Solaris 8 Installation Supplement

Chapter 2 Installing a Solaris 8 Update Release

This chapter provides additional information about installing a Solaris 8 Update release. For complete installation instructions, refer to Solaris 8 (SPARC Platform Edition) Installation Guide, Solaris 8 (Intel Platform Edition) Installation Guide, or Solaris 8 Advanced Installation Guide.

Default Router Specification During System Identification

The system identification utilities were updated in the Solaris 8 4/01 software release to automatically attempt to determine the default router during installation.

The system identification utilities automatically attempt to determine the default router by checking for a sysidcfg file. If the utilities cannot find the needed information in the sysidcfg file, the utilities query route broadcasts. If the default router information is not available from route broadcasts, the system identification utilities attempt to get the information from the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, if the system is being configured with DHCP.

If you are installing by using the Solaris Web Start 3.0 installation method and the installation software cannot detect a default router, you are prompted to specify the default router.

If you are installing by using the Interactive Installation Program on the Solaris 8 1 of 2 CD, the default router must be detectable or you must specify it in the sysidcfg file. The Interactive Installation Program does not prompt you to specify a default router.

Preconfiguring the Default Router With the `sysidcfg` File

This section supplements “Guidelines for Preconfiguring With the sysidcfg File” in Solaris 8 Advanced Installation Guide.

The sysidcfg file preconfigures system identification information through a set of keywords that specify information you want to preconfigure. The default_route parameter for the network_interface keyword allows the specification of a default router during the Solaris installation. The new parameter is described in Table 2–1.

Table 2–1 network_interface Keyword


Configuration Information	Platform	Keywords	Where to Find Values/Example
Network interface, host name, default router, Internet Protocol (IP) address, netmask, DHCP, IPv6	All	`network_interface=NONE, PRIMARY, or value`
		If DHCP is to be used, specify: `{dhcp protocol_ipv6=yes_or_no}`	`network_interface=primary {dhcp protocol_ipv6=yes}`
		If DHCP is not to be used, specify: `{hostname=host_name default_route=ip_address ip_address=ip_address netmask=netmask protocol_ipv6=yes_or_no}`	`network_interface=le0 {hostname=feron default_route=129.146.88.1 ip_address=129.146.88.210 netmask=255.255.0.0 protocol_ipv6=no}` Note – Choose only one value for `network_interface`. Include any combination or none of the `hostname`, `ip_address`, and `netmask` keywords, as needed. If you do not use any of these keywords, omit the curly braces ({}). Note – If DHCP is not to be used, you do not need to specify `protocol_ipv6` and `default_route`. If the software cannot autodetect a default router, the Web Start 3.0 installation software prompts you to specify one.

Using the Solaris Web Start 3.0 Installation Method to Install or Upgrade From a Remote CD-ROM

If you want to install the Solaris operating environment on a machine or domain that does not have a directly attached CD-ROM drive, you can use a CD-ROM drive attached to another machine. Both machines must be connected to the same subnet.

Note –

If you are installing or upgrading the Solaris operating environment on a multi–domain server, refer to the system controller or system service processor documentation before beginning the installation process.

How to Install or Upgrade From a Remote CD-ROM

Identify a machine that is running the Solaris operating environment and has a CD-ROM drive.

On the machine with the CD-ROM drive, insert the Solaris 8 Installation CD in the CD-ROM drive.

The volume manager mounts the CD.

Export the Solaris 8 Installation CD.
host1# share -F nfs -o ro,anon=0 /cdrom/cdrom0/s0
In this command line, host1 is the name of the machine that has the CD-ROM drive.

Change directories to the CD.
host1# cd /cdrom/en_icd_sol_release_platform/s0
In this command line, release is the software release, for example 8_401 for the Solaris 8 4/01 release, and platform is sparc or ia.

Add the machine that you want to install as a client of the machine that has the CD-ROM drive.
host1# ./add_install_client -s host1:/cdrom/cdrom0/s0 host2 arch
In this command line, host2 is the name of the machine you want to install and arch is the platform group of the machine you want to install, for example sun4u. On the system that you want to install, find the platform group by using the uname -m command.

Boot the machine that you want to install.
ok boot net
The Solaris Web Start 3.0 installation begins and prompts you to type system configuration information.

Type system configuration information.

The machine reboots and the Solaris installation program begins. After the Welcome panel, the Specify Media panel appears with Network File System selected.

On the Specify Media panel, click Next.

The Specify Network File System Path panel appears and the text field contains the installation path.

host1_ip_address:/cdrom/cdrom0/s0

On the machine where the CD is mounted, change directories to root.
host1# cd /

Unshare the Solaris 8 Installation CD.
host1# unshare /cdrom/en_icd_sol_release_platform/s0 host1# unshare /cdrom/en_icd_sol_release_platform/s1
In this command line, release is the software release, for example 8_401 for the Solaris 8 4/01 release and platform is sparc or ia.

Eject the Solaris 8 Installation CD.
host1# eject cdrom

Insert the Solaris 8 1 of 2 CD in the CD-ROM drive.

