Preinstallation Issues and Bugs

This section contains critical installation issues that you need to be aware of before installing or upgrading to Solaris 10 OS. These issues might have an impact that would prevent installation or upgrades from completing successfully. If bugs in this section apply to your system, you might need to perform the recommended workarounds before you install or upgrade.

Support for Products Not Part of the Solaris OS

Although the Solaris 10 software has been tested for compatibility with previous releases, some third-party applications might not be fully ABI compliant. Contact the supplier of these applications directly for information about compatibility.

Your system might run both a Solaris OS and other products that are not part of the Solaris software. These products might be supplied by either Sun or another company. If you upgrade this system to the Solaris 10 release, make sure that these other products are also supported on the Solaris 10 OS. Depending on the status of each of these products, you can perform one of the following options:

Verify that the existing version of the product is supported on the Solaris 10 software.
Install a new version of the product that is supported on the Solaris 10 release. You might need to remove the previous version of the product prior to upgrading to the Solaris software. See the product documentation for more details.
Remove the product prior to upgrading to the Solaris 10 software.

Information About Solaris 10 3/05 HW`x` Releases

The Solaris 10 3/05 HWx releases are temporary, limited releases and are being replaced by the Solaris 10 1/06 software. The information in this section is useful only to those customers whose platforms initially required HW1 or HW2, but who have not yet updated to the Solaris 10 1/06 OS.

Solaris 10 3/05 HW1 OS Must Be Installed on Certain Systems

The Solaris 10 3/05 HW1 Operating System is based on the Solaris 10 3/05 OS, but has support added for specific new Sun hardware. Install the Solaris 10 3/05 HW1 OS only on systems or domains that use hardware products that require the OS. For all other systems or domains, use the original Solaris 10 3/05 software.

To determine whether your hardware requires Solaris 10 3/05 HW1 OS, see the documentation for that hardware. If your system includes UltraSPARC IV+ boards, you might need additional information to use the Solaris 10 3/05 HW1 OS on that hardware. The additional information is in the Solaris 10 Sun Hardware Platform Guide at http://www.sun.com/products-n-solutions/hardware/docs/Software/Solaris_on_SunHardware/Solaris_10/index.html.

The following information applies only to platforms still running the temporary Solaris 10 3/05 HW1 release. The information does not apply to systems that are running the Solaris 10 3/05, Solaris 10 3/05 HW2, or Solaris 10 1/06 OS.

Solaris Install Launcher Exiting Causes Reboots (6300863)

In some situations, installation of Solaris 10 3/05 HW1 fails when the Solaris Install Launcher fails to find find_device.out, reboots, then reaches the same point and prompts for a reboot again.

Workaround: Specify the -text option when booting:

boot net -text

Race Condition Between EF/kcfd and IPsec Algorithm Availability (6266083)

This problem might occur on a freshly installed system or a system that imports a large number of new Service Management Facility (SMF) manifests during the boot. After these booting conditions, IPsec, which is part of svc:/network/initial:default, might be initialized prior to the encryption framework, which is part of svc:/system/cryptosvc:default. Because authentication or encryption algorithms are not available, creation of IPsec security associations might fail with an error message such as the following:

PF_KEY error: type=ADD, errno=22:
Invalid argument, diagnostic  code=40:
Unsupported authentication algorithm

For example, this error might occur when using DR on a Sun Fire E25K system, which involves IPsec services.

Workaround: Before performing operations that use IPsec services, perform the following steps after a boot that imports a large number of new SMF manifests:

Issue this command after booting:
```
ipsecalgs -s
```
If /etc/inet/secret/ipseckeys exists on the system, also issue this command:
```
ipseckey -f /etc/inet/secret/ipseckeys
```

Now you can perform actions that create IPsec security associations, such as using DR on a Sun Fire E25K system.

This procedure needs to be repeated only when a large number of new SMF manifests are imported during the boot.

