System Requirements and Recommendations

Table 3-1 Memory, Swap, and Processor Recommendations

Requirement Type	Size
Memory to install or upgrade	For UFS or ZFS root file systems, 1.5 GB is the minimum memory required for installation. However, note that some optional installation features are enabled only when sufficient memory is present. For example, if your system has insufficient memory and you install from a DVD, you install through the Oracle Solaris installation program's text installer, not through the GUI. In previous Solaris releases, you could not install and boot the Oracle Solaris OS from a disk that was greater than 1 TB in size. Starting with the Oracle Solaris 10 10/09 release, you can install and boot the Oracle Solaris OS from a disk that is up to 2 TB in size. Starting with the Oracle Solaris 10 10/09 release, you can use the VTOC label on a disk of any size, but the addressable space by the VTOC is limited to 2 TB. This feature allows disks that are larger than 2 TB to be used as boot drives, but the usable space from the label is limited to 2 TB. Note - This feature is only available on systems that run a 64-bit kernel. A minimum of 1.5 GB of memory is required for x86 based systems. For detailed information, see Two-Terabyte Disk Support for Installing and Booting the Oracle Solaris OS in System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems.
Swap area	For UFS file systems, 512 MB is the default size. For ZFS root pools, see Disk Space Requirements for a ZFS Installation Note - You might need to customize the swap space. Swap space is based on the size of the system's hard disk.
Processor requirements	SPARC: 200 MHz or faster processor is required. x86: 120 MHz or faster processor is recommended. Hardware floating-point support is required.

You can choose to install the software with a GUI or with or without a windowing environment. If there is sufficient memory, the GUI is displayed by default. Other environments are displayed by default if memory is insufficient for the GUI. You can override defaults with the nowin or text boot options, but, you are limited by the amount of memory in your system or if you install remotely. Also, if the Oracle Solaris installation program does not detect a video adapter, it automatically displays in a console-based environment.

For both the text-based and GUI-based installation methods, the minimal memory requirement is 1.5 GB or greater. The types of installation are as follows:

Text-based – Contains no graphics, but provides a window and the ability to open other windows.

If you install by using the text boot option and the system has enough memory, you are installing in a windowing environment. If you are installing remotely through a tip line or using the nowin boot option, you are limited to the console-based installation.
GUI-based – Provides windows, pull-down menus, buttons, scrollbars, and iconic images.

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