Solaris 9 Installation Guide

Creating a Profile

A profile is a text file that defines how to install the Solaris software on a system. A profile defines elements of the installation, for example, the software group to install. Every rule specifies a profile that defines how a system is to be installed. You can create different profiles for every rule or the same profile can be used in more than one rule.

A profile consists of one or more profile keywords and their values. Each profile keyword is a command that controls one aspect of how the JumpStart program is to install the Solaris software on a system. For example, the following profile keyword and value specify that the JumpStart program install the system as a server:

system_type  server

Note –

If you created the JumpStart directory by using the procedures that are presented in Creating a Profile Server for Networked Systems or Creating a Profile Diskette for Standalone Systems, sample profiles are already located in the JumpStart directory.

Syntax of Profiles

A profile must contain the following:

The install_type profile keyword as the first entry
One keyword per line
The root_device keyword if the systems that are being upgraded by the profile contain more than one root (/) file system that can be upgraded

A profile can contain the following:

Commented text

Any text that is included after the # symbol on a line is treated by the JumpStart program as commented text. If a line begins with the # symbol, the entire line is treated as a comment.
One or more blank lines

To Create a Profile

Use a text editor to create a text file. Name the file descriptively. Or, open a sample profile in the JumpStart directory that you created.

Note –
Ensure that the name of the profile reflects how you intend to use the profile to install the Solaris software on a system. For example, you might name the profiles basic_install, eng_profile, or user_profile.

Add profile keywords and values to the profile.

For a list of profile keywords and values, see Profile Keywords and Values.

Note –
Profile keywords and their values are case sensitive.

Save the profile in the JumpStart directory.

Ensure that root owns the profile and that the permissions are set to 644.

Test the profile (optional).

Testing a Profile contains information about testing profiles.

Profile Examples

The following examples of profiles show how to use different profile keywords and profile values to control how the Solaris software is installed on a system. Profile Keywords and Values contains a description of profile keywords and values.

Example 23–2 Mounting Remote File Systems and Adding and Deleting Packages

 
# profile keywords        profile values
# -----------------       -----------------
  install_type            initial_install¹
  system_type             standalone²
  partitioning            default³
  filesys                 any 512 swap   # specify size of /swap
  cluster                 SUNWCprog⁴
  package                 SUNWman delete⁵
  cluster                 SUNWCacc

The install_type keyword is required in every profile.
The system_type keyword defines that the system is to be installed as a standalone system.
The file system slices are determined by the software to be installed with the value default. The size of swap is set to 512 Mbytes and is installed on any disk, value any.
The Developer Solaris Software Group, SUNWCprog, is installed on the system.
If the standard man pages are mounted from the file server, s_ref, on the network, the man page packages are not to be installed on the system. The packages that contain the System Accounting utilities are selected to be installed on the system.

Example 23–3 Specifying Where to Install File Systems

# profile keywords        profile values
# ----------------        -------------------
  install_type	          initial_install
  system_type             standalone 
  partitioning            explicit¹
  filesys                 c0t0d0s0 auto /
  filesys                 c0t3d0s1 auto swap
  filesys                 any auto usr
  cluster                 SUNWCall²

The file system slices are determined by the filesys keywords, value explicit. The size of root (/) is based on the selected software, value auto, and is installed on c0t0d0s0. The size of swap is set to the necessary size and is installed on c0t3d0s1. usr is based on the selected software and the installation program determines where usr is installed, based on the value any.
The Entire Solaris Software Group, SUNWCall, is installed on the system.

Example 23–4 x86: Using the `fdisk` Keyword

# profile keywords      profile values
# ----------------      -------------------
  install_type          initial_install
  system_type           standalone

  fdisk                 c0t0d0 0x04 delete¹
  fdisk                 c0t0d0 solaris maxfree²
  cluster               SUNWCall³
  cluster               SUNWCacc delete⁴

All fdisk partitions of type DOSOS16 (04 hexadecimal) are deleted from the c0t0d0 disk.
A Solaris fdisk partition is created on the largest contiguous free space on the c0t0d0 disk.
The Entire Distribution software group, SUNWCall, is installed on the system.
The system accounting utilities, SUNWCacc, are not to be installed on the system.