Solaris 10 3/05 HW2 OS Must Be Installed on Certain Systems

The Solaris 10 3/05 HW2 Operating System is the Solaris 10 3/05 OS with additional patches to support the Sun Fire T2000 System, which features the new Sun UltraSPARC T1 processor. The HW2 OS is required on the T2000 system, and should not be installed on any other systems. For more information see the Sun Fire T2000 Product Notes and the Solaris 10 Sun Hardware Platform Guide.

Note - The HW2 OS is not a replacement for either the Solaris 10 3/05 or Solaris 10 3/05 HW1 operating systems. All Sun systems except those based on the Sun UltraSPARC IV+ and T1 processors should be running the Solaris 10 3/05 OS.

Upgrading From Solaris Express or Solaris 10 Beta Releases Not Supported

Note - For the latest information about upgrade support beginning with the Solaris 10 1/06 release, see Changes in Upgrade Support for Solaris Releases.

Upgrading to Solaris 10 OS is supported only if you are upgrading from one of these releases:

Solaris 9 9/04
Solaris 8 2/04 (SPARC Platform Edition)
Solaris 8 2/02 (Intel Platform Edition)
Solaris 7 11/99

Upgrading from any Solaris Express or Solaris 10 Beta release, whether by using standard upgrade or Live Upgrade, is not supported. To upgrade from these releases, you must install Solaris 10 OS.

Some Executable Files Not Signed After You Upgrade to Solaris 10 OS

Most executable files in Solaris 10 contain digital signatures that can be used to verify the files' authenticity. See Signing ELF Objects in Solaris 10 What’s New for information about this feature.

During an upgrade from a Solaris Express or Solaris 10 Beta release, some files might not be replaced with digitally signed versions. The missing signatures have no effect on the ability to run the programs, but the authenticity of the files cannot be verified. To prevent this problem, perform a full installation of Solaris 10 OS instead of an upgrade. See Upgrading From Solaris Express or Solaris 10 Beta Releases Not Supported.

Sun Fire V250 Server Installation

The SUNWCXall software metacluster must be installed on a Sun Fire V250 Server.

NFS Version 4 Introduces New Prompt at First System Boot

Solaris 10 OS uses NFS Version 4 (NFSv4) as the default distributed file system mechanism. In NFSv4, file user and group attributes are exchanged as strings of the form “user@domain” and “group@domain,” respectively.

The domain portion of the string should be common between client and server. This information is automatically derived from the system's name service domain name. However, in certain cases, the derived domain might not match between client and server. This mismatch might typically occur in environments where either of the following circumstances is true:

The DNS TXT record is not used.
Multiple administrative domain boundaries are crossed.

If domain information between client and server does not match, NFSv4-accessed files might appear to be owned by “nobody.”

To ensure proper configuration, on the first system boot the system now prompts you for a domain to use for NFSv4. Answer “no” to this prompt if one of the following configurations describes your deployment:

Your deployment utilizes the DNS TXT record to configure the NFSv4 domain.
Your deployment has a single (flat) administrative domain.

Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations

Environments that use the Custom JumpStart method to perform unattended system installations require minimal tuning to suppress the first boot prompts.

A sample script, set_nfs4_domain, is provided in the Solaris 10 distribution media and is located in the ${CDrom_mnt_pt}/Solaris_10/Misc/jumpstart_sample directory. A copy of this script should be modified to set the NFS4_DOMAIN variable to site-specific needs and be called from within JumpStart's finish script. The target system's NFSv4 domain is therefore preconfigured as part of the JumpStart finish phase, and thus suppresses any first boot prompts.

Follow these steps to perform unattended installations:

Create a copy of the set_nfs4_domain script in the same directory as your JumpStart's finish.sh scripts.
Edit the script and set the NFS4_DOMAIN variable to your specific needs.
Edit your finish.sh script and append a call to set_nfs4_domain.
Perform the JumpStart installations as usual.

