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Solaris 8 (Intel Platform Edition) Online Release Notes Update

Chapter 2 Solaris Runtime Issues

The following bug descriptions have been added to this chapter since this document was published on the Solaris 8 Documentation CD (listed in numerically ascending order):

Common Desktop Environment (CDE) Issues

User Settings For Screen Blank, Also Known As Monitor Power Saver, Are Ignored

If you use the Power Managed Screen feature of dtstyle, you can configure your system such that the monitor becomes blank and enters a power saver mode. These user settings are ignored in this release and therefore the monitor always becomes blank and enters a power saver mode after having been idle for 22 minutes.

Workaround: To disable the Energy Star\256 monitor power saver mode, run the command. 


xset -dpms
For more information on other monitor power saver configuration options, refer to the xset man page.

Common Desktop Environment Bugs

dtmail Does Not Produce a Core File By Default (4249157)

dtmail does not produce a core file by default.

Workaround: To produce a core file in dtmail, set the mailrc variable allowcorefile. For more information on producing core files, refer to the core(4) man page.

PDASync Cannot Delete Last Entry From the Desktop (4260435)

After deleting the last item from the desktop (for example, the last appointment in your Calendar or the last address in the Address Manager when you synchronize the handheld device), the last entry is restored from the handheld device to the desktop.

Workaround: Delete the last entry from the handheld device.

PDASync Does Not Support Data Exchange With the Multibyte Internationalized PDA Device (4263814)

If you exchange multibyte data between a PDA device and Solaris CDE, the data may be corrupted in both environments.

Workaround: Back up your data on your personal computer with the PDA backup utility before you run the PDASync application. If you accidentally exchange multibyte data and corrupt that data, restore your data from the backup.

Compiling Motif Programs on the Solaris 8 Operating Environment (4172061)

A problem occurs when compiling a Motif program in the Solaris 8 operating environment when you link to a shared library that has been compiled in the Solaris 2.4, 2.5, 2.5.1 or 2.6 operating environments and the older library also uses the Motif Application Programming Interface (API).

The Motif program uses Motif version 2.1 and the old shared library uses Motif version 1.2. A core dump occurs. This is not a binary compatibility problem for applications compiled in the Solaris 2.4, 2.5, 2.5.1, 2.6 operating environments, which should run correctly in the Solaris 8 operating environment.

Workaround: If you have an older shared library that links directly to the Motif library, and if you want to compile a program in the Solaris 8 operating environment that links to both Motif and that older shared library, use a line like this to compile:


cc foo.c -o prorgram -DMOTIF12_HEADERS -I/usr/openwin/include -I/usr/dt/include
-lXm12 -lXt -lX11
where program is the name of the program you are compiling.

File System Bugs

ufsdump(1M) Displays This Error: xtrmap: too many map entries (4297558)

If you backed up your system using the ufsdump(1M) command, you may not be able to read the files when you restore your system using the ufsrestore(1M) command.

Workaround: Apply patch ID 109092-01.

System Administration Bugs

Exception: PS_UNAVAILABLE: 1 (out of memory) Error Occurs When Trying To Add Instances With WBEM (4284874)

The following error message indicates that JavaSpacesTM 1.0 has run out of cache memory:


Exception: PS_UNAVAILABLE: 1
You therefore cannot add more entries to the Common Information Manager Object Manager (CIMOM) Repository.

Workaround: To continue adding CIM classes and instances to the CIM Object Manager Repository.

  1. Stop the CIM Object Manager.


    # /etc/init.d/init.wbem stop

  2. Restart the CIM Object Manager in Safe Mode.


    # /usr/sadm/lib/wbem/wbemconfig safe

    This increases the memory heap and restarts the CIM Object Manager.

WBEM Common Information Model Object Manager Crashes When Solaris_FileSystem Instances Are Requested (4301275)

If you enumerate instances of the Solaris_FileSystem class by using CIM WorkShop or the WBEM APIs, then the CIMOM no longer runs and the following error message is displayed:


Attempted to complete RMI action
enumInstances and received exception 
java.rmi.UnmarshalException: Error 
unmarshaling return header; nested 
exception is:
java.io.EOFException

Workaround: Restart the CIMOM by typing the following command in superuser mode.


# /etc/init.d/init.wbem start

Java Runtime Issues

Java Plug-in Support

Java Plug-in 1.2 is the default plug-in that runs Java 2 applets but not all Java 1.1 applets. If you require the Java Plug-in 1.1, you can download it from http://www.sun.com/solaris/netscape.

If you choose to have both Java Plug-in 1.1 and Java Plug-in 1.2 on the same system, you must follow the instructions for how to install Java Plug-in 1.1 and then configure your environment accordingly.

