Creating an Image

An image is a location where IPS packages and their associated files, directories, links, and dependencies can be installed, and where other IPS operations can be performed.

An image can be one of three types:

• Full images are capable of providing a complete system. In a full image, all dependencies are resolved within the image itself, and IPS maintains the dependencies in a consistent manner. After you have completed an installation of the Oracle Solaris OS, the root file system and its contents are contained in a full image.

• Partial images are linked to a full image (the parent image), but do not provide a complete system on their own. A non-global zone is a partial image. Use the -z or --zone option to set an appropriate variant. In a zone image, IPS maintains the non-global zone consistent with its global zone as defined by dependencies in the packages. See Part II, Oracle Solaris Zones, in Oracle Solaris Administration: Oracle Solaris Zones, Oracle Solaris 10 Zones, and Resource Management to learn about non-global zones.

• User images contain only relocatable packages.

/usr/bin/pkg image-create [-FPUfz] [--force]
    [--full | --partial | --user] [--zone]
    [-k ssl_key] [-c ssl_cert]
    [--no-refresh] [--variant variant_spec=instance ...]
    [-g path_or_uri | --origin path_or_uri ...]
    [-m uri | --mirror uri ...]
    [--facet facet_spec=(True|False) ...]
    [(-p | --publisher) [name=]repo_uri] dir

At the location given by dir, create an image suitable for package operations. The default image type is user (-U or --user). The image type can be set to a full image (-F or --full) or to a partial image (-P or --partial) linked to the full image enclosing the given dir path.

To run the new image in a non-global zone context, use the -z or --zone option to set an appropriate variant.

A package repository URI must be provided using the -p or --publisher option. If a publisher name is also provided, then only that publisher is added when the image is created. If a publisher name is not provided, then all publishers known by the specified repository are added to the image. An attempt to retrieve the catalog associated with this publisher is made following the initial creation operations.

Use the -g option to specify additional origins. Use the -m option to specify mirrors.

For publishers using client SSL authentication, use the -c or -k options to register a client key and client certificate. This key and certificate are used for all publishers added during image creation.

Use the -f option to force the creation of an image over an existing image. Use this option with caution.

When you specify the -no-refresh option, the repositories for the image's publishers are not contacted to retrieve the newest list of available packages and other metadata.

Use the --variant option to set the specified variant to the indicated value. Use the --facet option to set the specified facet to the indicated value.