For further details, refer to the sysidconfig(1M), sysidtool(1M), nfsmapid(1M), and nfs(4) man pages. See also the System Administration Guide: Network Services.

x86: Systems With `elx` or `pcelx` NICs Fail Network Configuration

Systems with an elx or a pcelx network interface card (NIC) fail to install. During the configuration of the NIC, the following error message might be displayed:

WARNING: elx: transmit or jabber underrun: d0<UNDER, INTR, CPLT>

See the elxl(7D) or pcelx(7D) man page for more information.

Workaround: Install and run on systems that do not have elx or pcelx NICs.

Default Size of `/var` File System Inadequate for Extra Value Products

The default size of the /var file system might be insufficient for the Extra Value products in the following situations:

If you install any of the Extra Value products that are provided on the Solaris 10 DVD or CDs
If the /var file system is located on a separate slice

You must manually specify a larger slice size for the /var file system.

Note - If the /var file system is not on a separate slice or partition, this problem does not occur.

Workaround: Choose one of the following workarounds.

If you are using the Solaris installation program GUI, follow these steps.
1. Begin the installation.
2. From Select Type of Install, select Custom Install.
  
  The Solaris installation program displays several screens that enable you to customize the software localizations, products, and disk layout that you want to install.
3. From Lay Out File Systems, select Modify.
  
  The disk layout screen is displayed.
4. Type /var in the File System column for a specific slice, then click Apply.
  
  The installation program suggests a default size for the /var file system.
5. Edit the Size column entry for the /var file system to twice the disk space size.
  
  For example, if the installation program assigns 40 Mbytes of space, change the Size value to 80.
6. Complete the installation.
If you are using the Solaris installation program's text installer, follow these steps.
1. Begin the installation.
2. From Select Type of Install, select Custom Install.
  
  The Solaris installation program displays several screens that enable you to customize the software localizations, products, and disk layout that you want to install.
3. From Lay Out File Systems, select Auto Layout.
  
  The disk layout screen is displayed.
4. Type /var in the File System column for a specific slice.
  
  The installation program suggests a default size for the /var file system.
5. Press F4_Customize to customize the size of the /var file system.
6. Edit the Size column entry for the /var file system to twice the disk space size.
  
  For example, if the installation program assigns 40 Mbytes of space, change the Size value to 80.
7. Complete the installation.
If you are using the custom JumpStart program, use the filesys profile keyword to set the size of the /var file system. The following example sets the size of the /var file system on slice 5 to 256 Mbytes.
```
filesys  c0t0d0s5 256 /var
```

x86: Do Not Upgrade Hewlett-Packard (HP) Vectra XU Series Systems With BIOS Version GG.06.13

The Solaris 10 software includes a feature that enables you to install large partitions. The system BIOS must support logical block addressing (LBA). BIOS Version GG.06.13 does not support LBA access. The Solaris boot programs cannot manage this conflict. This issue can also affect other HP Vectra systems.

If you perform this upgrade, your HP system can no longer boot. Only a blank black screen with a flashing underscore cursor is displayed.

Workaround: Do not upgrade HP Vectra XU Series systems with the latest BIOS Version GG.06.13 to the Solaris 10 release. This version no longer supports these systems.

You can still boot your system by using the boot diskette or boot CD because the boot paths do not use the hard disk code. Then select the hard disk as your bootable device instead of the network or CD-ROM drive.

SPARC: Older Firmware Might Need Boot Flash PROM Update

On SPARC based systems, Solaris 10 OS runs in 64–bit mode only. Some Sun4U systems might need to be updated to a higher level of OpenBoot firmware in the flash PROM to run the OS in 64-bit mode. The following systems might require a flash PROM update:

Ultra 2
Ultra 450 and Sun Enterprise 450
Sun Enterprise 3000, 4000, 5000, and 6000 systems

The following table lists the UltraSPARC systems and the minimum firmware versions that are required to run the 64–bit Solaris 10 OS. System type is the equivalent of the output of the uname -i command. You can determine which firmware version you are running by using the prtconf -V command.

