This part guides you through planning the installation or upgrade of the Solaris Operating System.
This chapter describes new features in the Solaris installation programs. To view features for all of the Solaris OS, see Solaris 10 What’s New.
What's New in the Solaris 10 1/06 Release For Solaris Installation
What's New in the Solaris 10 3/05 Release For Solaris Installation
This section describes the following new installation features in the Solaris 10 1/06 release.
Starting with the Solaris 10 1/06 release, Solaris Zones partitioning technology provides the ability to configure non-global zones in a single instance of Solaris, the global zone. A non-global zone is an application execution environment in which processes are isolated from all other zones. If you are running a system with non-global zones installed, you can use standard Solaris upgrade programs to upgrade to the Solaris 1/06 release. You can use either the Solaris interactive installation program or custom JumpStart to upgrade. There are some limitations to upgrading with non-global zones installed.
A limited number of custom JumpStart keywords are supported. For a list of supported custom JumpStart keywords, see Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.
CD-ROMs are not distributed, but you can upgrade with a DVD-ROM or a network installation image.
On a system with non-global zones installed, do not use Solaris Live Upgrade to upgrade your system. While you can create a boot environment with the lucreate command, the luupgrade command cannot upgrade a boot environment that has non-global zones installed. In that case, the upgrade fails and an error message is displayed.
For details on using the Solaris interactive installation program, see Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Basic Installations
Starting with the Solaris 10 1/06 release, the open source GNU GRand Unified BootLoader (GRUB) has been adopted in the Solaris OS for x86 based systems. GRUB is responsible for loading a boot archive into the system's memory. A boot archive is a collection of critical files that is needed during system startup before the root (/) file system is mounted. The boot archive is used to boot the Solaris OS.
The most notable change is the replacement of the Solaris Device Configuration Assistant with the GRUB menu. The GRUB menu facilitates booting the different operating systems that are installed on your system. The GRUB menu is displayed when you boot an x86 based system. From the GRUB menu, you can select an OS instance to install by using the arrow keys. If you do not make a selection, the default OS instance is booted.
The GRUB based boot feature provides the following improvements:
Faster boot times
Installation from USB CD or DVD drives
Ability to boot from USB storage devices
Simplified DHCP setup for PXE boot (no vendor-specific options)
Elimination of all realmode drivers
Ability to use Solaris Live Upgrade and the GRUB menu to quickly activate and fall back to boot environments.
For more information about GRUB refer to the following sections.
GNU is a recursive acronym for “GNU's Not UNIX.” For more information, go to http://www.gnu.org.
Starting with the Solaris 1/06 release, you can upgrade the Solaris OS from the Solaris 8, 9, or 10 releases. Upgrades from the Solaris 7 release are not supported.
This section describes the following new installation features in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.
Starting with the Solaris 10 3/05 release, several changes in the installation of the Solaris OS provide a more simplified and unified installation experience.
The changes include the following:
This release has one installation DVD and several installation CDs. The Solaris Operating System DVD includes the content of all the installation CDs.
Solaris Software 1 – This CD is the only bootable CD. From this CD, you can access both the Solaris installation graphical user interface (GUI) and the console-based installation. This CD also enables you to install selected software products from both the GUI and the console-based installation.
Other Solaris Operating System CDs – These CDs contain the following:
Solaris packages that the software prompts you to install if necessary
ExtraValue software that includes supported and unsupported software
Installers
Localized interface software and documentation
The Solaris Installation CD no longer exists.
For both CD and DVD media, the GUI installation is the default (if your system has enough memory). However, you can specify a console-based installation with the text boot option.
The installation process has been simplified, enabling you to select the language support at boot time, but select locales later.
The (noninteractive) Solaris custom JumpStartTM 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 the default GUI installation (if system memory permits), type boot cdrom.
For the console-based installation, type boot cdrom - text.
For instructions about how to install the Solaris OS by using CD or DVD media with the new text boot option | |
For changes to setting up an installation server with CD media |
Starting with the Solaris 10 3/05 release, you can choose to install the software with a GUI or with or without a windowing environment. If the memory is sufficient, 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. However, 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.
