What Is a rules File?

The rules file is a text file that contains a rule for each group of systems (on a single system) on which you want to install the Solaris operating environment. Each rule distinguishes a group of systems based on one or more system attributes and links each group to a profile, which is a text file that defines how the Solaris software is to be installed on each system in the group. For example, the rule:

karch i86pc - basic_prof -

specifies that JumpStart is to automatically install any system with the i86pc platform group based on the information in the basic_prof profile. The rules file is used to create the rules.ok file, which is required for custom JumpStart installations.

If you set up the JumpStart directory using the procedures in "Creating a Profile Diskette" or "Creating a Profile Server", an example rules file is already located in the JumpStart directory. The sample rules file contains documentation and some example rules. If you use the sample rules file, make sure you comment out the example rules you do not intend to use.