Table 2-1 Minimum Firmware Versions Required to Run 64–Bit Solaris Software on UltraSPARC Systems

System Type From `uname -i`	Minimum Firmware Version From `prtconf -V`
SUNW,Ultra-2	3.11.2
SUNW,Ultra-4	3.7.107
SUNW,Ultra-Enterprise	3.2.16

Note - If a system is not listed in the previous table, the system does not need a flash PROM update.

See any edition of the Solaris 8 Sun Hardware Platform Guide at http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/indexes/documentation/index.html for instructions to perform a flash PROM update.

Additional Patches Are Needed to Run Solaris Live Upgrade

For Solaris Live Upgrade to operate correctly, a limited set of patch revisions must be installed for a given OS version. Make sure you have the most recently updated patch list by consulting http://sunsolve.sun.com. For additional information, search for the info Doc 72099 on the SunSolve web site.

Limitation When Installing Solaris Live Upgrade Packages

If you are running the Solaris 7 or Solaris 8 release, you might not be able to run the Solaris Live Upgrade installer. These releases do not contain the set of patches that is needed to run the Java 2 runtime environment.

The typical failure that results is a Java exception error. The following messages might be displayed:

InvocationTargetException in ArchiveReader constructornull
          java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
                 at install.instantiateArchiveReader(Compiled Code)
                 at install.<init>(Compiled Code)
                 at install.main(Compiled Code)

To run the Solaris Live Upgrade installer and install the packages, you must have the Java 2 runtime environment recommended patch cluster.

Workaround: Complete the following workaround:

Install the Solaris Live Upgrade packages by using the pkgadd command.

For step-by-step instructions, refer to Chapter 8, Using Solaris Live Upgrade to Create a Boot Environment (Tasks), in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Solaris Live Upgrade and Upgrade Planning.
Install the Java 2 runtime environment recommended patch cluster. The patch cluster is available on http://sunsolve.sun.com. Then, you can use the Solaris Live Upgrade installer to install the packages.

Solaris Management Console 2.1 Software Is Not Compatible With Solaris Management Console 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.0.2 Software

Solaris Management Console 2.1 software is not compatible with Solaris Management Console 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.0.2 software. If you are upgrading to the Solaris 10 release, and you have Solaris Management Console 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.0.2 software installed, you must first uninstall the Solaris Management Console software before you upgrade. Solaris Management Console software might exist on your system if you installed the SEAS 2.0 overbox, the SEAS 3.0 overbox, or the Solaris 8 Admin Pack.

Workaround: Choose one of the following workarounds:

Before you upgrade, use the /usr/bin/prodreg command to perform a full uninstall of Solaris Management Console software.
If you did not uninstall Solaris Management Console 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.0.2 software before you upgraded to the Solaris 10 release, you must first remove all Solaris Management Console 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.0.2 packages. Use the pkgrm command for package removal instead of the prodreg command. Carefully follow the order of package removal. Complete the following steps:
1. Become superuser.
2. Type the following command:
```
# pkginfo | grep “Solaris Management Console“
```
  If the description does not start with “Solaris Management Console 2.1,” the package names in the output identify a Solaris Management Console 1.0 package.
3. Use the pkgrm command to remove all instances of Solaris Management Console 1.0 packages in the following order:
  