For specific memory requirements, see System Requirements and Recommendations.
Starting with the Solaris 10 3/05 release, when you install and upgrade the Solaris OS by using the custom JumpStart installation method, new customizations enable the following:
A Solaris Flash installation with additional packages
The custom JumpStart profile package keyword has been enhanced to enable installing a Solaris Flash archive with additional packages. For example, you can install the same base archive on two machines, but add a different set of packages to each machine. These packages do not have to be a part of the Solaris OS distribution.
An installation with additional packages that might not be part of the Solaris distribution
The package keyword has also been enhanced to enable an installation with a package that is not part of the Solaris distribution. You no longer need to write a postinstallation script to add extra packages.
An installation with the ability to install Solaris OS patches
The new custom JumpStart profile patch keyword enables the installation of Solaris OS patches. This feature allows the installation of a list of patches that are specified in a patch file.
For further information, see Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.
Starting with the Solaris 10 3/05 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 following documents:
In previous Solaris releases, the Solaris software was delivered in separate packages for 32-bit components and 64-bit components. Starting with the Solaris 10 3/05 release, packaging has been simplified with the delivery of most 32-bit components and 64-bit components 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:
Reduces the number of packages, which simplifies Custom JumpStart scripts that contain lists of packages
Simplifies the packaging system with only one package that groups software functions
Reduces installation time because fewer packages are installed
The 64-bit packages are renamed with the following conventions:
If a 64-bit package has a 32-bit counterpart, the 64-bit package is named with the 32-bit package name. For example, a 64-bit library such as /usr/lib/sparcv9/libc.so.1 previously would have been delivered in SUNWcslx, but now is delivered in SUNWcsl. The 64-bit SUNWcslx package is no longer delivered.
If a package does not have a 32-bit counterpart, the “x” suffix is removed from the name. For example, SUNW1394x becomes SUNW1394.
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.
Starting with 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 Chapter 11, Custom JumpStart (Reference), in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.
Starting with 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 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.
Starting with 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 use the installer's default disk layout.
Starting with 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.
First partition – Service partition (existing size on system)
Second partition – x86 boot partition (approximately 11 Mbytes)
Third partition – Solaris Operating System partition (remaining space on the boot disk)
If you want to use this default layout, select Default when the Solaris installation program asks you to choose a boot-disk layout.
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 does not create 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 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.
This chapter provides you with information about decisions you need to make before you install or upgrade the Solaris Operating System (Solaris OS). This chapter contains the following sections:
This book uses the term slice, but some Solaris documentation and programs might refer to a slice as a partition.
x86: To avoid confusion, this book distinguishes between x86 fdisk partitions and the divisions within the Solaris fdisk partition. The x86 fdisk divisions are called partitions. The divisions within the Solaris fdisk partition are called slices.
The following task map is an overview of the steps necessary to install or upgrade the Solaris OS when using any installation program. Use this task map to identify all of the decisions that you need to make to complete the most efficient installation for your environment.
Table 2–1 Task Map: Installing or Upgrading the Solaris Software
Task |
Description |
For Instructions |
---|---|---|
Choose initial installation or upgrade. |
Decide if you want to perform an initial installation or an upgrade. | |
Choose an installation program. |
The Solaris OS provides several programs for installation or upgrade. Choose the installation method that is most appropriate for your environment. | |
(Solaris interactive installation program) Choose a default or custom installation. |
Decide which type installation is suitable for your environment:
|
For information on the Solaris installation program's choices, see Chapter 4, Gathering Information Before Upgrade (Planning) |
Review system requirements. Also, plan and allocate disk space and swap space. |
Determine if your system meets the minimum requirements to install or upgrade. Allocate disk space on your system for the components of the Solaris OS that you want to install. Determine the appropriate swap-space layout for your system. | |
Choose to install a system from local media or from the network. |
Decide on the most appropriate installation media for your environment. | |
Gather information about your system. |
|
|
(Optional) Set system parameters. |
You can preconfigure system information to avoid being prompted for the information during the installation or upgrade. | |
(Optional) Prepare to install the Solaris software from the network. |
If you chose to install the Solaris software from the network, complete the following tasks.
