Starting with the Solaris 10 1/06 release, the open source GNU GRand Unified Bootloader (GRUB) has been adopted in the Solaris OS for x86 based systems. GRUB is responsible for loading a boot archive into the system's memory. A boot archive is a collection of critical files that is needed during system startup before the root (/) file system is mounted. The boot archive is used to boot the Solaris OS.
The most notable change is the replacement of the Solaris Device Configuration Assistant with the GRUB menu. The GRUB menu facilitates booting the different operating systems that are installed on your system. The GRUB menu is displayed when you boot an x86 based system. From the GRUB menu, you can select an OS instance to install by using the arrow keys. If you do not make a selection, the default OS instance is booted.
The GRUB based boot feature provides the following improvements:
Faster boot times
Installation from USB CD or DVD drives
Ability to boot from USB storage devices
Simplified DHCP setup for PXE boot (no vendor-specific options)
Elimination of all realmode drivers
Ability to use Solaris Live Upgrade and the GRUB menu to quickly activate and fall back to boot environments
For more information about GRUB refer to the following sections.
Task |
For More Information |
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Overview information about GRUB based booting and installing | |
How to boot and install over the network with the GRUB menu | |
How to boot and install with the GRUB menu and the Custom JumpStart installation method | |
How to use the GRUB menu and Solaris Live Upgrade to activate and fall back to boot environments | |
How to perform system administration tasks with the GRUB menu |
System Administration Guide: Basic Administration |
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