  Note - Do not remove any package that has “Solaris Management Console 2.1” in its description. For example, SUNWmc.2 might indicate Solaris Management Console 2.1 software.
  If the pkginfo output displays multiple versions of Solaris Management Console 1.0 packages, use the pkgrm command to remove both packages. Remove the original package. Then, remove the package that has been appended with a number. For example, if the SUNWmcman and SUNWmcman.2 packages appear in the pkginfo output, first remove the SUNWmcman package and then remove the SUNWmcman.2 package. Do not use the prodreg command.
```
# pkgrm SUNWmcman
# pkgrm SUNWmcapp
# pkgrm SUNWmcsvr
# pkgrm SUNWmcsvu
# pkgrm SUNWmc
# pkgrm SUNWmcc
# pkgrm SUNWmcsws
```
4. In a terminal window, type the following command:
```
# rm -rf /var/sadm/pkg/SUNWmcapp
```
The Solaris Management Console 2.1 software should now function properly. For future maintenance, or if the Solaris Management Console 2.1 software does not function properly, remove the Solaris Management Console 2.1 software. Reinstall the software by completing the following steps:
1. Use the pkgrm command to remove all Solaris Management Console 2.1 packages and dependent packages in the following order:
  
  Note - If your installation has multiple instances of Solaris Management Console 2.1 packages, such as SUNWmc and SUNWmc.2, first remove SUNWmc, and then SUNWmc.2 . Do not use the prodreg command.
```
# pkgrm SUNWpmgr 
# pkgrm SUNWrmui 
# pkgrm SUNWlvmg 
# pkgrm SUNWlvma 
# pkgrm SUNWlvmr 
# pkgrm SUNWdclnt 
# pkgrm SUNWmga 
# pkgrm SUNWmgapp 
# pkgrm SUNWmcdev 
# pkgrm SUNWmcex 
# pkgrm SUNWwbmc 
# pkgrm SUNWmc 
# pkgrm SUNWmcc 
# pkgrm SUNWmccom
```
2. Insert the Solaris 10 Software - 4 CD into your CD-ROM drive. Type the following in a terminal window:
```
# 
# cd /cdrom/cdrom0/Solaris_10/Product
# pkgadd -d . SUNWmccom SUNWmcc SUNWmc SUNWwbmc SUNWmcex SUNWmcdev \
  SUNWmgapp SUNWmga SUNWdclnt SUNWlvmr SUNWlvma SUNWlvmg SUNWpmgr \
  SUNWrmui
```
All previous Solaris Management Console versions are removed. The Solaris Management Console 2.1 software is now functional.

Installation Fails When You Install Solaris Flash Archive on Empty Boot Environment With Solaris Live Upgrade (6222925)

If you use Solaris Live Upgrade to install a Solaris Flash archive on an empty alternate boot environment, the installation fails. Messages that are similar to the following errors are displayed.

sh:  /path_to_install_image/Solaris_10/Tools/Boot/usr/sbin/install.d
/mergescripts/merge_name_service:  not found

ERROR: Transfer list entry (/a/var/svc/profile/name_service.xml):
mergescript failed (/path_to_install_image/Solaris_10/Tools/
Boot/usr/sbin/install.d/mergescripts/merge_name_service)

ERROR: Unable to copy a temporary file to it's final location

ERROR: Flash installation failed

Extracting Flash Archive: 100% completed (of 4361.24 megabytes)
The Solaris flash install of the BE S10B74L2 failed.

In the previous example, path_to_install_image is the directory path to the network installation image you are using for the installation.

Workaround: Follow these steps.

Change directories to the mergescripts directory in the network installation image that you are using for the installation.
```
# cd path_to_install_image/Solaris_10/Tools /Boot/usr/sbin/install.d/mergescripts
```
Create the merge_name_service file.
```
# touch merge_name_service
```
Make the merge_name_service file executable.
```
# chmod a+x merge_name_service
```
On the system you want to install, install the Solaris Flash archive on the alternate boot environment with Solaris Live Upgrade.

