Chapter 1 Introduction

The Solaris 8 Maintenance Update 2 Installation Guide explains how to install and back out the Solaris^TM 8 Maintenance Update^TM 2 (MU2) software. This guide is for system administrators installing the MU2 software. For late-breaking MU2 issues identified too late to be included in this guide, refer to the Solaris 8 Maintenance Update 2 Installation Guide on http://docs.sun.com.

If you need more information on general procedures for system administration, refer to the Solaris 8 System Administration Guide, Volumes I, II, and III.

What Is the Solaris 8 Maintenance Update 2?

The Solaris 8 MU2 CD contains the same set of patches as the ones prepackaged on the Solaris 8 10/00 software CDs. These patches have been tested together and packaged for a one-step installation. The MU2 installation automatically updates your system without regressing any patches you have previously installed.

When to Install the Solaris 8 Maintenance Update 2

If your system is running the Solaris 8 or Solaris 8 6/00 operating environment and you want to apply patches released in the Solaris 8 10/00 operating environment without losing patches you previously applied to your system, install the Solaris 8 MU2. Patches applied using the MU2 CD can be backed out.

If your system is running the Solaris 8 operating environment, or compatible versions, and you want to fully upgrade to new features and hardware support, install the Solaris 8 10/00 operating environment. The patches applied by installing the Solaris 8 10/00 operating environment will replace any previously installed Solaris 8 patches and cannot be backed out of the release.

Maintenance updates are primarily designed to update the Solaris operating software to a known, tested patch-level. If you want to apply a particular patch, and only that patch, do so through your normal support channels.

The name of this product is Solaris 8 MU2, but code or package path names might use Solaris 2.8 or SunOS^TM 5.8. Always follow the code or path as it is written in this document.