Live Upgrade to operate correctly, a limited set of patch revisions must be installed for a given OS version. Make sure that you have the most recently updated patch list by consulting My Oracle Support. The Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 release has the following Live Upgrade restrictions:

To upgrade your current Solaris 8 OS to the Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 release using Live Upgrade, note the following information:
- SPARC: Using Live Upgrade to upgrade from the Solaris 8 release to the Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 release is supported. For step-by-step procedures on how to use Live Upgrade, see My Oracle Support.
- x86: Using Live Upgrade to upgrade from the Solaris 8 release to the Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 release is not supported. Instead, use the standard upgrade procedure or use Live Upgrade to upgrade from the Solaris 8 OS to the Solaris 9 OS or to the Oracle Solaris 10 OS. Then you can use Live Upgrade to upgrade from the Solaris 9 release or the Oracle Solaris 10 release to the Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 release.
Note - The use of Live Upgrade to upgrade from Solaris 8 to the Solaris 10 5/08, Solaris 10 10/08, Solaris 10 5/09, and Solaris 10 10/09 releases is supported. Refer to Infodoc 1019995.1 at My Oracle Support.
To upgrade your current Solaris 9 OS to the Solaris 10 10/09 release using Live Upgrade, apply the following patches:
- SPARC: 137477-01 or later
- x86: 137478-01 or later
To upgrade your current Oracle Solaris 10 OS to the Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 release by using Oracle Solaris Live Upgrade, apply the following patches:
- SPARC: 137321-01 or later
- x86: 137322-01 or later

These patches provide the new p7zip functionality. Live Upgrade requires p7zip functionality in order to support an upgrade to Oracle Solaris 10 8/11.

Note - The minimum required patch information for the live boot environment prior to using Live Upgrade is provided in Infodoc 1004881.1 at My Oracle Support.

Using Live Upgrade With a Zone Root on a ZFS File System

The Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 release provides the ability to install a ZFS root file system and configure a zone root on Oracle Solaris ZFS. Typically, you can create and configure a zone root on ZFS as you wish. If you plan to use Oracle Solaris Live Upgrade with ZFS and zone configurations, review the following information:

To use Oracle Solaris Live Upgrade with zone configurations that are supported in the Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 release, you must first upgrade your system to the Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 release by using the standard upgrade program.
Then, with Live Upgrade, you can either migrate your UFS root file system with zone roots to a ZFS root file system or you can upgrade or patch your ZFS root file system and zone roots.
You cannot migrate unsupported zone configurations from a previous Oracle Solaris 10 release directly to the Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 release.

For a detailed description of supported zone configurations to be upgraded or patched in the Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 release, see Migrating to a ZFS Root File System or Updating a ZFS Root File System (Live Upgrade) in Oracle Solaris ZFS Administration Guide.

For complete instructions on setting up these configurations, see Oracle Solaris Installation and Live Upgrade Requirements for ZFS Support in Oracle Solaris ZFS Administration Guide.

Review the information in this chapter before you begin your migration to a ZFS root file system or before setting up zones on a system with a ZFS root file system. Follow the recommended procedure exactly to set up zones on a system with a ZFS root file system to ensure that you can use Live Upgrade on that system.

Upgrading a Trusted Extensions System That Is Configured With Labeled Zones

Oracle Solaris systems that are configured with the Trusted Extensions feature use non-global zones. The process of upgrading these systems is the same as upgrading an Oracle Solaris system that uses zones and has the same issues.

ZFS zones– Oracle Solaris systems with ZFS zones cannot currently be upgraded. For Trusted Extensions systems with ZFS zones, the alternative is to re-create the zones. Perform these steps:
1. Back up all the data by using the tar -T command.
2. Delete the zones.
3. Upgrade the system and reconfigure all the zones.
4. Restore all the data.
NFSv4 domain – After upgrading your system, when you bring up each labeled zone, you will be prompted for the NFSv4 domain. To avoid this prompt, before upgrade add the correct NFSMAPID_DOMAIN value in the /etc/default/nfs file in each labeled zone. For more information, see CR 5110062.
Name Service – If your system was configured during installation to use a name service that is different from the name service being used during the upgrade, then the global zone may use the correct name service after boot.

For example, if you specified NIS as the name service to use during a system installation but the system was later converted to be an LDAP client, the luactivate boot can revert to using NIS as the name service for the global zone (CR 6569407).