For instructions about how to install a Solaris Flash archive with Solaris Live Upgrade, see Installing Solaris Flash Archives on a Boot Environment in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Solaris Live Upgrade and Upgrade Planning.
Mount the file systems in the alternate boot environment you installed in step 4.
```
# lumount alt_boot_env mount-point
```
In the previous command, alt_boot_env is the boot environment you installed in step 4. mount-point is the mount point for the alternate boot environment.
Change directory to the /var/svc/profile directory in the alternate boot environment.
```
# cd mount-point/var/svc/profile
```
Remove the name_service.xml profile.
```
# rm name_service.xml
```
Create a symbolic link for the name service profile to the name_service.xml file.
```
# ln -s ns_name-service.xml name_service.xml
```
In the previous example, name-service is the name service you want to use for the system. Use one of the following strings for this value.
- nis
- nisplus
- dns
- ldap
- files

Solaris GUI Installation Program Fails If You Configure Nonprimary Interface and Enable DHCP (6215739)

If you try to configure a nonprimary board interface during a Solaris 10 installation, the installation fails under the following conditions.

You use the Solaris GUI installation program.
You try to configure a nonprimary interface, such as a PCMCIA interface card.
You enable the system to use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

The following error message is displayed.

An error has occurred in configuring the system.
Please go back and check your settings.

Workaround 1: Use the Solaris Interactive Text (Desktop Session) installer.

For SPARC based systems, type the following command at the ok prompt.
```
ok boot cdrom -text
```
For x86 based systems, type the following command when the system prompts you to select an installation type.
```
b -text
```

Workaround 2: Use the Solaris installation GUI program.

When the installation program prompts your for Network Connectivity information, select Non-networked.
Complete the installation.
After the installation, use the sys-unconfig command to reconfigure the system as a networked system with DHCP support enabled.

For more information about reconfiguring a system with the sys-unconfig command, see the sys-unconfig(1M) man page.

x86: Sun Java Workstations 2100Z Might Panic When Booting From Solaris 10 Operating System DVD (6214356)

The DVD combo-drive firmware in a Sun Java Workstation 2100Z might cause a system panic. The panic occurs when you boot the workstation from the Solaris 10 Operating System DVD. After the kernel banner is displayed, the following message is very quickly flashed:

panic[cpu0]/thread=fec1be20: mod_hold_stub: 
Couldn't load stub module sched/TS_DTBL
fec25cb0 genunix:mod_hold_stub+139 (fec04088, 63, fea11)
fec25cc4 unix:stubs_common_code+9 (1, 8, fec026e4)
fec25ce4 unix:disp_add+3d (fec026dc)
fec25d00 genunix:mod_installsched+a4 (fef01530, fef01518)
fec25d20 genunix:mod_install+2f (fef01518, fec25d3c,)
fec25d2c TS:_init+d (0, d6d89c88, fec25d)
fec25d3c genunix:modinstall+d9 (d6d89c88)
fec25d50 genunix:mod_hold_installed_mod+2e (d6d77640, 1, fec25d)
fec25d7c genunix:modload+ac (fec026c4, fec26c4)
fec25d98 genunix:scheduler_load+3d (fec026c4, fec026dc)
fec25db4 genunix:getcid+50 (fec026c4, fec28514)
fec25dcc unix:dispinit+df (fec25ddc, fe814ba9)
fec25dd4 unix:startup_modules+d5 (fec25dec, fe8cac37)
fec25ddc unix:startup+19 (fe800000, 166130, 7)
fec25dec genunix:main+16 ()

Then the system automatically resets.

Workaround: Choose one of the following options:

Workaround 1: Modify some BIOS configuration settings. This temporary workaround enables a Solaris 10 installation to be completed. However, this method might cause poor read-DVD performance. Follow these steps:

During system boot, press F2 at the prompt to enter the setup.

The screen displays attachment-type options similar to the following example:
```
Primary Master [ ]
Primary Slave [ ]
Secondary Master [CD-ROM]
Secondary Slave [ ]
```
Choose the DVD drive's attachment type by selecting the attachment type for CD-ROM.

Note - The screen might display more than one attachment type for CD-ROM, for example, if your system has multiple optical drives. In such cases, you might need to open the system case to determine the DVD drive's point of attachment. Make sure that you select the correct attachment type that applies to the DVD drive.
After selecting the correct CD-ROM attachment type, press Enter.

