Solaris 10 7/07 HW What's New

Installation Enhancements

This section describes all installation enhancements in the Solaris 10 3/05 release that are new or have been enhanced since the Solaris 9 OS was originally distributed in May 2002. The installation unification enhancements are of particular importance.

Solaris Installation Changes Including Installation Unification

Introduced in the Solaris Express 6/04 release, several changes in the installation of the Solaris OS provide a more simplified and unified installation experience.

The changes include the following:


Note –

The (noninteractive) Solaris custom JumpStart installation method has not changed.


To install the OS, simply insert the Solaris Software - 1 CD or the Solaris Operating System DVD and type one of the following commands.

For instructions about how to install the Solaris OS by using CD or DVD media with the new text boot option, see Solaris 10 7/07 HW Installation Guide: Basic Installations. For changes to setting up an installation server with CD media, see Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations.

Accessing the GUI or Console-based Installations

You can choose to install the software with a GUI or with or without a windowing environment. Given sufficient memory, the GUI is displayed by default. If the memory is insufficient for the GUI, other environments are displayed by default. You can override defaults with the nowin or text boot options. But, you are limited by the amount of memory in your system or by installing remotely. Also, if the Solaris installation program does not detect a video adapter, the program is automatically displayed in a console-based environment. The following table describes these environments and lists minimal memory requirements for displaying them.

Table 5–1 Memory Requirements

Minimal Memory 

Type of Installation 

128–383 MB 

Console-based 

384 MB or greater 

GUI-based 

Detailed descriptions for each installation option are as follows:

Installation with 128–383 MB minimal memory

This option contains no graphics, but provides a window and the ability to open other windows. This option requires a local or remote DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive or network connection, video adapter, keyboard, and monitor. If you install by using the text boot option and have enough memory, you are installing in a windowing environment. If you are installing remotely through a tip line or by using the nowin boot option, you are limited to the console-based installation.

Installation with 384 MB memory or greater

This option provides windows, pull-down menus, buttons, scrollbars, and iconic images. A GUI requires a local or remote DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive or network connection, video adapter, keyboard, and monitor.

Custom JumpStart Installation Package and Patch Enhancements

This feature is new in the Solaris Express 3/04 release.

When installing and upgrading the Solaris OS by using the custom JumpStart installation method, new customizations enable the following:

For further information, see Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.

x86: Specifying Boot Properties With add_install_client Command

This feature is new in the Solaris Express 12/03 release and in the Solaris 9 4/04 release.

The add_install_client command now enables you to set boot properties for Solaris OS clients during a PXE network boot on x86 systems. The -b option enables you to perform the following tasks with the add_install_client command.

For more information, see the install_scripts(1M) man page, the eeprom(1M) man page, and Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations.

Configuring Multiple Network Interfaces During Installation

This feature is new in the Solaris Express 12/03 release.

The Solaris installation programs enable you to configure multiple interfaces during your installation. You can preconfigure these interfaces in the sysidcfg file for your system. Or, you can configure multiple interfaces during the installation.

For more information, see the sysidtool(1M) man page and the sysidcfg(4) man page. See also the Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations.

Replacement of Solaris Installation Command-Line Interface

This feature is new in the Solaris Express 9/03 release.

The command-line interface of the Solaris installation program has been replaced to improve the usability of console-based installations. All console-based installations use the forms-based program to install the Solaris Operating System.

See the install-solaris(1M) man page for further information.

SPARC: 64-bit Package Changes

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

In previous Solaris releases, the Solaris software was delivered in separate packages for 32-bit components and 64-bit components. Now, packaging has been simplified with most 32-bit components and 64-bit components being delivered in a single package. The combined packages retain the names of the original 32-bit packages, and the 64-bit packages are no longer delivered.

The removal of the 64-bit packages simplifies installation and increases performance:

The 64-bit packages are renamed with the following conventions:

This change means that you might need to modify your custom JumpStart script or other package installation scripts to remove references to the 64-bit packages.

WAN Boot Installation Method

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program and in the Solaris 9 12/03 release. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

The Solaris software now enables you to boot and install software over a wide area network (WAN) by using HTTP. The WAN boot installation method enables you to install the Solaris release on systems over a large public network where the network infrastructure might be untrustworthy. You can use WAN boot with new security features to protect data confidentiality and installation image integrity.

The WAN boot installation method enables you to transmit an encrypted Solaris Flash archive over a public network to a remote client. The WAN boot programs then install the client system by performing a custom JumpStart installation. To protect the integrity of the installation, you can use private keys to authenticate and encrypt data. You can also transmit your installation data and files over a secure HTTP connection by configuring your systems to use digital certificates.

For more information about this feature, see the Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations.

