Solaris 10 Installation Guide for IBM BladeCenter Servers

Creating a Profile

A profile is a text file that defines how to install the Solaris software on a system. A profile defines the elements of an installation, for example, which software group to install. Every rule specifies a profile that defines how a system is to be installed. You can create different profiles for every rule. You can also use the same profile in more than one rule. See Creating the rules File.

A profile consists of one or more profile keywords and their values. Each profile keyword is a command that controls one aspect of how the JumpStart program is to install the Solaris software on a system. For example, the following profile keyword and value specify that the JumpStart program install the system as a server:

system_type server

Note –

Sample profiles are already located in the JumpStart directory, if you created the JumpStart directory by using the procedure, Creating a Profile Server for Networked Systems.

Syntax of Profiles

A profile must contain the following:

The install_type profile keyword as the first entry
One keyword per line
The root_device keyword if the systems that are being upgraded by the profile contain more than one root (/) file system that can be upgraded

A profile can contain the following:

Commented text

Any text that is included after the # symbol on a line is treated by the JumpStart program as commented text. If a line begins with the # symbol, the entire line is treated as a comment.
One or more blank lines

How to Create a Profile

Using a text editor, create a text file. Name the file descriptively. Or, open a sample profile in the JumpStart directory that you created.

Note –
Ensure that the name of the profile reflects how you intend to use the profile to install the Solaris software on a system. For example, you might name the profiles basic_install, eng_profile, or user_profile.

Add profile keywords and values to the profile.

See Profile Examples.

Note –
Profile keywords and their values are case-sensitive.

Save the profile in the JumpStart directory.

Ensure that root owns the profile and that the permissions are set to 644.

(Optional) Test the profile.

See How To Test a Profile.

Profile Examples

The following examples of profiles show how to use different profile keywords and profile values to control how the Solaris software is installed on a system. Profile keywords and values contains a description of profile keywords and values.

Example 1–7 Specifying Where to Install File Systems by Using a Profile

# profile keywords        profile values
# ----------------        -------------------
  install_type            initial_install
  system_type             standalone 
  partitioning            explicit
  filesys                 c0t0d0s0 auto /
  filesys                 c0t3d0s1 auto swap
  filesys                 any auto usr
  cluster                 SUNWCall

The following describes some of the keywords and values from this example:

partitioning: The file system slices are determined by the filesys keywords that are value explicit. The size of the root (/) directory is based on the selected software, value auto, and is installed on c0t0d0s0. The size of swap is set to the necessary size and is installed on c0t3d0s1. usr is based on the selected software and the installation program determines where usr is installed, based on the value any.
cluster: The Entire Solaris Software Group, SUNWCall, is installed on the system.

Example 1–8 Using the `fdisk` Keyword in a Profile

# profile keywords      profile values
# ----------------      -------------------
  install_type          initial_install
  system_type           standalone

  fdisk                 c0t0d0 0x04 delete
  fdisk                 c0t0d0 solaris maxfree
  cluster               SUNWCall
  cluster               SUNWCacc delete