Chapter 3 Choosing a Solaris Installation Method

This chapter describes the different installation technologies. The Solaris operating environment provides several methods for installation or upgrade. Each installation technology offers different features that are designed for specific installation requirements and environments. Choose the technology that is most appropriate for your environment.

• Solaris Web Start Installation Program

• Solaris 8 Interactive Installation Program

• Custom JumpStart Installation Method

• Web Start Flash Installation Feature

• SPARC: Factory JumpStart Installation Method

Solaris Web Start Installation Program

The Solaris Web Start installation program on the Solaris 8 DVD or Solaris 8 Installation CD can be run with a graphical user interface (GUI) or with a command line interface (CLI). The Solaris Web Start program guides you step-by-step through installing or upgrading the Solaris software and additional software. You can install with the default option, or you can use the customize option to install only the software you want.

If you are new to the Solaris operating environment or to UNIX®, the Solaris Web Start program enables you to easily move forward and back during the installation to make changes as needed. Installation tasks are divided into panels that prompt you to enter system configuration information.

Because the Solaris Web Start program prompts you to enter configuration information, you might need to interact with the installation program. Consequently, this installation method might not be the most efficient method when you need to install or upgrade several systems. You might want to use the custom JumpStart method or the Web Start Flash installation feature.

For detailed instructions, refer to Chapter 14, Using the Solaris Web Start Program.

Solaris 8 Interactive Installation Program

The Solaris 8 Interactive Installation Program on the Solaris 8 Software 1 of 2 CD is run with a GUI or a CLI. The Solaris 8 Interactive Installation Program guides you step-by-step through installing or upgrading to the Solaris 8 software. This installation method is good if you are running the minimum of 64 Mbytes memory and running international locales.

The Solaris 8 Interactive Installation Program only installs the Solaris operating environment software. This program does not know of third–party applications or network downloadable software. You must install third–party applications after you have installed the Solaris operating environment. Also, you are prompted to enter system configuration information during installation, so the Solaris 8 Interactive Installation Program is not the most efficient installation method for installing several systems. The Solaris Web Start program enables you to install third-party applications. Or, for batch installations of a large number of systems, use custom JumpStart or the Web Start Flash installation feature.

For detailed instructions, refer to Chapter 15, Using the Solaris 8 Interactive Installation Program.

Custom JumpStart Installation Method

The custom JumpStart installation method is a command line interface that enables you to automatically install or upgrade several systems, based on profiles that you create. The profiles define specific software installation requirements. You can also incorporate shell scripts to include preinstallation and postinstallation tasks. You choose which profile and scripts to use for installation or upgrade and the custom JumpStart installation method installs or upgrades the system.

If you know the Solaris operating environment and the shell, and have multiple systems to install, the custom JumpStart installation method might be the most efficient way for you to install your systems.

If you plan to install only a few systems, this installation method is less efficient. The creation of a custom JumpStart environment might be so time consuming that you do not save time by using this installation method.

For detailed instructions, refer to Chapter 23, Preparing Custom JumpStart Installations.

Web Start Flash Installation Feature

The Web Start Flash installation feature allows you to install many systems, based on a configuration that you install on a master system. After you install and configure the master system, you create a Web Start Flash archive from the master system. You can create as many Web Start Flash archives as you need. You choose which Web Start Flash archive to install on each different system. This installation method enables you to efficiently install many systems with the same software and configuration.

When you use any of the Solaris installation methods and you do not select to install a Web Start Flash archive, the installation method installs each Solaris package individually. The package-based installation method is time consuming because the installation method must update the package map for each package. Web Start Flash archives install on your system much faster than when you install each of the individual Solaris packages.

Each of the Solaris installation methods enables you to install a Web Start Flash archive. The Solaris Web Start installation method and the Solaris 8 Interactive Installation Program prompt you to select the Web Start Flash archive that you want to install. If you are performing a custom JumpStart installation, you specify the Web Start Flash archive that you want to install in the profile file.

If you have many different configurations that you want to install on your systems, you need a Web Start Flash archive for each system. Web Start Flash archives are large files and require a significant amount of disk space. Also, after you create a Web Start Flash archive, you cannot change the archive. If you have many different installation configurations or if you want the flexibility to change your installation configuration, you might consider using the custom JumpStart installation method.

For detailed instructions, refer to Chapter 17, Web Start Flash Overview and Planning.

SPARC: Factory JumpStart Installation Method

The JumpStart installation method automatically installs the Solaris software on a new SPARC system when you insert the Solaris 8 DVD or Solaris 8 Software 1 of 2 CD into the CD–ROM drive and turn on the system. A default profile is selected that is based on the model and disk size of the system. The profile determines which software components are installed on the system. You are not prompted for system configuration information and you cannot choose which software is installed.

A JumpStart boot image, which is required to use this installation method, is preinstalled on all new SPARC based systems. If you have an older SPARC based system, you can add the JumpStart installation method to the system by using the re-preinstall(1M) command. You cannot use the JumpStart installation method on IA based systems.