|
To install over a local area network, see Chapter 9, Preparing to Install From the Network With CD Media (Tasks), in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations. To install over a wide area network, see Chapter 13, Preparing to Install With WAN Boot (Tasks), in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations. |
(Upgrade only) Perform tasks prior to upgrade. |
Back up your system and determine if you can upgrade with disk space reallocation. | |
Perform an installation or upgrade. |
Use the Solaris installation method that you chose to install or upgrade the Solaris software. |
The chapter or chapters that provide detailed instructions for the installation programs. |
Troubleshoot installation problems |
Review the troubleshooting information when you encounter problems with your installation. |
The Solaris software is distributed on DVD or CD media so that you can install or upgrade systems that have access to a DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive.
You can set up the systems to install from the network with remote DVD or CD images. You might want to set up systems this way for the following reasons:
If you have systems that do not have local DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drives
If you are installing several systems and do not want to insert the discs into every local drive to install the Solaris software
You can use all of the Solaris installation methods to install a system from the network. However, by installing systems from the network with the Solaris Flash installation feature or with a custom JumpStart installation, you can centralize and automate the installation process in a large enterprise. For more details about the different installation methods, refer to Choosing a Solaris Installation Method.
Installing the Solaris software from the network requires initial setup. For information about preparing to install from the network, choose one of the following options.
For detailed instructions about preparing to install from a local area network | |
For instructions about preparing to install over a wide area network | |
For instructions about how to install x86 based clients over the network by using PXE |
You can choose to perform an initial installation or, if your system is already running the Solaris OS, you can upgrade your system.
An initial installation overwrites the system's disk with the new version of the Solaris OS. If your system is not running the Solaris OS, you must perform an initial installation.
If the system is already running the Solaris OS, you can choose to perform an initial installation. If you want to preserve any local modifications, before you install, you must back up the local modifications. After you complete the installation, you can restore the local modifications.
You can use any of the Solaris installation methods to perform an initial installation. For detailed information about the different Solaris installation methods, refer to Choosing a Solaris Installation Method.
You can upgrade the Solaris OS by using two upgrade methods: standard and Solaris Live Upgrade. A standard upgrade maintains as many existing configuration parameters as possible of the current Solaris OS. Solaris Live Upgrade creates a copy of the current system. This copy can be upgraded with a standard upgrade. The upgraded Solaris OS can then be switched to become the current system by a simple reboot. If a failure occurs, you can switch back to the original Solaris OS with a reboot. Solaris Live Upgrade enables you to keep your system running while you upgrade and enables you to switch back and forth between Solaris OS releases.
For more information about upgrading and the list of upgrade methods, see Upgrade.
The Solaris OS provides several programs for installation or upgrade. Each installation technology offers different features that are designed for specific installation requirements and environments. Use the following table to help you decide which installation method to use.
