C H A P T E R 2

Installing Solaris

This chapter provides information about installing the Solaris OS on your workstation, if you do not want to use the preinstalled Solaris OS.

This chapter includes the following sections:

Section 2.1, Choosing and Updating the Operating System.

Section 2.2, Setting the BIOS for Solaris.

Section 2.3, Setting the LSI RAID Configuration

Section 2.4, Erasing the Currently-Installed OS.

Section 2.5, Installing the Solaris OS.

Section 2.6, Installing Drivers.

2.1 Choosing and Updating the Operating System

The Solaris OS is preinstalled on the workstation. Previous versions of the Solaris OS are not supported.

If you choose to replace the currently-installed version of the Solaris OS, you can download the Solaris OS from the following web site:

http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/

2.2 Setting the BIOS for Solaris

SATA is configured as IDE in the BIOS by default.

If the BIOS was not changed, you do not need to perform this setup.

If the Configured SATA as option in the BIOS has been changed from the default, do the following:

1. Power on the workstation.

2. Press the F2 key at the Sun logo screen to enter the BIOS Setup menu.

3. Go to Advanced => Integrated Devices.

4. Change the Configured SATA as option to IDE.

5. Press the F10 key to save your changes and exit the BIOS.

2.3 Setting the LSI RAID Configuration

To configure a RAID array in LSI:

1. During the BIOS portion of the boot, press control-C to open the LSI configuration tool.

2. Select the SAS controller you want, and press Enter.

3. Select RAID properties.

4. Select the type of RAID array you would like.

5. Select the volumes you would like to include in the RAID.

Note - Do not mix SAS and SATA volumes within a given RAID.

6. When the array is set up, save changes and exit.

Note - After you create IM and IME RAID arrays, the system will perform an automatic reset to enable the write cache feature.

2.4 Erasing the Currently-Installed OS

To erase the currently-installed OS, you can use the Tools and Drivers DVD to erase partitions on the boot hard drive. If you use the Erase Primary Boot Hard Disk option, it erases all partitions except the diagnostic partition.

2.4.1 About the Diagnostic Partition

The system diagnostic software requires the diagnostic partition to write its test scripts. Otherwise, the only output is the display on the diagnostic screen.

The procedures in this section do not remove the diagnostic partition.

If you accidentally remove the diagnostic partition, you can re-create and mount it using the Create Diagnostic Partition option on the Tools and Drivers DVD. See the Sun Ultra 24 Workstation Service Manual for instructions.

2.4.2 Erasing Currently-Installed OS Procedure

Caution - The Erase Primary Boot Hard Disk option erases all partitions and all user data on the hard drive, except the diagnostic partition. Be sure to back up all data on the hard drive before performing this action.

To erase all partitions on primary boot hard drive except the diagnostic partition:

1. Back up all the data that you want to save on the hard drive.

2. Insert the Tools and Drivers DVD into the workstation.

3. When the main menu appears, select the following option from the Tools and Drivers DVD main menu:

3. Erase Primary Boot Hard Disk

This option erases all partitions currently located on the primary hard drive, except for the diagnostic partition. The diagnostic partition, if it is present, remains untouched.

2.5 Installing the Solaris OS

To install the Solaris OS, see the instructions online at: http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/817-0544.

To install a previously created remote image, see Section A.2, Installing Solaris From a JumpStart trademark Server.

2.6 Installing Drivers

After installing the OS, run the installation script provided on the Tools and Drivers DVD to install the drivers that correspond to your OS.

The Tools and Drivers DVD is included with your workstation.

Note - The Tools and Drivers DVD also contains the tools to recreate and mount the diagnostic partition. You should not have to do this unless you accidentally erased it. See the Sun Ultra 24 Workstation Service Manual for details.

Perform this procedure to install drivers if you are performing a new installation of the Solaris OS.

Note - You do not need to reinstall the drivers if you are restoring a backed-up copy of the preinstalled version of the OS.

Perform this procedure to install the drivers.

1. Log in to the system as superuser.

2. Insert the Tools and Drivers DVD into the DVD drive.

The CD is automounted by the Solaris OS.

3. Change to the /cdrom/cdrom0/drivers/sx86 directory by typing the following command:

# cd /cdrom/cdrom0/drivers/sx86

4. Run the installation script by typing the following command:

# ./install.sh

The system drivers are installed.

The script prompts you to reboot the system for changes to take effect.

5. Press the Y key to reboot, or the N key to allow a manual reboot.

6. Remove the CD from the DVD drive.

7. When prompted for networking information on your system, enter the networking information for your server.