The next screen appears with Type:[Auto] automatically selected.
Press the spacebar twice to change the selection to Type:[CD-ROM].
Use the arrow keys to select Transfer Mode.
Press Enter to display a list of other Transfer Mode options.
Use the arrow keys to select Standard, then press Enter to accept your selection.
Press F10 to save the configuration changes and exit BIOS setup.

The system restarts.

Workaround 2: Update the DVD combo drive's firmware to v1.12. This option requires your DVD combo drive to be attached to a system that is running Microsoft Windows. Follow these steps.

Remove your DVD combo drive from the Sun Java Workstation 2100z. See the workstation's user's guide for steps to remove the drive properly.
Connect the drive to a system that is running Microsoft Windows. Make sure to change the drive's master and slave jumper settings, if needed.
Go to AOpen's download center at http://download.aopen.com.tw/default.aspx.
Search for your DVD drive's firmware by using the following information:
- Product: Combo drives
- Model: COM5232/AAH
- Categories: Firmware
Download and install the firmware version R1.12.
Reinstall the drive on the workstation. If needed, restore the original master and slave jumper settings.

Note - Newer versions of the firmware might already be available at the site. Sun's tests confirm that the v1.12 release resolves the panic issue. Sun cannot confirm whether newer firmware revisions after v1.12 similarly resolve the problem.

x86: Solaris Installation GUI Might Fail When You Install Solaris Flash Archive (6208656)

If you use the Solaris installation graphical user interface (GUI) to install a Solaris Flash archive on an x86 based system, the installation might fail. This failure occurs on systems that are not running the Solaris OS or the Linux operating system before you begin the installation.

The following error message is displayed.

Unexpected error found with media or archive selected

Workaround: When the Solaris installation program prompts you to select an installation type, do not select the Solaris Interactive option. Select either option 3 or 4 and perform a Solaris Interactive Text installation. When prompted to specify the media to use during the installation, type the path to the Solaris Flash archive.

x86: Serial Consoles of Some Sun Fire Systems Do Not Work (6208412)

The serial console (ttya) on the following Sun Fire systems does not work by default:

Sun Fire V20z
Sun Fire V40z
Sun Fire V60x
Sun Fire V65x

To use the serial console, you must manually configure the system's BIOS.

Workaround: This workaround requires your system to have a Sun keyboard and a display monitor. Follow these steps:

Boot the machine.
During system boot, press F2 at the prompt to access the Phoenix BIOS.
Under Peripherals, change the comm port from disabled to enabled.
Save the configuration and boot the system.
Use the eeprom command to change input-device and output-device to ttya.

Note - Pressing the Stop and N keys at system boot to reset the low-level firmware to default settings does not work on these systems.

Solaris Installation GUI Program Might Fail on Systems With Existing x86 fdisk Boot Partitions (6186606)

The Solaris installation GUI program might fail on a system with an existing x86 boot partition. The failure occurs if the existing x86 boot partition was created with the Solaris text-based installer. The following error message is displayed.

Default layout will not work on this system.
Error:
Error: ERROR: Could not create explicit fdisk partition on c0t0d0,
requested cylinders 14581 - 14597 in use by fdisk partition 1
Error:
Error: ERROR: System installation failed
Pfinstall failed. Exit stat= java.lang.UNIXProcess@a89ce3 2 
artition on c0t0d0, requested cylinders 14581 - 14597 in use by fdisk
partition 1  ERROR: System installation failed

Workaround: Choose one of the following workarounds.

Workaround 1: When the installation program prompts you to select an installation type, select 3 Solaris Interactive Text (Desktop Session).

Workaround 2: If you use the Solaris installation GUI program, follow these steps.

Begin the installation.
At the prompt to select an installation type, select Custom Install.