Table 2–2 Choosing Your Installation Method
Task |
Installation Method |
Reasons for Choosing This Program |
Instructions |
---|---|---|---|
Install one system from CD-ROM or DVD-ROM media with an interactive program. |
Solaris installation program |
| |
Install one system over a local area network. |
Solaris installation program over the network |
This program enables you to set up an image of the software you want to install on a server and install this image on a remote system. If you need to install multiple systems, you can use the network installation image with the custom JumpStart and Solaris Flash installation methods to efficiently install or upgrade systems on your network. | |
Automate the installation or upgrade of multiple systems based on profiles you create. |
Custom JumpStart |
This program efficiently installs multiple systems. But if you only have a few systems, the creation of a custom JumpStart environment might be time consuming. For a few systems, use the Solaris interactive installation program. | |
Replicate the same software and configuration on multiple systems. |
| ||
Install systems over a wide area network (WAN) or the Internet. |
WAN boot |
If you want to install a Solaris Flash archive over the network, this program enables a secure installation. |
Chapter 11, WAN Boot (Overview), in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations |
Upgrade a system while it is running. |
Solaris Live Upgrade |
| |
After installing the Solaris OS, create an isolated application environment. |
Solaris Zones partitioning technology |
This program creates isolated non-global zones that provide a secure application environment. This isolation prevents processes that are running in one zone from monitoring or affecting processes that are running in any other zones. |
The Sun Java System Application Server Platform Edition 8 provides for broad deployment of application services and web services. This software is automatically installed with the Solaris OS. You can find documentation for the server in the following areas:
For documentation about starting the server |
See Sun Java System Application Server Platform Edition 8 QuickStart Guide in the installation directory at /docs/QuickStart.html |
For the full Application Server documentation set | |
For a tutorial |
This chapter describes system requirements to install or upgrade to the Solaris OS. General guidelines for planning the disk space and default swap space allocation are also provided. This chapter contains the following sections:
SPARC Based System |
Size |
---|---|
Memory to install or upgrade |
256 MB is the recommended size. 128 MB is the minimum size. Note – Some optional installation features are enabled only when sufficient memory is present. For example, if you install from a DVD with insufficient memory, you install through the Solaris installation's text installer, not through the GUI. For more information about these memory requirements, see Table 3–3. |
Swap area |
512 MB is the default size. Note – You might need to customize the swap space. Swap space is based on the size of the system's hard disk. |
Processor requirements |
200–MHz or faster processor is required. |
Table 3–2 x86: Memory, Swap, and Processor Recommendations
x86 Based System |
Size |
---|---|
Memory to install or upgrade |
Note – Some optional installation features are enabled only when sufficient memory is present. For example, if you install from a DVD with insufficient memory, you install through the Solaris installation's text installer, not through the GUI. For more information about these memory requirements, see Table 3–3. |
Swap area |
512 MB is the default size. Note – You might need to customize the swap space. Swap space is based on the size of the system's hard disk. |
Processor requirements |
120–MHz or faster processor is recommended. Hardware floating-point support is required. |
You can choose to install the software with a GUI or with or without a windowing environment. If there is sufficient memory, the GUI is displayed by default. Other environments are displayed by default if memory is insufficient for the GUI. 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, it automatically displays in a console-based environment. Table 3–3 describes these environments and lists minimal memory requirements for displaying them.
Table 3–3 SPARC: Memory Requirements for Display Options
SPARC: Memory |
Type of Installation |
Description |
---|---|---|
128–383 MB |
Text-based |
Contains no graphics, but provides a window and the ability to open other windows. If you install by using the text boot option and the system has enough memory, you are installing in a windowing environment. If you are installing remotely through a tip line or using the nowin boot option, you are limited to the console-based installation. |
384 MB or greater |
GUI-based |
Provides windows, pull-down menus, buttons, scrollbars, and iconic images. |
Table 3–4 x86: Memory Requirements for Display Options
Before you install the Solaris software, you can determine if your system has enough disk space by doing some high-level planning.
Planning disk space is different for everyone. Consider allocating space for the following conditions, depending on your needs.
Table 3–5 General Disk Space and Swap Space Planning
Conditions for Space Allocations |
Description |
---|---|
File systems |
For each file system that you create, allocate an additional 30 percent more disk space than you need to enable you to upgrade to future Solaris versions. By default, the Solaris installation methods create only root (/) and /swap. When space is allocated for OS services, the /export directory is also created. If you are upgrading to a major Solaris release, you might need to reslice your system or allocate double the space that you need at installation time. If you are upgrading to an update, you could prevent having to reslice your system by allocating extra disk space for future upgrades. A Solaris update release needs approximately 10 percent more disk space than the previous release. You can allocate an additional 30 percent of disk space for each file system to allow space for several Solaris updates. |
The /var file system |
If you intend to use the crash dump feature savecore(1M), allocate double the amount of your physical memory in the /var file system. |
Swap |
The Solaris installation program allocates a default swap area of 512 Mbytes under the following conditions:
By default, the Solaris installation programs allocate swap space by placing swap so that it starts at the first available disk cylinder (typically cylinder 0 on SPARC based systems). This placement provides maximum space for the root (/) file system during the default disk layout and enables the growth of the root (/) file system during an upgrade. If you think you might need to expand the swap area in the future, you can place the swap slice so that it starts at another disk cylinder by using one of the following methods.
