What Happens When You Install a Patch

When you install a patch, the patchadd command copies files from the patch directory to a local system's disk. More specifically, patchadd:

• Determines the Solaris version number of the managing host and the target host

• Updates the patch package's pkginfo file with information about patches obsoleted by the patch being installed, other patches required by this patch, and patches incompatible with this patch

During the patch installation, patchadd keeps a log of the patch installation in /var/sadm/patch/patch-number/log for the Solaris 2.4 and earlier operating environments. The Solaris 2.5 and 2.6 releases also store log files in this location, but only if installation errors occurred.

The patchadd command will not install a patch under the following conditions:

• The package is not fully installed on the host

• The patch's architecture differs from the system's architecture

• The patch's version does not match the installed package's version

• There is already an installed patch with the same base code and a higher version number

• The patch is incompatible with another, already installed patch. (Each installed patch keeps this information in its pkginfo file)

• The patch being installed requires another patch that is not installed