This procedure is outlined in the "Installing Java Plug-in" section of the Java Plug-in for Solaris Users Guide that is available from http://www.sun.com/solaris/netscape/jpis/usersguide_java_plugin.html.

Java Runtime Bugs

Warning Messages Are Displayed When Running Java2 Applications In UTF-8 Locales (4254198)

When starting Java2 applications in UTF-8 locales, the following warning message regarding font availability may be displayed.


Font specified in font.properties not found[-b&h-LucidaBrightLat4-Normal-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-4]

Workaround: Ignore the warning message.

Performance Issue

Direct Memory Access (DMA) Is Disabled On PCI-IDE Systems

By default, the Solaris ata device driver has the DMA feature disabled for ATA/ATAPI devices.

This feature has been disabled to avoid problems on some systems that do not properly support DMA on ATA/ATAPI drives. Most of the problems are related to an outdated system BIOS.

To enable (or disable) DMA for the ata driver after an installation of the Solaris 8 operating environment:

  1. Run the Solaris (Intel Platform Edition) Device Configuration Assistant. To interrupt autoboot, press ESC at the prompt: 


    Press ESCape to interrupt autoboot in 5 seconds

  2. Press F2_Continue to scan for devices.

  3. Press F2_Continue to display a list of boot devices.

  4. Press F4_Boot Tasks, select View/Edit Property Settings, and press F2_Continue.

  5. Change the value of the ata-dma-enabled property to 1 to enable DMA (a value of 0 disables DMA):

    1. Select the ata-dma-enabled property from the list and press F3_Change.

    2. Type 1 and press F2_Continue to enable (type 0 and press F2_Continue to disable).

    3. Press F2_Back, then F3_Back to return to the Boot Solaris menu.

    4. Select the default boot device and press F2_Continue to boot the Solaris operating environment.

    Note -

    If any problems occur after enabling DMA, disable DMA (set the ata-dma-enabled property to 0 using the above procedure), update your system with the latest BIOS from your hardware manufacturer, and then re-enable DMA.

AnswerBook2 Bugs

The ab2admin Command Intermittently Indicates command failed Even Though the Command Succeeded (4242577)

If theab2admin command fails, the error message contains additional information besides Command failed. For example, it may also include path not found or invalid ID.

Workaround: If the message command failed is displayed, make sure that the operation failed. For example, if the command you submitted should have deleted a collection from the AnswerBook2 database, type the following command to verify that the collection is displayed in the database.


# ab2admin -o list
You can frequently ignore the message command failed when no additional information is provided.

ab2cd Script Displays an Erroneous Error Message (4256516)

During the startup of an AnswerBook2TM server, the ab2cd script may display the following erroneous error message. 


sort: can't read /tmp/ab1_sort.XXX: No such file or directory

This error message states that the ab2cd script has not located any of the AnswerBook (Display PostScriptTM) collections on the CD.

Workaround: Ignore the error message.

Localization Bugs

Some Greek Characters Are Not Available in CDE (4179411)

Some dead-key combinations do not work correctly in CDE. Also, names for months do not function correctly in the Calendar Manager in the Greek locale.

Cannot Print Extended Characters in Calendar Manager in All Partial Locales (4285729)

If you attempt to print extended characters when using Calendar Manager in a partial locale, the extended characters do not print correctly.

Cutting and Pasting Text Between Arabic and UTF-8 English Does Not Work (4287746)

You cannot cut or paste Arabic text between an application or window running under en_US.UTF-8 in Arabic input mode and one running under ar_EY.ISO8859-6 in Arabic input mode.

The Extras Drop-Down Menu Is Not Available for European Locales (4298547)

When you right-click in any CDE application for a European locale, the Extras drop-down menu does not display any options.

CTL Is Not Supported in Japanese and Asian UTF-8 Locales (4300239)

Complex Text Language (CTL) support for entering Hebrew, Arabic, or Thai has been implemented in en_US.UTF-8 and European UTF-8 locales, but is not supported in ja_JP.UTF-8, ko.UTF-8, also known as ko_KR.UTF-8, zh.UTF-8, which is also known as zh_CH.UTF-8, and zh_TW.UTF-8 locales.

