Zones Packaging Overview

The solaris packaging repository is used in administering the zones environment.

Currently, non-global zones require manual syncing. The zones don't automatically update when you use pkg image-update to upgrade the system to a new version of Oracle Solaris. You must manually update the zones after rebooting to keep them in sync with the global zone.

Note - Until pkg image-update in zones changes, you can use zoneadm detach and attach -u as a workaround. Run pkg image-update and reboot into the new image, then detach the zone and use zoneadm attach with the -u option. See About Migrating a Zone for more information on these commands.

If the zone is set autoboot=true, then this setting should be changed to autoboot=false before the pkg image-update. Once the new BE is booted and the zones are synced up to the global zone, then autoboot can be turned back on (reset to true).

The Image Packaging System (IPS), described in pkg(5), is a framework that provides for software lifecycle management such as installation, upgrade, and removal of packages. IPS can be used to create software packages, create and manage packaging repositories, and mirror existing packaging repositories.

After an initial installation of the Oracle Solaris operating system, you can install additional software applications from a packaging repository through the Image Packaging System CLI and GUI (Package Manager) clients.

After you have installed the packages on your system, the IPS clients can be used to search, upgrade, and manage them. The IPS clients can be also used to upgrade an entire system to a new release of Oracle Solaris, create and manage repositories, and mirror an existing repository.

If the system on which IPS is installed can access the Internet, then the clients can access and install software from the Oracle Solaris 11 Package Repository (default solaris publisher), http://pkg.oracle.com/solaris/release/.

The zone administrator can use the packaging tools to administer any software installed in a non-global zone, within the limits described in this document.

The following general principles apply when zones are installed:

The global administrator or a user with appropriate authorizations can administer the software on every zone on the system.
The root file system for a non-global zone can be administered from the global zone by using the Oracle Solaris packaging tools. The Oracle Solaris packaging tools are supported within the non-global zone for administering co-packaged (bundled), standalone (unbundled), or third-party products.
The packaging tools work in a zones-enabled environment. The tools allow a package to also be installed in a non-global zone.

Note - While certain package operations are performed, a zone is temporarily locked to other operations of this type. The system might also confirm a requested operation with the administrator before proceeding.

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