Solaris 10 Installation Guide for IBM BladeCenter Servers

How to Install With the Solaris Installation Program on IBM BladeCenter Servers (Stand-Alone)

This procedure describes how to install a stand-alone system from CD or DVD media. Starting with the Solaris 10 1/06 release, the Solaris installation programs for x86 based systems use the GRUB boot loader.

Before You Begin

Perform the following tasks before you begin your installation:

Ensure that you have the following media.
- If you are installing from a DVD, use the Solaris Operating System DVD for x86 platforms for the Solaris release you are installing.
- If you are installing from CD media, use the following:
  - Solaris Software CDs.
  - Solaris Languages for x86 Platforms CD – The installation program prompts you for this CD if necessary to support languages for specific geographic regions.
Check your system BIOS to make sure that you can boot from CD or DVD media.
Acquire any installation time updates (ITUs) or drivers that you need to install the Solaris OS on your hardware. To determine if you need an ITU or additional drivers, see your hardware documentation.

Note –
If you are installing the Solaris 10 11/06 OS on an IBM BladeCenter LS21 server, see Chapter 3, Troubleshooting Installation Issues on IBM BladeCenter Servers (Tasks) for important troubleshooting information regarding creating a new installation image.
Verify that your system meets the following minimum requirements:
- Memory – 256 MB or greater
- Disk space – 6.7 GB or greater
- Processor speed – 120 MHz or greater with hardware floating point
If you are installing the Solaris OS on a system that is not produced by Sun Microsystems, Inc., check the Solaris Hardware Compatibility List at http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/hcl before you begin the installation.
Gather the information you need for installing the Solaris OS.
- For a nonnetworked system, gather the following information:
  - Host name of the system that you are installing
  - Language and locales that you intend to use on the system
- For a networked system, gather the following information:
  - Host name of the system that you are installing
  - Language and locales that you intend to use on the system
  - Host IP address
  - Subnet mask
  - Domain name
  - root (superuser) password
(Optional) If you want to preserve any existing data or applications, back up your system.

Insert the appropriate media in your system.

If you boot from the Solaris Operating System DVD or the Solaris Software – 1 CD, insert the disc. Your system's BIOS must support booting from a DVD or CD. See your hardware documentation for more information about how to set the BIOS.

Boot the system by shutting it down and then turning it off and on.

If you need to manually set the BIOS to boot from CD or DVD, type the appropriate key sequence to interrupt your system boot process.

Modify the boot priority in the BIOS, and exit the BIOS to return to the installation program.

A memory test and hardware detection are executed, the screen refreshes, and the GRUB menu is displayed.

GNU GRUB version 0.95 (631K lower / 2095488K upper memory)
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Solaris                                                                 |
| Solaris Serial Console ttya                                             |
| Solaris Serial Console ttyb (for lx50, v60x and v65x)                   |
|                                                                         |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Use the ^ and v keys to select which entry is highlighted.
Press enter to boot the selected OS, 'e' to edit the
commands before booting, or 'c' for a command-line.

Select the appropriate installation option.
- If you want to install the Solaris OS from CD or DVD on your current system, select Solaris, then press Enter.
  
  Select this option if you want to install the system by using the default values.
- If you want to install the Solaris OS and send the screen output to serial console, ttya (COM1), select ttya.
  
  Select this option if you want to change the system display to a device that is connected to serial port, COM1.
- If you want to install the Solaris OS and send the screen output to serial console, ttyb (COM2), select ttyb.
  
  Select this option if you want to change the system display to a device that is connected to serial port, COM2.
- If you want to install the Solaris OS with specific boot arguments, follow these steps.
  
  You might want to use specific boot arguments to customize the system configuration during the installation.
  1. On the GRUB menu, select the installation option that you want to edit, then press e to edit the selection.
    
    Boot commands that are similar to the following text are displayed in the GRUB menu:
    kernel /boot/multiboot kernel/unix -B install_media=cdrom module /boot/x86.miniroot
  2. Edit the command to add the boot arguments or options that you want to use.
    