Workaround: Use the en_US.UTF-8 locale if you need to enter Thai, Arabic, or Hebrew using CTL. If you want to enter those languages in Asian and Japanese UTF-8 locales:

  1. Create a symbolic link to common CTL modules. In the case of ja_JP.UTF-8:


    	# cd /usr/lib/locale/ja_JP.UTF-8
	# mkdir LO_LTYPE ; cd LO_LTYPE
	# ln -s ../../common/LO_LTYPE/umle.layout.so.1
  ja_JP.UTF-8.layout.so.1
	# mkdir sparcv9 ; cd sparcv9
	# ln -s ../../../common/LO_LTYPE/sparcv9/umle.layout.so.1 
  ja_JP.UTF-8.layout.so.1

  2. Edit the /usr/openwin/lib/locale/ja_JP.UTF-8/XLC_LOCALE file by commenting out the load_option delay_nocheck line from Thai, Arabic, or Hebrew entries; for example, in the case of Thai):


    # fs14 class (Thai) 	fs14    {        charset         TIS620.2533-0:GR        font {            # load_option delay_nocheck  <--- comment out            primary     TIS620.2533-0:GR        }}

Option on the Right-Click Desktop Menu in SmartCard Is Not Supported (4301544)

Although an option for the SmartCard application on the Right-Click desktop menu is available, this application is not supported. If you select this option, the application does not start.

Screens in Several Applications Have Not Been Localized (4301212, 4299487)

The applications SmartCard, AnswerBook2, Solaris PDASync, Printer Administrator, and Hotkey Editor are not fully localized.

Cannot Read Arabic Messages Correctly When Using dtmail Between the Solaris Operating Environment and Microsoft Windows (4301870)

Arabic support in the Solaris operating environment is based in Arabic code page iso8859-6, whereas Arabic support in Microsoft Windows supports Microsoft code page 1256. Code page conversion should be performed to exchange Arabic messages between the Solaris operating environment and Microsoft Windows when using dtmail.

Cannot Add, Remove, or Modify Users in Solstice AdminTool in the Greek Locale (4302983)

The Add, Modify, and Remove User screens are blank in the Greek locale of the Solstice AdminToolTM.

Workaround: In superuser mode copy the following file :


cp /usr/openwin/lib/locale/C/app-defaults/Admin
  /usr/openwin/lib/locale/el_GR.ISO8859-7/app-defaults/Admin
You can now add, remove, and modify user information in the Greek locale.

Font Downloader Add and Cancel Buttons Are Incorrectly Labeled (4303549)

When you are in the Italian locale using the Font Downloader, both the Add and Cancel buttons in the Add Printer dialog box are incorrectly labeled; they are both labeled A ....

Missing Arabic Characters and Incompatibility Between the Sun Arabic Keyboard and the Microsoft Arabic Keyboard (4303879)

The following table describes the differences between Sun's Solaris Arabic keyboard and Microsoft's Arabic keyboard.

Key 

Sun's Keyboard Layout 

Microsoft Keyboard Layout 

T 

T 

Arabic Lam_alef with Hamza below 

U 

U 

Right single quotation mark 

I 

I 

Arabic multiplication sign 

O 

O 

Arabic division sign 

A 

; 

Arabic Kasra 

S 

S 

Arabic Kasratan 

Z 

Z 

Tilde 

X 

X 

Arabic Sukun 

C 

Arabic Kasratan 

Left curly bracket 

V 

Arabic Kasra 

Right curly bracket 

M 

Sukun 

Single low qoutation mark 

< 

< 

Arabic comma 

Use Font Downloader to Print From Any Non-ISO8859-1 Locale (4304493)

Perform the following steps to print from any non-ISO8859-1 locale using the Font Downloader.

  1. Log in to CDE.

  2. Type fdl at the command line to start the Font Downloader.

  3. Specify the printer by selecting Add from the Printer menu.

  4. Select Font Bundle from the Download menu.

    The font bundles are then downloaded to the specified printer, depending on what codeset is needed for printing.

Unlocalised Messages Displayed in SEAM Application (4306619)

SEAM uses some of the resource files in the Solaris 8 operating environment, but only when the Kerboros settings are selected during an installation.

The Euro Currency Symbol Is Not Adequately Supported in the UTF-8 and Greek Locales (4306958, 4305075)

The Euro currency symbol is not generated when pressing AltGr+E in the UTF-8 locale.

Workaround: Perform the following steps to enter the Euro currency symbol in the UTF-8 locale:

  1. Select Lookup in the UTF-8 Input Mode Selection window.

  2. Select Currency Symbols.

  3. Select the Euro symbol.

    Note -

    In the Greek locale type dumpcs at the console prompt. Then copy and paste the Euro currency symbol.

Sorting in the European UTF-8 Locales Does Not Function Correctly (4307314)

Sorting in the European UTF-8 locales does not work properly.

Workaround: Before you attempt to sort in a FIGGS UTF-8 locale, set the LC_COLLATE variable to the ISO1 equivalent.


# echo $LC_COLLATE
>  es_ES.UTF-8
# setenv LC_COLLATE es_ES.IS08859-1
Then start sorting.

Hexadecimal Support No Longer Works Correctly in dtcalc With Swedish Localization (4308864)

Pressing the f key in hexadecimal mode activates the Function mode and does not act as the F numeral.

Workaround: Click the f key on the dtcalc display.