For an overview of the swap space, see Chapter 21, Configuring Additional Swap Space (Tasks), in System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems. |
A server that is providing home directory file systems |
By default, home directories are usually located in the /export file system. |
The Solaris software group you are installing |
A software group is a grouping of software packages. When you are planning disk space, remember that you can add or remove individual software packages from the software group that you select. For information about software groups, see Disk Space Recommendations for Software Groups. |
Upgrade |
|
Language support |
For example, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. If you plan to install a single language, allocate approximately 0.7 Gbytes of additional disk space for the language. If you plan to install all language supports, you need to allocate up to approximately 2.5 Gbytes of additional disk space for the language supports, depending on the software group you install. |
Printing or mail support |
Allocate additional space. |
Additional software or third-party software |
Allocate additional space. |
The Solaris software groups are collections of Solaris packages. Each software group includes support for different functions and hardware drivers.
For an initial installation, you select the software group to install, based on the functions that you want to perform on the system.
For an upgrade, you must upgrade to a software group that is installed on the system. For example, if you previously installed the End User Solaris Software Group on your system, you cannot use the upgrade option to upgrade to the Developer Solaris Software Group. However, during the upgrade you can add software to the system that is not part of the currently installed software group.
When you are installing the Solaris software, you can choose to add or remove packages from the Solaris software group that you selected. When you are selecting which packages to add or remove, you need to know about software dependencies and how the Solaris software is packaged.
The following figure shows the grouping of software packages. Reduced Network Support contains the minimal number of packages and Entire Solaris Software Group Plus OEM Support contains all the packages.
Table 3–6 lists the Solaris software groups and the recommended amount of disk space that you need to install each group.
The disk space recommendations in Table 3–6 include space for the following items.
Swap space
Patches
Additional software packages
You might find that the software groups require less disk space than the amount that is listed in this table.
Software Group |
Description |
Recommended Disk Space |
---|---|---|
Entire Solaris Software Group Plus OEM Support |
Contains the packages for the Entire Solaris Software Group plus additional hardware drivers, including drivers for hardware that is not on the system at the time of installation. |
6.8 Gbytes |
Entire Solaris Software Group |
Contains the packages for the Developer Solaris Software Group and additional software that is needed for servers. |
6.7 Gbytes |
Developer Solaris Software Group |
Contains the packages for the End User Solaris Software Group plus additional support for software development. The additional software development support includes libraries, include files, man pages, and programming tools. Compilers are not included. |
6.6 Gbytes |
End User Solaris Software Group |
Contains the packages that provide the minimum code that is required to boot and run a networked Solaris system and the Common Desktop Environment. |
5.3 Gbytes |
Core System Support Software Group |
Contains the packages that provide the minimum code that is required to boot and run a networked Solaris system. |
2.0 Gbytes |
Reduced Network Support Software Group |
Contains the packages that provide the minimum code that is required to boot and run a Solaris system with limited network service support. The Reduced Network Support Software Group provides a multiuser text-based console and system administration utilities. This software group also enables the system to recognize network interfaces, but does not activate network services. |
2.0 Gbytes |
You can upgrade a system by using one of three different upgrade methods: Solaris Live Upgrade, the Solaris installation program, and custom JumpStart.
Table 3–7 Solaris Upgrade Methods
Issue |
Description |
---|---|
Upgrading to a different software group |
You cannot upgrade your system to a software group that is not installed on the system. For example, if you previously installed the End User Solaris Software Group on your system, you cannot use the upgrade option to upgrade to the Developer Solaris Software Group. However, during the upgrade you can add software to the system that is not part of the currently installed software group. |
Starting with the Solaris 10 1/06 release: Upgrading when non-global zones are installed |
When you are upgrading the Solaris OS, you can upgrade a system that has non-global zones installed. The Solaris interactive installation program and custom JumpStart programs enable an upgrade. For limitations when upgrading, see Upgrading When Non-Global Zones Are Installed. |
You can perform a standard interactive upgrade with the Solaris installation program or an unattended upgrade with the custom JumpStart installation method. Solaris Live Upgrade enables you to upgrade a running system.