    The command syntax for the Grub Edit Menu is as follows:
    grub edit>kernel /boot/multiboot kernel/unix/install [url|ask] -B options install_media=media-type
    kernel-name
    
    Specifies the kernel to boot.
    
    -a
    
    Prompts the user for configuration information.
    
    -s
    
    Boots the system in single-user mode.
    
    -r
    
    Specifies a reconfiguration boot. The system probes all attached hardware devices and then assigns nodes in the file system to represent only those devices that are actually found.
    
    -v
    
    Boots the system with verbose messages enabled.
    
    -x
    
    Does not boot in clustered mode.
    
    -k
    
    Boots the system with the kernel debugger enabled.
    
    -m smf-options
    
    Controls the boot behavior of the Service Management Facility (SMF). Included are two categories of options, recovery options and messages options.
    
    -i altinit
    
    Specifies an alternative executable as the primordial process. altinit is a valid path to an executable.
    
    -B prop=value[,prop=value]...
    
    Is parsed by the multiboot program. The multiboot program then translates the argument into properties.
  3. To return to the GRUB menu, press Esc.
    
    The GRUB menu is displayed.
  4. To begin the installation, type b in the GRUB menu.
The Solaris installation program checks the default boot disk for the installation requirements of the system. If the Solaris installation program cannot detect the system configuration, it prompts you for any missing information.

When the check is completed, the installation selection screen is displayed.

Select an installation type.

The installation selection screen displays the following options.

      Select the type of installation you want to perform:

         1 Solaris Interactive
         2 Custom JumpStart
         3 Solaris Interactive Text (Desktop session)
         4 Solaris Interactive Text (Console session)
         5 Apply driver updates
         6 Single user shell

         Enter the number of your choice followed by the <ENTER> key.
         Alternatively, enter custom boot arguments directly.

         If you wait 30 seconds without typing anything,
         an interactive installation will be started.

Note –

Information in the installation selection screen might vary slightly, depending on which version of the Solaris 10 OS you are installing.

To install the Solaris OS, choose from the following options:
- To install with the Solaris interactive installation GUI, type 1, then press Enter.
- To install with the interactive text installer in a desktop session, type 3, then press Enter.
  
  Select this installation type to override the default GUI installer and run the text installer.
- To install with the interactive text installer in a console session, type 4, then press Enter.
  
  Select this installation type to override the default GUI installer and run the text installer.
The system configures the devices and interfaces, and searches for configuration files. The kdmconfig utility detects the drivers that are necessary to configure the keyboard, display, and mouse on your system. The installation program begins. Go to Step 6 to continue the installation.

If you need to perform system administration tasks before your installation, choose from the following options:
- To update drivers or install an installation time update (ITU), insert the update media, type 5, then press Enter.
  
  You might need to update drivers or install an ITU to enable the Solaris OS to run on your system. Follow the instructions for your driver update or ITU for installing the update.
- To perform system administration tasks, type 6, then press Enter.
After you perform these system administration tasks, the previous list of installation options is displayed. Select the appropriate option to continue the installation.

Decide if you need to modify the configuration settings.

If the kdmconfig utility cannot detect the video driver for your system, it selects the 640x480 VGA driver. The Solaris installation GUI cannot be displayed with the 640x480 VGA driver. As a result, the Solaris installation text installer is displayed. To use the Solaris installation GUI, use the kdmconfig utility to select the correct video driver for your system.
- If you do not need to modify the configuration settings, let the Window System Configuration for Installation screen time out. Go to Step 7.
- If you need to modify the configuration settings, follow these steps:
  1. Press the Esc key.
    
    Note –
    You must press the Esc key within five seconds to interrupt the installation and modify device settings.
    