Example 23–5 Reallocating Disk Space for an Upgrade

# profile keywords         profile values
# ----------------         -------------------
  install_type             upgrade¹ 
  root_device              c0t3d0s2² 
  backup_media             remote_filesystem timber:/export/scratch³
  layout_constraint        c0t3d0s2 changeable 100⁴
  layout_constraint        c0t3d0s4 changeable
  layout_constraint        c0t3d0s5 movable 
  package                  SUNWbcp delete⁵
  package                  SUNWxwman add⁶
  cluster                  SUNWCacc add   
  locale                   de⁷

The profile upgrades a system by reallocating disk space. In this example, disk space must be reallocated because some file systems on the system did not have enough space for the upgrade.
The root file system on c0t3d0s2 is upgraded.
A remote system that is named timber is to be used to back up data during the disk space reallocation. For more backup-media keyword values, see backup_media Profile Keyword.
The layout_constraint keywords designate that auto-layout can perform the following when auto-layout attempts to reallocate disk space for the upgrade.
- Change slices 2 and 4. The slices can be moved to another location and the size can be changed.
- Move slice 5. The slice can be moved to another location but its size cannot change.
The binary compatibility package, SUNWbcp, is not installed on the system after the upgrade.
The code ensures that the X Window System man pages and the System Accounting Utilities are to be installed if they are not already installed on the system. All packages already on the system are automatically upgraded.
The German localization packages are to be installed on the system.

Example 23–6 Retrieving a Solaris Flash Archive From an HTTP Server

In the following example, the profile indicates that the custom JumpStart program retrieves the Solaris Flash archive from an HTTP server.

# profile keywords         profile values
# ----------------         -------------------
install_type               flash_install¹
archive_location           http installserver /flasharchive/solaris9archive²
partitioning               explicit³
filesys                    c0t1d0s0 4000 /
filesys                    c0t1d0s1 512 swap
filesys                    c0t1d0s7 free /export/home

The profile installs a Solaris Flash archive on the clone system. All files are overwritten as in an initial installation.
The Solaris Flash archive is retrieved from an HTTP server.
The file system slices are determined by the filesys keywords, value explicit. The size of root (/) is based on the selected software and is installed on c0t1d0s0. The size of swap is set to the necessary size and is installed on c0t1d0s1. /export/home is based on the selected software and is installed on c0t1d0s7.

Example 23–7 Retrieving a Solaris Flash Differential Archive From an NFS Server

In the following example, the profile indicates that the custom JumpStart program retrieves the Solaris Flash archive from an NFS server. The flash_update keyword indicates that this is a differential archive. A differential archive installs only the differences between two system images.

# profile keywords         profile values
# ----------------         -------------------
install_type               flash_update¹
archive_location           nfs installserver:/export/solaris/flasharchive \
                           /solaris9diffarchive²
no_master_check³

The profile installs a Solaris Flash differential archive on the clone system. Only files that are specified by the archive are installed.
The Solaris Flash archive is retrieved from an NFS server.
The clone system is not checked for a valid system image. A valid system image would have been built from the original master system.

Example 23–8 Creating an Inactive Boot Environment

In the following example, the profile indicates that the custom JumpStart program creates an empty-inactive boot environment. The boot environment can be populated later with a Solaris Flash archive.

# profile keywords        profile values
# ----------------        -------------------
  install_type            initial_install
  system_type             standalone 
  partitioning            explicit¹
  filesys                 c0t0d0s0 auto /
  filesys                 c0t3d0s1 auto swap
  filesys                 any auto usr
  cluster                 SUNWCall²
  bootenv createbe bename second_BE \³
  filesystem /:/dev/dsk/c0t1d0s0:ufs \
  filesystem -:/dev/dsk/c0t1d0s0:swap \
  filesystem /export:shared:ufs

The file system slices are determined by the filesys keywords, value explicit. The size of root (/) is based on the selected software, value auto, and is installed on c0t0d0s0. The size of swap is set to the necessary size and is installed on c0t3d0s1. usr is based on the selected software and the installation program determines where usr is installed, based on the value any.
The Entire Solaris Software Group, SUNWCall, is installed on the system.
A empty, inactive boot environment is set up on disk c0t1d0. File systems for root (/), swap, and /export are created, but left empty. This second boot environment can be installed with a Solaris Flash archive at a later time. The new boot environment can then be activated to become the operating environment.

For keyword values and background on using this keyword, see the following references:
- For descriptions of keyword values, see Profile Keywords and Values.
- For background on using Solaris Live Upgrade that creates, upgrades, and activates inactive boot environments, see Chapter 30, Solaris Live Upgrade (Overview).
- For background on using a Solaris Flash archive, see Chapter 17, Solaris Flash (Overview and Planning).