The workaround is to adjust the name_service.xml symbolic link in the /var/svc/profile directory to point to the correct XML file corresponding to the name service currently in use. For example, if NIS was specified as the name service during installation, then name_service.xml will be a symbolic link to ns_nis.xml. If the system was subsequently converted to being an LDAP client, and LDAP was the name service in use during Live Upgrade, then run the following command:
```
# ln -fs ns_ldap.xml name_service.xml
```
This command should be issued before starting Live Upgrade or before running the lucreate command. However, if you did not run this command before lucreate, then perform the following steps after running the luactivate command:
1. Use lumount to mount the new boot environment:
```
# lumount BE-name
```
2. Change to the /var/svc/profile directory of the boot environment:
```
# cd /.alt.BE-name/var/svc/profile
```
3. Link the name_service.xml link as appropriate. For example:
```
 # ln -fs ns_ldap.xml name_service.xml
```
4. Use luumount to unmount the boot environment:
```
# luumount BE-name
```
Note - If the system is booted without performing these steps, you will need to manually start the appropriate name service-related Service Management Facility (SMF) client services.

Patching Miniroot on SPARC and x86 Compatible Machines

The procedures for using patchadd with the -C destination specifier to patch a miniroot on SPARC and x86 machines have changed. You must now unpack the miniroot, apply patches, then repack the miniroot.

See the following chapters for the detailed steps:

Oracle Solaris Data Encryption Supplement on Oracle Solaris 10 Releases

Starting with the Solaris 10 8/07 release, the Oracle Solaris Data Encryption Supplement packages are included by default with the Oracle Solaris 10 OS. You no longer need to install and download these packages.

Additional Procedures Required When Installing GNOME Display Manager Patches for the Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 Release

Apply the following patches to resolve problems that were reported in CR 6277164 and CR 6214222:

SPARC: Patch ID 119366-05
x86: Patch ID 119367-05

The sections that follow provide further steps that you must perform to completely resolve the reported problems. For more information, read the Special Install Instructions section of the patch README for these patches.

x86: Systems With an `elx` or `pcelx` NIC Fail Network Configuration

Systems with an elx or a pcelx network interface card (NIC) fail to install. During the configuration of the NIC, the following error message might be displayed:

WARNING: elx: transmit or jabber underrun: d0<UNDER, INTR, CPLT>

See the elxl(7D) or pcelx(7D) man page for more information.

Workaround: Install and run the network configuration on systems that do not have elx or pcelx NICs.

Default Size of `/var` File System Might Be Inadequate

The default size of the /var file system might be insufficient if the /var file system is located on a separate slice. If so, you must manually specify a larger slice size for the /var file system.

Note - If the /var file system is not on a separate slice or partition, this problem does not occur.

Workaround: Choose one of the following workarounds for either the installation program GUI or the text installer:

If you are using the Oracle Solaris installation program GUI, follow these steps.
1. Begin the installation.
2. From Select Type of Install, select Custom Install.
  
  The Oracle Solaris installation program displays several screens that enable you to customize the software localizations, products, and disk layout that you want to install.
3. From Lay Out File Systems, select Modify.
  
  The disk layout screen is displayed.
4. Type /var in the File System column for a specific slice, then click Apply.
  
  The installation program suggests a default size for the /var file system.
5. Set the Size column entry for the /var file system to double the disk space size.
  
  For example, if the installation program assigns 40 MB of space, change the Size value to 80.
6. Complete the installation.
If you are using the text installer, follow these steps.
1. Begin the installation.
2. From Select Type of Install, select Custom Install.
  
  Several screens are displayed that enable you to customize the software localizations, products, and disk layout that you want to install.
3. From Lay Out File Systems, select Auto Layout.
  
  The disk layout screen is displayed.
4. Type /var in the File System column for a specific slice.
  
  The installation program suggests a default size for the /var file system.
5. Press F4_Customize to customize the size of the /var file system.
6. Set the Size column entry for the /var file system to double the disk space size.
  
  For example, if the installation program assigns 40 MB of disk space, change the Size value to 80.
7. Complete the installation.
If you are using the JumpStart program, use the filesys profile keyword to set the size of the /var file system. The following example sets the size of the /var file system on slice 5 to 256 MB.
```
filesys  c0t0d0s5 256 /var
```

x86: Do Not Upgrade Hewlett-Packard Vectra XU Series Systems With BIOS Version GG.06.13

The Oracle Solaris 10 software includes a feature that enables you to install large partitions. The system BIOS must support logical block addressing (LBA). BIOS Version GG.06.13 does not support LBA access. The Oracle Solaris boot programs cannot manage this conflict. This issue can also affect other HP Vectra systems.