Creating RAID-1 Volumes (Mirrors) With Custom JumpStart

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program and in the Solaris 9 4/04 release. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

The custom JumpStart installation method now enables you to create RAID-1 volumes (mirrors) during the installation of the Solaris Operating System. By mirroring file systems, you can protect your system by duplicating data over two physical disks. If one of the mirrored disks fails, the system data is still accessible from the second mirrored disk.

In JumpStart, the following new custom profile keywords and values enable you to create mirrored file systems.

For more information, see Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.

Solaris Live Upgrade 2.1

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program and in the Solaris 9 8/03 release. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

Solaris Live Upgrade provides a method of upgrading a system while the system continues to operate. While your current boot environment is running, you can duplicate the boot environment, then upgrade the duplicate. Or, rather than upgrading, you can install a Solaris Flash archive on a boot environment. The original system configuration remains fully functional and unaffected by the upgrade or installation of an archive. When you are ready, you can activate the new boot environment by rebooting the system. If a failure occurs, you have a safety net. You can quickly revert to the original boot environment with a simple reboot. Thus, you eliminate the normal downtime of the test and evaluation process.

New features in Solaris Live Upgrade 2.1 provide the following new functionality.

For further information, see Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Solaris Live Upgrade and Upgrade Planning.

Custom JumpStart Installation Method Creates New Boot Environment

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

You can now use the JumpStart installation method to create an empty boot environment when you install the Solaris Operating System. The empty boot environment can then be populated with a Solaris Flash archive for later use.

For further information, see Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.

Solaris Flash Archives

The Solaris Flash features that are described in this section are new in the Software Express pilot program. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

The Solaris Flash installation feature enables you to use a single reference installation of the Solaris software on a system. This system is called the master system. Then, you can replicate that installation on multiple systems, which are called clone systems. The installation is an initial installation that overwrites all files on the clone system.

Solaris Flash Differential Archives and Configuration Scripts

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program and in the Solaris 9 4/03 release. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

The Solaris Flash installation feature provides new enhancements for the Solaris software.

For further information, see Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Solaris Flash Archives (Creation and Installation). This guide also includes information on how to use Solaris Live Upgrade to install a differential archive.

Customizing Content in a Solaris Flash Archive

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program and in the Solaris 9 12/02 release. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

The flarcreate command is used to create a Solaris Flash archive. This command has been updated with new options that increase your flexibility to define archive contents when creating an archive. You now can exclude more than one file or directory. From an excluded directory, you can add back a subdirectory or file. This feature is useful when you want to exclude large data files that you do not want cloned.

For information about how to use these options, see Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Solaris Flash Archives (Creation and Installation).


Note –

Solaris Flash was formerly Web Start Flash.


Command-Line Interface Enhancements to the Solaris Product Registry

These enhancements are new in the Software Express pilot program and in the Solaris 9 4/03 release. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

The prodreg command has been updated to include functionality that is similar to the Solaris Product Registry graphical user interface. You can now use the following prodreg subcommands on the command line or in administration scripts to perform a variety of tasks.

For more information, see the prodreg(1M) man page and the System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.

Reduced Networking Software Group

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

You can now create a more secure system with fewer enabled network services by selecting or specifying the Reduced Networking software group (SUNWCrnet) during your installation. The Reduced Networking software group provides system administration utilities and a multiuser text-based console. SUNWCrnet enables the system to recognize network interfaces. During the installation, you can customize your system's configuration by adding software packages and by activating network services as needed.

For further information, see Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.

Modifying Disk Partition Tables by Using a Virtual Table of Contents (VTOC)

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

The Solaris installation program now enables you to load existing slices from the virtual table of contents (VTOC.) You can now preserve and use the system's existing disk slice tables during your installation, rather than using the installer's default disk layout.

x86: Change in Default Boot-Disk Partition Layout

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

A new feature in the Solaris installation program is a boot-disk partition layout. This layout, by default, accommodates the Service partition on Sun x86 based systems. This installation program enables you to preserve an existing Service partition.

The new default includes the following partitions.

If you want to use this default layout, select Default when the Solaris installation program asks you to choose a boot-disk layout.


Note –

If you install the Solaris OS for x86 based systems on a system that does not currently include a Service partition, the Solaris installation program no longer automatically creates a new Service partition. If you want to create a Service partition on your system, first use your system's diagnostic CD to create the Service partition. After the Service partition is created, then install the Solaris Operating System.

For information about how to create the Service partition, see your hardware documentation.


For more information, see Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.

Support for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Version 2 Profiles

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program and in the Solaris 9 12/02 release. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

The Solaris installation programs now support LDAP Version 2 profiles. These profiles enable you to configure your system to use a proxy credential level. During the Solaris installation programs, you can specify the LDAP proxy-bind distinguished name and proxy-bind password. With any installation method, you can preconfigure LDAP before installation by using the proxy_dn and proxy_password keywords in the sysidcfg file.

For information, see Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations.