x86: How to Perform an Interactive Installation

1. Check Table 2-3 to make sure the system to be installed is prepared for an interactive installation.

   Table 2-3 x86: Setting Up a System for an Interactive Installation: Task Map

   	Task			Description		For Instructions, Go To
   	Determine if you need to preserve an existing operating system and user data			If the system has an existing operating system that uses the entire disk, you will have to preserve the existing operating system so it can co-exist with the Solaris software.		Appendix F, x86: Preserving Existing Operating Systems and User Data
   	Check if the system is supported			Check the hardware documentation to see if the system is supported for Solaris 2.6.		"Supported Hardware" in the Information Library for Solaris 2.6 (Intel Platform Edition)
   	Decide how to upgrade the system if it has a previous version of Solaris installed			If the system has a previous Solaris release installed, you need to determine how to upgrade the system. Make sure you know what to do before and after you upgrade a system.		Chapter 4, Upgrading a System
   	Check if the system has enough disk space for the Solaris software			Optional. There are many considerations when planning disk space, such as deciding which software group you want to install.		Appendix A, Planning Disk Space
   	Preconfigure system configuration information			Optional. You can use the sysidcfg file or the name service to preconfigure installation information (for example, locale) for a system, so you won't be prompted to supply the information during the installation.		Chapter 6, Preconfiguring System Configuration Information
   	Set up the system to install over the network			For network installations only. To install a system from a remote Solaris CD image, you need to set up the system to boot and install from an install server or boot server.		Chapter 7, Preparing to Install Solaris Software Over the Network

2. If the system is part of a network, make sure an Ethernet connector or similar network adapter is plugged into your system.

3. If you are installing a system connected through a tip line, make sure that your window display is at least 80 columns wide and 24 rows long.

   Otherwise, the character installation interface will be displayed improperly. You can use the stty command to determine the current dimensions of your tip window.

4. Choose a method to install the software in your product box.

   With This Method ...	You Can ...	You Can't ...
   Solaris Web Start	Install all the software in your product box (the Solaris software and co-packaged software) at once from a single, browser-based tool Install all the software with the default option, or pick only the software you want to install with the customize option	Upgrade from a previous version of the Solaris software Customize the software installations at the lowest levels (for example, selecting/deselecting packages) Use this method on systems with less than 48 Mbytes of system memory Use this method on systems with less than a 1.05 Gbyte boot disk [This restriction applies only to the size required to run Solaris Web Start; Solaris Web Start will determine whether your system has enough disk space to install the products you select.]
   Solaris Interactive Installation program, followed by other product installation programs	Install the Solaris software first, and then install the co-packaged software separately Upgrade from a previous version of the Solaris software Customize the software installations at the lowest levels (for example, selecting/deselecting packages) Install on systems with the minimum hardware requirements specified for the Solaris software	Install all the software in your product box (Solaris software and co-packaged software) at once from a single tool

5. Insert the Configuration Assistant diskette into the system's boot diskette drive (usually the a: drive).

6. If you are using the system's CD-ROM drive to install the Solaris software on the system, insert the Solaris CD-ROM into the system's CD-ROM drive.

7. If the system is off, turn it on. If the system is on, reboot it.

   The Device Configuration Assistant program runs to identify the system's devices.

8. Boot from the system's CD-ROM drive (CD) or from an install server on the network (NET).

   Boot Solaris Select one of the identified devices to boot Solaris. > To make a selection, use the arrow keys, then press Enter to mark it [X]. Boot Solaris -------------------------------------------------------------------- [ ] NET : Xircom Pocket Ethernet parallel port card Port: 3BC-3BF; IRQ: 7 [ ] DISK: IDE(ATA) QUANTUM FIREBALL1080A Target: 0; Port: 1F0-1F7, 3F6-3F7; IRQ: 14 [ ] CD : IDE(ATA) IBM-H2344-A4 Target: 0; Port: 1F0-1F7, 3F6-3F7; IRQ: 14

9. Select the Solaris Interative Installation program or Solaris Web Start.

   Select the type of installation you want to perform: 1 Solaris Interactive 2 Custom JumpStart 3 Solaris Web Start Enter the number of your choice followed by the <ENTER> key. If you enter anything else, or if you wait for 30 seconds, an interactive installation will be started.

   If you have any problems from this point, go to Chapter 5, Troubleshooting.

10. If prompted, answer the system configuration questions.

    After booting, the Solaris installation program may prompt you to provide configuration information about the system. If you have preconfigured all the system configuration information, you can skip this step and go to Step 11.

11. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the software on the system, using the installation method that you chose.

    After the installation is finished, a log of how the Solaris software was installed on the system is saved to a file, as shown in Table 2-4.

    Table 2-4 Installation Log Locations

    If the System Was Installed Using The ...	Then the Log Is Saved To ...
    Initial installation option	Before the system reboots: /a/var/sadm/system/logs/install_log After system reboots: /var/sadm/system/logs/install_log
    Upgrade option	Before the system reboots: /a/var/sadm/system/logs/upgrade_log After system reboots: /var/sadm/system/logs/upgrade_log

12. If you used the Solaris Interactive Installation program and allocated space for diskless clients or AutoClient systems, use Solstice Host Manager to complete the setup of those clients.

13. If you used the Solaris Interactive Installation program, go to the Information Library or the Roadmap (if provided) to find out how to install the co-packaged software in the product box after the Solaris software is installed.