Designing the Installation of the Master Machine

The first task in the Web Start Flash installation process is to install a machine, the master machine, with the configuration that you want each of the clone machines to have. You can use any of the Solaris installation methods to install a subset or a complete installation of the Solaris operating environment onto the master machine. After you complete the installation, you can add or remove software or modify any configuration files.

The master machine and the clone machines must have the same kernel architectures. For example, you can use a Web Start Flash archive that was created from a master machine that has a sun4u architecture only to install other machines with a sun4u architecture.

You must install the master machine with the exact configuration that you want on each of the machines that you are installing with the Web Start Flash archive created from this master machine. The decisions you make when you design the installation of the master machine depend on:

• The software you want to install on the clone machines

• Peripheral devices that are connected to the master and the clone machines

• The architecture of the master and the clone machines

Customizing the Solaris Installation on the Master Machine

After you install the Solaris operating environment onto the master machine by using any of the Solaris installation methods, you can add or delete software and modify system configuration information as necessary.

• Delete software – You can remove software that you determine is not necessary to install on the clone machines. To see a list of software that is installed on the master machine, use the Product Registry. For detailed instructions, refer to “Adding and Removing Software With the Product Registry” in Solaris 8 (Intel Platform Edition) Installation Guide or Solaris 8 (SPARC Platform Edition) Installation Guide.

• Add software – You can install software that is included in the Solaris release and software that is not delivered as part of the Solaris operating environment. All of the software that you install on the master machine is included in the Web Start Flash archive and is installed on the clone machines.

• Modify configuration files – You can alter configuration files on the master machine. For example, you can modify the /etc/inet/inetd.conf file to restrict the daemons that the system runs. All of the modifications that you make are saved as part of the Web Start Flash archive and are installed on the clone machines.

Creating Archives for SPARC and IA Machines

If you want to use the Web Start Flash installation method to install the Solaris software on both SPARC and IA machines, you must create a separate Web Start Flash archive for each platform. Use the Web Start Flash archive that was created from the SPARC master machine to install SPARC machines. Use the Web Start Flash archive that was created from the IA machine to install IA machines.

Supporting Peripheral Devices Not Found on the Master Machine

You might be installing a master machine that has different peripherals than the clone machines. If you install the master system with the Core, End User, Developer, or Entire Software Group, the master system supports only the peripheral devices that are attached to the master machine at the time of installation.

For example, if you install the Entire Software Group on a master machine that has a cg6 frame buffer, the installation contains support for only the cg6 frame buffer. Consequently, you can only install the archive that you create from this system on clone systems that have either the cg6 frame buffer or no frame buffers. If you use the archive to install a clone system with an Elite 3D frame buffer, the Elite 3D will be unusable because the required drivers will not be installed.

You might have clone machines that have peripheral devices that the master machine does not have. You can install support for these peripheral devices on the master machine even though the master machine does not have the devices. The Web Start Flash archive you create from this master machine contains support for the peripheral devices on the clone machines.

If you plan to install clone machines that have different peripherals from the master machine, you can install support for those peripherals on the master machine in one of the following ways.

• Install the Entire Plus OEM Software Group: The Entire Plus OEM Software Group is the largest Software Group available and contains every package found in the Solaris operating environment. If you install the Entire Plus OEM Software group on the master machine, the master machine includes all of the drivers included with the Solaris release. A Web Start Flash archive created from a master machine that you install with the Entire plus OEM Software Group works on any clone system that has peripheral devices supported by the installed release of the Solaris operating environment.

  Installing master machines with the Entire Plus OEM Software Group guarantees compatibility with other peripheral configurations. However, the Entire Plus OEM Software Group requires over 1 gigabyte of disk space. The clone machines might not have the space required to install the Entire Plus OEM Software Group.

• Install Selected Packages: When you install the master machine, you can install only the packages that you need for the master machine and the clone machines. By selecting specific packages, you can install only support for the peripherals that you know exist on the master or clone machines.