Export the Solaris 8 1 of 2 CD.

host1# share -F nfs -o ro,anon=0 /cdrom/cdrom0/s0

On the machine that you are installing, continue the Solaris installation by clicking Next.

If the Solaris Web Start 3.0 installation software prompts you to insert the Solaris 8 2 of 2 CD, repeat Step 10 through Step 14 to unshare the Solaris 8 1 of 2 CD and to export and install the Solaris 8 2 of 2 CD.

If the Solaris Web Start 3.0 installation software prompts you to insert the Solaris 8 Languages CD, repeat Step 10 through Step 14 to unshare the Solaris 8 2 of 2 CD and to export and install the Solaris 8 Languages CD.

When you export the Solaris 8 Languages CD, an installer window appears on the machine where the CD-ROM is mounted. Ignore the installer window while you install the Solaris 8 Languages CD. After you complete the installation of the Solaris 8 Languages CD, close the installer window.

x86: LBA Required When Using the Solaris Web Start 3.0 Installation Method

If you want to use the Solaris 8 Web Start 3.0 installation method on the Solaris 8 Installation CD to install or upgrade, the BIOS and SCSI driver for the default boot disk must support Logical Block Addressing (LBA). LBA enables the machine to boot beyond the 1024 cylinder limit and across Solaris disk slices.

If the default boot disk BIOS and SCSI driver do not support LBA, use the Solaris 1 of 2 CD to install or upgrade to the Solaris 8 operating environment.

LDAP Configuration During System Identification

The system identification utilities were updated in the Solaris 8 1/01 software release.

Prior to the Solaris 8 1/01 software release, the system identification utilities were able to configure a system only as a Network Information Service (NIS) client, a NIS+ client, or a Domain Name Service (DNS) client. These utilities are now also able to configure a system as a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) client. You can specify that the system is to be an LDAP client interactively or through the sysidcfg file. Currently, you cannot specify LDAP through the add_install_client command.

The system identification utilities automatically attempt to determine configuration information by using data from a variety of sources. The utilities first check for a sysidcfg file. If they cannot find the needed information in the sysidcfg file, the utilities automatically attempt to detect the data by using the network. In name service configuration, the system identification utilities automatically attempt to locate a name service, unless the name service type and configuration are specified in the sysidcfg file. The utilities first attempt automatically to detect a NIS+ server. If a NIS+ server is not found, they check for a NIS server. If a NIS server is not found, the utilities interactively query for the configuration information. Currently, the utilities cannot automatically detect an LDAP or a DNS server.

Preconfiguring the Name Service With the `sysidcfg` File

This section supplements “Guidelines for Preconfiguring With the sysidcfg File” in Solaris 8 Advanced Installation Guide.

The sysidcfg file preconfigures system identification information through a set of keywords that specify the pieces of information you want to preconfigure. The name_service keyword has been augmented to allow the specification of LDAP as an available name service. This augmented keyword is described in Table 2–2.

Table 2–2 name_service Keyword


Configuration Information	Platform	Keywords	Where to Find Values/Example
Name service, domain name, name server	All	`name_service=NIS, NIS+, DNS, LDAP, NONE`
		`Options for NIS and NIS+: {domain_name=domain_name` `name_server=hostname`(`ip_address`)}	`name_service=NIS {domain_name=west.arp.com name_server=timber(129.221.2.1)}` `name_service=NIS+ {domain_name=west.arp.com name_server=timber(129.221.2.1)}`
		`Options for DNS: {domain_name=domain_name` `name_server=ip_address`,`ip_address`, `ip_address` (three maximum) `search=domain_name`,`domain_name`,`domain_name`,`domain_name`,`domain_name`, `domain_name` (six maximum, total length less than or equal to 250 characters)`}`	`name_service=DNS {domain_name=west.arp.com name_server=10.0.1.10,10.0.1.20 search=arp.com,east.arp.com}` Note – Choose only one value for `name_service`. Include either, both, or neither of the `domain_name` and `name_server` keywords, as needed. If neither keyword is used, omit the curly braces {}.
		`Options for LDAP: {domain_name=domain_name` `profile=profile_name` `profile_server=ip_address`}	`name_service=LDAP {domain_name=west.arp.com profile=default profile_server=129.221.2.1}`

Custom Package Selection With Solaris Web Start 3.0 Installation

This section supplements Solaris 8 (SPARC Platform Edition) Installation Guide and Solaris 8 (Intel Platform Edition) Installation Guide.

The Solaris Web Start 3.0 installation method was updated at the Solaris 8 1/01 release to include custom package selection during installation or upgrade.

In prior releases of the Solaris 8 operating environment, when using the Solaris Web Start 3.0 installation method to install or upgrade, you could not customize the Solaris Software Group that you selected to install. The Solaris Web Start 3.0 utility included with the Solaris 8 1/01 release enables you to modify the selected Solaris Software Group by adding or removing software packages. When selecting which packages to add or remove, you need to know about software dependencies and how Solaris software is packaged.