If you perform this upgrade, your HP system can no longer boot. Only a blank black screen with a flashing underscore cursor is displayed.

Workaround: Do not upgrade HP Vectra XU Series systems with the latest BIOS Version GG.06.13 to this Oracle Solaris 10 release. This version no longer supports these systems.

You can still boot your system by using the boot diskette or boot CD because the boot paths do not use the hard disk code. Then select the hard disk instead of the network or CD-ROM drive as your bootable device.

SPARC: Older Firmware Might Need Boot Flash PROM Upgrade

On SPARC based systems, the Oracle Solaris 10 OS runs in 64-bit mode only. Some Sun-4u systems might need to be upgraded to a higher level of OpenBoot firmware in the flash PROM to run the OS in 64-bit mode. The following systems from Oracle might require a flash PROM update:

Ultra 2
Ultra 450 and Sun Enterprise 450
Sun Enterprise 3000, 4000, 5000, and 6000 systems

The following table lists the UltraSPARC systems and the minimum firmware versions that are required to run the 64-bit Oracle Solaris 10 OS. System type is the equivalent of the output of the uname -i command. You can determine which firmware version you are running by using the prtconf -V command.

Table 2-2 Minimum Firmware Versions Required to Run 64-bit Oracle Solaris Software on UltraSPARC Systems

System Type From `uname -i`	Minimum Firmware Version From `prtconf -V`
`SUNW,Ultra-2`	3.11.2
`SUNW,Ultra-4`	3.7.107
`SUNW,Ultra-Enterprise`	3.2.16

Systems not listed in the table do not need a flash PROM update. For instructions on how to perform a flash PROM update, see any edition of the Solaris 8 Sun Hardware Platform Guide at http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E19455-01/.

Note - Upgrading firmware on both SPARC and x86 based systems can lead to significant performance improvements. To apply a firmware update, follow the instructions in the README file of the corresponding firmware. See also patch-related information at My Oracle Support.

Solaris Management Console 2.1 Software Is Incompatible With Solaris Management Console 1.0, 1.0.1, and 1.0.2 Software

The Solaris Management Console 2.1 software is not compatible with Solaris Management Console 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.0.2 software. If you are upgrading to the Oracle Solaris 10 release and you have Solaris Management Console 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.0.2 software installed, you must first uninstall the Solaris Management Console software before you upgrade. The Solaris Management Console software might exist on your system if you previously installed the SEAS 2.0 overbox, the SEAS 3.0 overbox, or the Solaris 8 Admin Pack.

Workaround: Choose one of the following workarounds:

Before you upgrade, use the /usr/bin/prodreg command to perform a full uninstall of the Solaris Management Console software.
If you did not uninstall the Solaris Management Console 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.0.2 software before you upgraded to the Oracle Solaris 10 release, you must first remove all Solaris Management Console 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.0.2 packages. Use the pkgrm command for package removal instead of the prodreg command. Carefully follow the order of package removal provided in Step 3 of the following steps:
1. Become superuser.
2. Type the following command:
```
# pkginfo | grep “Solaris Management Console“
```
  If the package description does not start with “Solaris Management Console 2.1,” the package names in the output identify a Solaris Management Console 1.0 package.
3. Use the pkgrm command to remove all instances of Solaris Management Console 1.0 packages in the order provided below.
  
  Note - Do not remove any package that has “Solaris Management Console 2.1” in its description. For example, SUNWmc.2 might indicate Solaris Management Console 2.1 software.
  If the pkginfo output displays multiple versions of Solaris Management Console 1.0 packages, use the pkgrm command to remove both packages. Remove the original package. Then, remove the package that has been appended with a number. For example, if the SUNWmcman and SUNWmcman.2 packages appear in the pkginfo output, first remove the SUNWmcman package and then remove the SUNWmcman.2 package. Do not use the prodreg command.
```
# pkgrm SUNWmcman
# pkgrm SUNWmcapp
# pkgrm SUNWmcsvr
# pkgrm SUNWmcsvu
# pkgrm SUNWmc
# pkgrm SUNWmcc
# pkgrm SUNWmcsws
```
4. In a terminal window, type the following command:
```
# rm -rf /var/sadm/pkg/SUNWmcapp
```
The Solaris Management Console 2.1 software should now function properly. For future maintenance, or if the Solaris Management Console 2.1 software does not function properly, remove the Solaris Management Console 2.1 software. Reinstall the software by completing the following steps:
1. Use the pkgrm command to remove all Oracle Solaris Management Console 2.1 packages and dependent packages in the order provided below.
  