Upgrade Program |
Description |
For More Information |
---|---|---|
Solaris Live Upgrade |
Enables you to create a copy of the currently running system. The copy can be upgraded and then a reboot switches the upgraded copy to become the currently running system. Using Solaris Live Upgrade reduces the downtime that is required to upgrade the Solaris OS. Also, Solaris Live Upgrade can prevent problems with upgrading. An example is the ability to recover from an upgrade if the power fails, because the copy being upgraded is not the currently running system. |
To plan for disk space allocation when using Solaris Live Upgrade, see Solaris Live Upgrade Requirements. |
The Solaris installation program |
Guides you through an upgrade with an interactive GUI. | |
Custom JumpStart program |
Provides an automated upgrade. A profile file and optional preinstallation and postinstallation scripts provide the information required. When creating a custom JumpStart profile for an upgrade, specify install_type upgrade. You must test the custom JumpStart profile against the system's disk configuration and currently installed software before you upgrade. Use the pfinstall -D command on the system that you are upgrading to test the profile. You cannot test an upgrade profile by using a disk configuration file. |
|
The Solaris Flash installation feature provides a method of creating a copy of the whole installation from a master system that can be replicated on many clone systems. This copy is called a Solaris Flash archive. You can install an archive by using any installation program.
A Solaris Flash archive cannot be properly created when a non-global zone is installed. The Solaris Flash feature is not compatible with Solaris Zones partitioning technology. If you create a Solaris Flash archive, the resulting archive is not installed properly when the archive is deployed under these conditions:
The archive is created In a non-global zone
The archive is created in a global zone that has non-global zones installed
For information about installing an archive, see the following table.
Solaris Live Upgrade | |
Custom JumpStart | |
Solaris interactive installation | |
WAN boot installation method |
The upgrade option in the Solaris installation program and the upgrade keyword in the custom JumpStart program provide the ability to reallocate disk space. This reallocation automatically changes the sizes of the disk slices. You can reallocate disk space if the current file systems do not have enough space for the upgrade. For example, file systems might need more space for the upgrade for the following reasons:
The Solaris software group that is currently installed on the system contains new software in the new release. Any new software that is included in a software group is automatically selected to be installed during the upgrade.
The size of the existing software on the system has increased in the new release.
The auto-layout feature attempts to reallocate the disk space to accommodate the new size requirements of the file system. Initially, auto-layout attempts to reallocate space, based on a set of default constraints. If auto-layout cannot reallocate space, you must change the constraints on the file systems.
Auto-layout does not have the ability to “grow” file systems. Auto-layout reallocates space by the following process:
Backing up required files on the file systems that need to change.
Repartitioning the disks on the basis of the file system changes.
Restoring the backup files before the upgrade happens.
If you are using the Solaris installation program, and auto-layout cannot determine how to reallocate the disk space, you must use the custom JumpStart program to upgrade.
If you are using the custom JumpStart method to upgrade and you create an upgrade profile, disk space might be a concern. If the current file systems do not contain enough disk space for the upgrade, you can use the backup_media and layout_constraint keywords to reallocate disk space. For an example of how to use the backup_media and layout_constraint keywords in a profile, refer to Profile Examples in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.
Backing up your existing file systems before you upgrade to the Solaris OS is highly recommended. If you copy file systems to removable media, such as tape, you can safeguard against data loss, damage, or corruption. For detailed instructions to back up your system, refer to Chapter 24, Backing Up and Restoring File Systems (Overview), in System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems.
To see the version of Solaris software that is running on your system, type either of the following commands.
$ uname -a |
The cat command provides more detailed information.
$ cat /etc/release |
As a part of your installation, you can preconfigure the locale that you want the system to use. A locale determines how online information is displayed in a specific language and specific region. A language might also include more than one locale to accommodate regional differences, such as differences in the format of date and time, numeric and monetary conventions, and spelling.