    The kdmconfig – Introduction screen is displayed.
  2. Examine the configuration information on the kdmconfig – View and Edit Window System Configuration screen, and determine which devices you need to edit.
  3. Select the device that you want to change, and press F2_Continue.
  4. Select the appropriate driver for the device, and press F2_Continue.
  5. Repeat Step c through Step d for each device that you need to change.
  6. When you are finished, select No changes needed – Test/Save and Exit and press F2_Continue.
    
    Thekdmconfig Window System Configuration Test screen appears.
  7. Press F2_Continue.
    
    The screen refreshes and the kdmconfig Window System Configuration Test palette and pattern screen appears.
  8. Move the pointer and examine the colors that are shown on the palette to ensure that they are displayed accurately.
    - If the colors are not displayed accurately, click No. If possible, press any key on the keyboard, or wait until kdmconfig automatically exits the kdmconfig Window System Configuration Test screen. Repeat Step b through Step h until the colors are displayed accurately and you can move the pointer as expected.
    - If the colors are displayed accurately, click Yes.
    After a few seconds, the Select a Language screen is displayed.

Select the language that you want to use during the installation, and press Enter.

After a few seconds, the Solaris Installation Program screen appears.
- If you are running the Solaris GUI installation program, the Solaris GUI Installation Program Welcome screen is displayed.
- If you are running the Solaris text installer in a desktop session, the Solaris Text Installation Program Welcome screen is displayed.

Click Next to begin the installation. If you are prompted, answer any remaining configuration questions.
- If you preconfigured all of the system information, the installation program does not prompt you to specify any configuration information.
- If you did not preconfigure all the system information, the installation program prompts you to specify this information on the next several screens.
After you answer the configuration questions, the Welcome to Solaris dialog box appears.

Decide if you want to reboot the system automatically and if you want to automatically eject the disc. Click Next.

The Specify Media screen appears.

Specify the media that you are using for the installation. Click Next.

Decide if you want to perform an initial installation. Click Next.

Select the type of installation you want to perform. Click Next.
- Select Default Install to install the Entire Solaris Software Group.
- Select Custom Install if you want to perform any of the following tasks.
  - Install a specific software group.
  - Install additional software.
  - Install specific software packages.
  - Install a specific locale.
  - Customize the disk layout.
Note –
The text installer does not prompt you to select a default or custom installation. To perform a default installation, accept the default values that are provided in the text installer. To perform a custom installation, edit the values in the text installer screens.

If you are prompted, answer any additional configuration questions.

When you have provided the information that is required for installing the system, the Ready to Install screen is displayed.

Click Install Now to install the Solaris software. Follow the instructions on the screen for installing the Solaris software and any additional software on the system.

When the Solaris installation program is finished installing the Solaris software, the system reboots automatically or prompts you to reboot manually.

After the installation is finished, installation logs are saved in a file. You can find the installation logs in the /var/sadm/system/logs and /var/sadm/install/logs directories.
- If you are performing an initial installation, the installation is complete. Go to Step 15.
- If you are upgrading the Solaris software, you might need to correct some local modifications that were not preserved. Follow these steps:
  1. Review the contents of the /a/var/sadm/system/data/upgrade_cleanup file to determine whether you need to correct local modifications that the Solaris installation program could not preserve.
  2. Correct any local modifications that were not preserved.

If you did not select automatic reboot during the installation, reboot the system.
# reboot

If you are installing the Solaris 10 1/06 OS, download and apply the latest revision of patch 118966. See 6339315: Bad Compiler Induces IBM BladeCenter HS20 Resets.

Note –
This bug applies to the Solaris 10 1/06 OS only. You do not need to perform this step if you are installing the Solaris 10 6/06 or the Solaris 10 11/06 release.

Patches can be downloaded from the SunSolve^SM web site. For further instructions, go to http://sunsolve.sun.com/.

Reboot the system.
# reboot

Next Steps

If you plan to install multiple operating systems on your machine, you need to instruct the GRUB boot loader to recognize these operating systems in order to boot. For more information, see GRUB Based Booting (Overview) in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.