  Note - If your installation has multiple instances of Solaris Management Console 2.1 packages, such as SUNWmc and SUNWmc.2, first remove SUNWmc, and then SUNWmc.2 . Do not use the prodreg command.
```
# pkgrm SUNWpmgr 
# pkgrm SUNWrmui 
# pkgrm SUNWlvmg 
# pkgrm SUNWlvma 
# pkgrm SUNWlvmr 
# pkgrm SUNWdclnt 
# pkgrm SUNWmga 
# pkgrm SUNWmgapp 
# pkgrm SUNWmcdev 
# pkgrm SUNWmcex 
# pkgrm SUNWwbmc 
# pkgrm SUNWmc 
# pkgrm SUNWmcc 
# pkgrm SUNWmccom
```
2. Insert the Solaris 10 Software - 4 CD into your CD-ROM drive.
3. Type the following commands in a terminal window:
```
# cd /cdrom/cdrom0/Solaris_10/Product
# pkgadd -d . SUNWmccom SUNWmcc SUNWmc SUNWwbmc SUNWmcex SUNWmcdev \
  SUNWmgapp SUNWmga SUNWdclnt SUNWlvmr SUNWlvma SUNWlvmg SUNWpmgr \
  SUNWrmui
```
All previous Solaris Management Console versions are removed. The newly installed Solaris Management Console 2.1 software is now functional.

x86: Failure of BIOS Device Utility Prevents Installation or Upgrade From Succeeding (6362108)

In certain cases, the utility for BIOS devices (/sbin/biosdev) might fail and prevent a successful installation or upgrade. The failure can occur in either of the following circumstances:

Patch ID 117435-02 was applied but the system was not rebooted.
The system contains two or more identical disks that have identical fdisk partitions.

The following error message is displayed:

biosdev: Could not match any!!

Workaround: Make sure that you reboot the system after applying Patch ID 117435-02. Ensure that identical disks to be used in the installation or upgrade are configured with different fdisk partition layouts.

The following example is based on a system that has two disks with identical fdisk partition layouts. To change the layouts, perform the following steps.

Become superuser.
Start the disk maintenance utility.
```
# format
```
A list of available disks in the system is displayed.
To select the disk whose fdisk partition you want to change, type the disk's number.
From the list of Format options, select fdisk.

The disk's partition information and a list of fdisk options are displayed.
To change the disk's layout, choose one of the following:
- To specify a different active partition, press 2.
- To add another disk partition, press 1.
- To delete an unused partition, press 3.
To save your changes and exit the fdisk menu, press 5.
To exit the disk maintenance utility, select Quit from the Format options.
Reboot the system.
After the system reboots, verify that the error message no longer appears. As superuser, type the following command:
```
# /sbin/biosdev
```
If the error message is still generated, repeat the procedure but select a different option in Step 5.
If the system contains other identical disks with identical fdisk partition layouts, repeat Steps 1–9 on these disks. Otherwise, proceed with your Oracle Solaris installation or upgrade.

Cannot Create an Oracle Solaris Flash Archive When a Non-Global Zone Is Installed (6246943)

Starting with the current Oracle Solaris release, an Oracle Solaris flash archive cannot be properly created on a system when a non-global zone is already installed. The Oracle Solaris flash feature is currently incompatible with Oracle Solaris Zones (also known as Oracle Solaris Containers).

Do not use the flar create command to create an Oracle Solaris flash archive in these instances:

In any non-global zone
In the global zone if any non-global zones are installed on the system

If you create an Oracle Solaris flash archive in either instance, the resulting archive might not install properly when the archive is deployed.

Workaround: You might be able to create an Oracle Solaris flash archive of a system that has installed zones if they are all halted. For more information, see http://opensolaris.org/os/community/zones/faq/flar_zones/.

x86: Sun Java Workstation 2100Z Might Panic When Booting From Oracle Solaris 10 DVD (6214356)

The DVD combo-drive firmware in a Sun Java Workstation 2100Z might cause a system panic. The panic occurs when you boot the workstation from the Oracle Solaris 10 Operating System DVD. After the kernel banner is displayed, the following message is very quickly flashed:

panic[cpu0]/thread=fec1be20: mod_hold_stub: 
Couldn't load stub module sched/TS_DTBL
fec25cb0 genunix:mod_hold_stub+139 (fec04088, 63, fea11)
fec25cc4 unix:stubs_common_code+9 (1, 8, fec026e4)
fec25ce4 unix:disp_add+3d (fec026dc)
fec25d00 genunix:mod_installsched+a4 (fef01530, fef01518)
fec25d20 genunix:mod_install+2f (fef01518, fec25d3c,)
fec25d2c TS:_init+d (0, d6d89c88, fec25d)
fec25d3c genunix:modinstall+d9 (d6d89c88)
fec25d50 genunix:mod_hold_installed_mod+2e (d6d77640, 1, fec25d)
fec25d7c genunix:modload+ac (fec026c4, fec26c4)
fec25d98 genunix:scheduler_load+3d (fec026c4, fec026dc)
fec25db4 genunix:getcid+50 (fec026c4, fec28514)
fec25dcc unix:dispinit+df (fec25ddc, fe814ba9)
fec25dd4 unix:startup_modules+d5 (fec25dec, fe8cac37)
fec25ddc unix:startup+19 (fe800000, 166130, 7)
fec25dec genunix:main+16 ()

Then, the system automatically resets.

Choose one of the following workarounds.

Workaround 1: Modify some BIOS configuration settings. This temporary workaround enables an Oracle Solaris 10 installation to be completed. However, this workaround might cause poor read-DVD performance. Follow these steps:

During system boot, press F2 at the prompt.

The screen displays attachment-type options similar to the following:
```
Primary Master [ ]
Primary Slave [ ]
Secondary Master [CD-ROM]
Secondary Slave [ ]
```
Choose the DVD drive's attachment type by selecting the CD-ROM attachment type.

Note - The screen might display more than one attachment type, for example, if your system has multiple optical drives. In such cases, you might need to open the system case to determine the DVD drive's point of attachment. Make sure that you select the correct attachment type that applies to the DVD drive.
After selecting the correct CD-ROM attachment type, press Enter.

The next screen appears with Type:[Auto] automatically selected.
Press the spacebar twice to change the selection to Type:[CD-ROM].
Use the arrow keys to select Transfer Mode.
Press Enter to display a list of other Transfer Mode options.
Use the arrow keys to select Standard, then press Enter to accept your selection.
Press F10 to save the configuration changes and exit the BIOS setup.

The system restarts.

Workaround 2: Update the DVD combo drive's firmware to version R1.12. This workaround requires your DVD combo drive to be attached to a system that is running Microsoft Windows. Follow these steps:

Remove your DVD combo drive from the Sun Java Workstation 2100Z.

See the workstation's user guide for steps to remove the drive properly.
Connect the drive to a system that is running Microsoft Windows and change the drive's master and slave jumper settings, if needed.
Go to AOpen's Download Center at http://download.aopen.com.tw/default.aspx.
Search for your DVD drive's firmware by using the following information:
- Product: Combo drives
- Model: COM5232/AAH
- Categories: Firmware
Download and install the firmware version R1.12.
Reinstall the drive on the workstation. If needed, restore the original master and slave jumper settings.

Note - Newer versions of the firmware might already be available at Aopen's Download Center. Tests confirm that version R1.12 resolves the panic issue. It cannot be confirmed whether subsequent firmware revisions also resolve the problem.

x86: Serial Consoles on Some Sun Fire Systems Do Not Work (6208412)

The serial console (ttya) on the following Sun Fire systems from Oracle does not work by default:

Sun Fire V20z
Sun Fire V40z
Sun Fire V60x
Sun Fire V65x

To use the serial console, you must manually configure the system's BIOS.

Workaround: This workaround requires your system to have a Sun keyboard and a display monitor. Follow these steps:

Boot the system.
During system boot, press F2 at the prompt to access the Phoenix BIOS.
Under Peripherals, change the comm port from disabled to enabled.
Save the configuration and boot the system.
Use the eeprom command to change input-device and output-device to ttya.

Note - Simultaneously pressing the Stop and N keys at system boot to reset the low-level firmware to default settings does not work on these systems.

x86: Oracle Solaris Installation GUI Might Fail on Systems With Existing x86 `fdisk` Boot Partitions (6186606)

The Oracle Solaris installation GUI might fail on a system with an existing x86 fdisk boot partition. The failure occurs if the existing x86 boot partition was created with the Oracle Solaris text installer. The following error message is displayed:

Default layout will not work on this system.
Error:
Error: ERROR: Could not create explicit fdisk partition on c0t0d0,
requested cylinders 14581 - 14597 in use by fdisk partition 1
Error:
Error: ERROR: System installation failed
Pfinstall failed. Exit stat= java.lang.UNIXProcess@a89ce3 2 
artition on c0t0d0, requested cylinders 14581 - 14597 in use by fdisk
partition 1  ERROR: System installation failed