Preconfiguring With the sysidcfg File

The sysidcfg file preconfigures the information through a set of keywords that specify the pieces of information you want to preconfigure. The keywords are described in Table 6-2. You can choose to provide one or more of the keywords to preconfigure as much information as you want.

Every system that requires different configuration information must have a different sysidcfg file. For example, you could use the same sysidcfg file to preconfigure the time zone for multiple systems if you wanted all the systems to have the same time zone. However, if you wanted to preconfigure a different root password for each of those systems, then each system would need to have its own sysidcfg file.

The sysidcfg file can reside on a shared NFS network directory or the root directory on a UFS or PCFS diskette in the system's diskette drive. If you put the sysidcfg file on a shared NFS network directory, you must use the -p option of the add_install_client command (when you set up the system to install over the network) to specify where the system can find the sysidcfg file when it installs.

If you put the sysidcfg file on a diskette, you must make sure the diskette is in the system's diskette drive when the system boots (on x86 based systems, the sysidcfg file should reside on the Configuration Assistant diskette). Also, if you are using a profile diskette, the sysidcfg file should reside on the profile diskette.

Only one sysidcfg file can reside in a directory or diskette. If you are creating more than one sysidcfg file, each file must reside in a different directory or diskette.

Syntax Rules

SPARC: Example sysidcfg File

The following example is a sysidcfg file for a group of SPARC based systems. (The host names, IP addresses, and netmask of these systems have been preconfigured by editing the name service.) Because all the system configuration information has been preconfigured, an automated installation can be created by using a custom JumpStart profile.

system_locale=en_US
timezone=US/Central
terminal=sun-cmd
timeserver=localhost
name_service=NIS {domain_name=marquee.central.sun.com
                  name_server=connor(129.152.112.3)}
root_password=m4QPOWNY
system_locale=C

x86: Example sysidcfg File

The following example is a sysidcfg file created for a group of x86 based systems that all have the same keyboard, graphics cards, and pointing devices. The device information (keyboard, display, and pointer)was captured from running kdmconfig -d. In this example, users would see the prompt to select a language (system_locale) for displaying the rest of the Solaris installation program.

keyboard=ATKBD {layout=US-English}
display=ati {size=15-inch}
pointer=MS-S
timezone=US/Central
timeserver=connor
terminal=AT386
name_service=NIS {domain_name=marquee.central.sun.com
                  name_server=connor(129.152.112.3)}
root_password=URFUni9

How to Create a sysidcfg Configuration File

1. Open a text file (it must be named sysidcfg) using the editor of your choice.

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   Note -

   If you create multiple sysidcfg files, each one must be in a separate directory or diskette.

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2. Enter the sysidcfg keywords shown in Table 6-2 for the system configuration information you want to preconfigure.

   Table 6-2 sysidcfg Keywords

   Configuration Information	Platform	Keywords	Where to Find Values/Example
   Name service, domain name, name server	All	name_service=NIS, NIS+, OTHER, NONE {domain_name=domain_name name_server=hostname(ip_address)}	name_service=NIS {domain_name=chandy.West.Arp.COM name_server=timber(129.221.2.1)}
   Network interface, host name, IP address, netmask	All	network_interface=NONE, PRIMARY, value {hostname=host_name ip_address=ip_address netmask=netmask}	network_interface=le0 {hostname=feron ip_address=129.222.2.1 netmask=255.255.0.0}
   Root password	All	root_password=root_password	Encrypted from /etc/shadow.
   Language in which to display the install program and desktop	All	system_locale=locale	The /usr/lib/locale directory or Appendix E, Language and Locale Values provides the valid language and locale values.
   Teminal type	All	terminal=terminal_type	The subdirectories in the /usr/share/lib/terminfo directory provide the valid terminal values.
   Time zone	All	timezone=timezone	The directories and files in the /usr/share/lib/zoneinfo directory provide the valid time zone values. The time zone value is the pathname relative to the /usr/share/lib/zoneinfo directory. For example, the time zone value for the Mountain Standard Time in the United States is US/Mountain; the time zone value for Japan is Japan.
   Time and date	All	timeserver=localhost, hostname, ip_address	If you specify localhost as the time server, the system's time is assumed to be correct. If you specify the hostname or ip_address (if you are not running a name service) of a system, that system's time is used to set the time.
   Monitor type	x86	monitor=monitor_type	Run kdmconfig -d filename; append output to sysidcfg file.
   Keyboard language, keyboard layout	x86	keyboard=keyboard_language {layout=value}	Run kdmconfig -d filename; append output to sysidcfg file.
   Graphics card, color depth, display resolution, screen size	x86	display=graphics_card {size=screen_size depth=color_depth resolution=screen_resolution}	Run kdmconfig -d filename; append output to sysidcfg file.
   Pointing device, number of buttons, IRQ level	x86	pointer=pointing_device {nbuttons=number_buttons irq=value}	Run kdmconfig -d filename; append output to sysidcfg file.

3. Save the sysidcfg file.

4. Make the sysidcfg file available to clients through:

   • A shared NFS network directory (add_install_client command using the -p option)

   • The root directory on a PCFS or UFS diskette