SPARC: How to Boot a System Interactively

Use this boot option when you need to specify an alternate kernel or /etc/system file.

Before You Begin

To specify an alternate /etc/system file when booting a SPARC based system interactively by using the boot -a command, you must perform the following steps before the system is booted.

• 1. Make backup copies of the /etc/system and boot/solaris/filelist.ramdisk files.

  # cp /etc/system /etc/system.bak # cp /boot/solaris/filelist.ramdisk /boot/solaris/filelist.ramdisk.orig

• 2. Add the etc/system.bak file name to the /boot/solaris/filelist.ramdisk file.

  # echo "etc/system.bak" >> /boot/solaris/filelist.ramdisk

• 3. Update the boot archive.

  # bootadm update-archive -v

1. Boot the system interactively.

   ok boot -a

2. Answer the following system prompts:

   1. When prompted, enter the name of the kernel to use for booting.

      Press enter to use the default kernel file name. Otherwise, provide the name of an alternate kernel, press Enter.

   2. When prompted, provide an alternate path for the modules directories.

      Press enter to use the default module directories. Otherwise, provide the alternate paths to module directories, press Enter.

   3. When prompted, provide the name of an alternate system file.

      Type /dev/null if your /etc/system file has been damaged.

   4. When prompted, enter the root filesystem type.

      Press enter to select UFS for local disk booting, which is the default, or enter NFS for network booting.

   5. When prompted, enter the physical name of root device.

      Provide an alternate device name or press return to use the default.

3. If you are not prompted to answer these questions, verify that you typed the boot -a command correctly.

Example 12–3 SPARC: Booting a System Interactively

In this example, the default choices (shown in square brackets []) are accepted. For instructions and an example of booting an alternate file system by using the boot -a command, see SPARC: How to Boot a System Interactively.

ok boot -a
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Rebooting with command: boot -a
Boot device: /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/ide@3/disk@0,0:a  
File and args: -a
Enter filename [kernel/sparcv9/unix]: Press Return
Enter default directory for modules [/platform/SUNW,Ultra-5_10/kernel 
     /platform/sun4u/kernel /kernel /usr/kernel]: Press Return
Name of system file [etc/system]: Press Return
SunOS Release 5.10 Version S10_60 64-bit
Copyright (c) 1983-2004 by Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved
Use is subject to license terms.
root filesystem type [ufs]: Press Return
Enter physical name of root device
[/pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/ide@3/disk@0,0:a]: Press Return
configuring IPv4 interfaces: hme0.
Hostname: starlite
The system is coming up.  Please wait.
checking ufs filesystems
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The system is ready.
starlite console login: