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Solaris 8 (SPARC Platform Edition) 10/00 Release Notes Update

Chapter 2 Solaris Runtime Issues

This chapter describes known runtime problems.

The following runtime bug descriptions have been added to this chapter since this document was published on the Solaris 8 10/00 Documentation CD and in the Installation Kiosk on the Solaris 8 10/00 Installation CD.

Note -

The name of this product is Solaris 8 10/00, but code and path or package path names may use Solaris 2.8 or SunOS 5.8. Always follow the code or path as it is written.

Security Update Issues

Netscape Communicator Vulnerability

An exploit referred to as "Brown Orifice" creates an HTTP server as a Java applet, which has the effect of turning the Netscape browser into a web server. This allows remote users to access local and networked files. These files include URLs located behind firewalls using "file://", "http://", "https://", "ftp://", and other types of connections. There are no symptoms that would show the problem has occurred.

This is not an architectural problem with the Java security model.

Netscape Communicator versions 4.04 through 4.74 are affected. For more information on this vulnerability see CERT advisory CA-2000-15 at: http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2000-15.html

To correct this issue download and install Netscape Communicator version 4.75 from: http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/netscape

Security Update Bugs

ypbind Buffer OverFlow Can Allow Root Privileges (4362647)

ypbind has a buffer overflow which can be exploited remotely to gain root access on the compromised system.

Workaround: To prevent this problem, apply patch 110322-01 .

Common Desktop Environment (CDE) Issues

Compiling Motif Programs on the Solaris 8 Operating Environment

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

Common Desktop Environment Bugs

sdtwinlst (Window List) and sdtgwm (Windows Manager) Icons Are Missing from desktop_apps (4360521)

The sdtwinlst (Window List) and sdtgwm (Windows Manager) icons do not appear in Application Manager. A generic icon is displayed instead. The reason is that two action files, sdtgwm.dt and sdtwinlst.dt, are missing from the directory /usr/dt/appconfig/types/C.

Workaround: To add the missing icons:

  1. Create a new file in /usr/dt/appconfig/type/C and name it sdtgwm.dt.

  2. Edit this file and insert the following text: 


    ACTION SDtgwm
	{
		LABEL				GWM
		TYPE					COMMAND
		EXEC_STRING		sdtgwm
		ICON					SDtgwm
		WINDOW_TYPE	  NO_STDIO
	}

  3. Create a new file in /usr/dt/appconfig/type/C and name it sdtwinlst.dt.

  4. Edit this file and insert the following text:


    ACTION SDtWinLst
	{
		LABEL				Window List
		TYPE					COMMAND
		EXEC_STRING		sdtwinlst
		ICON					SDtWinLst
		WINDOW_TYPE		NO_STDIO
	}

  5. To verify all actions have been reloaded, exit the CDE session and log in again.

Volume Manager Might Fail To Mount CDROM (4355643)

A CDROM with an unusual data layout might fail to mount automatically. The File Manager Window might not display the CDROM's contents after it is inserted into the drive.

Workaround: Mount the CDROM manually:

  1. Become root.

  2. Stop the volume manager:


    /etc/init.d/volmgt stop

  3. Mount the CDROM:


    mount -F hsfs -r device_pathname /mnt

    Where device_pathname is the pathname to where in the system the CDROM drive is connected to. For example, /dev/dsk/c0t6d0s0.

    Note -

    CDROM drives are typically connected to c0t6d0s0 or to c0t2d0s0 at the factory, but you must use the correct pathname for this command to work.

  4. Restart the volume manager:


    /etc/init.d/volmgt  start

OpenWindows File Manager Fails to Mount Diskette (4329368)

If you insert a diskette into its drive on a system with SCSI removable media devices and then select Check for Floppy from the File menu in OpenWindowsTM File Manager, File Manager mounts the diskette in the /floppy directory, but fails to display a File Manager view listing the disk contents. The Format Floppy and Eject Floppy options do not appear in the File menu of File Manager.

Workaround: Choose one of the following workarounds.

To prevent this problem, apply patch 109463-01.

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), it is restored from the handheld device to the desktop when you synchronize your handheld device.

Workaround: Manually delete the last entry from the handheld device prior to synchronization.

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.

System Administration Bugs

Obsolete Files Still Present in Help System (4339515)

After selecting Help -> Information from the Front Panel, a list of obsolete files is returned. The correct file is S8FCSreleasenotes.