The custom installation panels prompt you for information about the locales, software, and disks that you want to install.
Answer the questions on the screens as appropriate for your system.
On the Fdisk Selection screen, check the disk that contains the x86boot partition.
Remove the x86boot partition by changing it to UNUSED in the pull-down menu.
Add the x86boot partition back by changing UNUSED back to x86boot.
Continue the installation.

x86: Only Part of the Disk Is Usable by `fdisk` or `format` Commands (5042195)

On x86 based systems, when a disk device exceeds 65,535 cylinders, only the lower 16-bits of the cylinder count are used by the Solaris OS. Consequently, the actual size of disk space available for the Solaris OS is reduced. For example, the reported number of cylinders for a disk is 70,000. The difference between 70,000 and 65,535 equals the number of available cylinders for the Solaris OS, which is 4,464.

To verify whether your disk has exceeded 65,535 cylinders, compute your disk's approximate capacity by using the following formula:

disk capacity = cylinders * heads * sectors * 512

Then, compare the results with the stated capacity of your disk. A large difference between the two values indicates that your disk has exceeded 65,535 cylinders.

Workaround: Choose from the following options:

Keep RAID volumes small enough to avoid exceeding the cylinder limit.
Create a Solaris label where the geometry uses cylinders fewer than 65,535. You implement this second option by increasing the value for sectors or heads, neither of which should exceed 16 bits.

The second option is applicable on a Sun Fire V20z or Sun Fire V40z system that has a 72-Gbyte disk mirrored. The BIOS RAID function would report a much smaller number of heads and sectors than the single 72-Gbyte disk. Consequently, the number of cylinders exceeds the 65,535 limit.

However, you can format and label the first disk with Solaris 10 OS, and then have the BIOS mirror the first disk to another disk. Through this step, the label of the first disk is preserved. Solaris uses the geometry of the first disk and avoids exceeding the limit.

You can also achieve the second option by using a disk editor to manually modify the label on a disk by using valid geometry values.

x86: X Server Unable to Open Mouse Device in Sun LX50 Servers (5027771)

On a Sun LX50 system, the X server might be unable to open a PS/2 mouse device. The error might occur either during installation or when the system reboots. When the problem occurs, the following error message is displayed:

ddxSUNWmouse: Error opening mouse device '/dev/kdmouse;
     /dev/kdmouse: No such device or address

Consequently, the Solaris installation program can proceed only in command-line interface mode. After installation, the problem might persist during Solaris runtime.

Workaround: On the Y-cable that connects to the server's PS/2 connector, switch the connections between the PS/2 keyboard and mouse.

If the PS/2 mouse remains unrecognized after a system reboot, press the LX50 server's Reset button. Alternatively, use the reconfigure option (b -r) when the following boot prompt appears:

Select (b)oot or (i)nterpreter:

Cannot Access Data on Solaris 10 Operating System DVD When Running Solaris 7 Software (4511090)

If your system is running the Solaris 7 software, Volume Management incorrectly mounts the Solaris 10 Operating System DVD. The DVD can be mounted, but the data is inaccessible. As a result, you cannot set up an install server, perform a Live Upgrade, or access any data on the media.

Workaround: Choose one of the following workarounds:

Apply the following patches:
- 107259–03
- 107260–03
Mount the Solaris 10 Operating System DVD manually. Do not use Volume Management to mount the DVD. Follow these steps:
1. Become superuser.
2. Stop Volume Management.
```
# /etc/init.d/volmgt stop
```
3. Mount the Solaris 10 Operating System DVD manually.
```
# mkdir /mnt1
# mount -F hsfs -o ro /dev/dsk/c0t6d0s0 /mnt1
```
4. Verify that the DVD is mounted. Then verify that the data is accessible.
```
# cd /mnt1 # ls
```
  The system returns the following information if the DVD is correctly mounted.
```
Copyright Solaris_10
```

Skip Navigation Links
Exit Print View
	Solaris 10 Release Notes