CIM_ERR_LOW_ON_MEMORY Error Occurs When Trying to Add Data With WBEM (4312409)

The following error message is displayed when memory is low:


CIM_ERR_LOW_ON_MEMORY
You cannot add more entries when the Common Information Model (CIM) Object Manager has run low on memory. You must reset the CIM Object Manager Repository.

Workaround: To reset the CIM Object Manager Repository:

  1. Become superuser.

  2. Stop the CIM Object Manager.


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

  3. Remove the JavaSpaces log directory. 


    # /bin/rm -rf /var/sadm/wbem/log

  4. Restart the CIM Object Manager. 


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

    Note -

    You will lose any proprietary definitions in your datastore. You must recompile the MOF files that contain those definitions using the mofcomp command. For example: 


    # /usr/sadm/bin/mofcomp -u root -p root_password your_mof_file

mofcomp Fails Due to a WBEM JavaSpaces Problem (4336719)

When running either /usr/sadm/bin/mofcomp or /usr/sadm/bin/wbemadmin the following error message may appear: 


NO_SUCH_QUALIFIER1: Qualifier association not found.
You must reset the CIM Object Manager Repository.

Workaround: To reset the CIM Object Manager Repository:

  1. Become superuser.

  2. Stop the CIM Object Manager.


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

  3. Rename the JavaSpaces log directory. 


    # mv /var/sadm/wbem/log /var/sadm/wbem/logprepatch

  4. Restart the CIM Object Manager. 


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

    Note -

    You will lose any proprietary definitions in your datastore. You must recompile the MOF files that contain those definitions using the mofcomp command. For example: 


    # /usr/sadm/bin/mofcomp -u root -p root_password your_mof_file

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: In superuser mode, restart the CIMOM by typing the following command:


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

Hardware Configuration Bugs

Systems With Small Memory Configurations Panic During Boot Time If They Have Several USB Devices (4359440)

USB capable systems with small memory configurations might panic when booting from either disk, CD or a network when several USB devices are connected. One of the following panic messages will appear in this event:


panic[cpu0]/thread=1040800: main: unable to fork init.

or 


panic[cpu0]/thread=2a1000fdd40: BAD TRAP: type=31 
rp=2a1000fd0a0 addr=c0 mmu_fsr=0 occurred in module "genunix" due 
to a NULL pointer dereference

Workaround: If you have more than 4 USB devices, boot the system with only the USB keyboard and mouse connected. After you see the Solaris login prompt, connect the remaining USB devices.

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

libjvm.so Does Not Function Correctly When Using dlopen (4270715)

libjvm.so does not function correctly if it is brought into the process using dlopen. It must be linked into the executable when that object is created.

Workaround: Explicitly name libjvm.so (-ljvm) and libjava.so (-ljava) as dependencies when you create an executable.

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 from the boot diskette or the installation CD (if your system supports CD-ROM booting).

    Note -

    When booting with the boot diskette, the new ata-dma-enabled property value will be preserved on the diskette. Therefore, the changed value is in effect when reusing the boot diskette.

  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 device from which you want to install (network adapter or CD-ROM drive) and press F2_Continue.

    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 the ab2admin 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 Issues

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

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.

Localization Bugs

Warning Messages Might Appear When Launching Java Applications From Any UTF-8 Locale (4342801)

LucidaSansLat4 font aliases are not available so related error messages might appear when launching a Java application from any UTF-8 locale.

Workaround: Log into the ISO-1 equivalent of the locale and launch the Java application from there.

UTF-8 Version of sdtwinlst and sdtgwm Are Not Localized For European Languages (4352800, 4352861)

sdtwinlst (Windows List) and sdtgwm (Graphical Workspace Manager) are unlocalized in UTF-8 selected encodings for European languages.

Workaround: Login to an ISO8859-1 encoding, then run sdtwinlst and sdtgwm.

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

When you right-click in any CDE application for a European locale, the CDE 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        }}

Several Screens in The Smart Card Application Have Not Been Localized (4304495)

Several screens in the Smart Card application are not fully localized.

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 AdminTool software.

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 in the Italian Locale (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 the Sun Solaris Arabic keyboard and the Microsoft Arabic keyboard.

Table 2-1 Differences Between Sun and Microsoft Arabic Keyboards

Key 

Sun 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 quotation mark 

< 

< 

Arabic comma 

SEAM Application Displays Messages That Are Not Localized (4306619)

SEAM uses some of the resource files in the Solaris 8 operating environment, but only when the Kerberos 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.