You can preconfigure the system locale in a custom JumpStart profile or in the sysidcfg file.
Setting the locale in a profile |
Creating a Profile in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations |
Setting the locale in the sysidcfg file |
Preconfiguring With the sysidcfg File in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations |
List of locale values |
When you are adding clients for a network installation, you must know your system architecture (platform group). If you are writing a custom JumpStart installation rules file, you need to know the platform name.
Some examples of platform names and groups follow. For a full list of SPARC based systems, see Solaris Sun Hardware Platform Guide at http://docs.sun.com/.
Table 3–8 Example of Platform Names and Groups
System |
Platform Name |
Platform Group |
---|---|---|
Sun Fire |
T2000 |
sun4v |
Sun BladeTM |
SUNW,Sun-Blade-100 |
sun4u |
x86 based |
i86pc |
i86pc |
On a running system, you can also use the uname -i command to determine a system's platform name or the uname -m command to determine a system's platform group.
The following introduction provides high-level planning information for global and non-global zones. For overview and planning information and specific procedures, see Chapter 16, Introduction to Solaris Zones, in System Administration Guide: Solaris Containers-Resource Management and Solaris Zones.
After the Solaris OS is installed, you can install and configure zones. The global zone is the single instance of the operating system that is running and is contained on every Solaris system. The global zone is both the default zone for the system and the zone that is used for system-wide administrative control. A non-global zone is a virtualized operating system environment.
Solaris Zones are a software partitioning technology used to virtualize operating system services and provide an isolated and secure environment for running applications. When you create a zone, you produce an application execution environment in which processes are isolated from all other zones. This isolation prevents processes that are running in one zone from monitoring or affecting processes that are running in any other zones. Even a process running in a non-global zone with superuser credentials cannot view or affect activity in any other zones. A process running in the global zone with superuser credentials can affect any process in any zone.
The global zone is the only zone from which a non-global zone can be configured, installed, managed, or uninstalled. Only the global zone is bootable from the system hardware. Administration of the system infrastructure, such as physical devices, routing, or dynamic reconfiguration (DR), is only possible in the global zone. Appropriately privileged processes running in the global zone can access objects associated with any or all other zones. The following table summarizes the characteristics of both global and non-global zones.
Global Zone |
Non-Global Zone |
---|---|
Is assigned ID 0 by the system |
Is assigned a zone ID by the system when the zone is booted |
Provides the single instance of the Solaris kernel that is bootable and running on the system |
Shares operation under the Solaris kernel booted from the global zone |
Contains a complete installation of the Solaris system software packages |
Contains an installed subset of the complete Solaris Operating System software packages |
Can contain additional software packages or additional software, directories, files, and other data not installed through packages |
Contains Solaris software packages shared from the global zone |
Provides a complete and consistent product database that contains information about all software components installed in the global zone |
Can contain additional installed software packages not shared from the global zone Can contain additional software, directories, files, and other data created on the non-global zone that are not installed through packages or shared from the global zone |
Holds configuration information specific to the global zone only, such as the global zone host name and file system table |
Has configuration information specific to that non-global zone only, such as the non-global zone host name and file system table |
Is the only zone that is aware of all devices and all file systems |
Has a complete and consistent product database that contains information about all software components installed on the zone, whether present on the non-global zone or shared read-only from the global zone |
Is the only zone with knowledge of non-global zone existence and configuration |
Is not aware of the existence of any other zones |
Is the only zone from which a non-global zone can be configured, installed, managed, or uninstalled |
Cannot install, manage, or uninstall other zones, including itself |
For more information, see the following:
After the Solaris OS is installed, you can install and configure zones. The global zone is the single instance of the operating system that is running and is contained on every Solaris system. The global zone is both the default zone for the system and the zone that is used for system-wide administrative control. A non-global zone is a virtualized operating system environment.
Any command that accepts an alternate root (/) file system by using the -R option or equivalent must not be used if the following are true:
The command is run in the global zone.
The alternative root (/) file system refers to any path within a non-global zone.
An example is the -R root_path option to the pkgadd utility run from the global zone with a path to the root (/) file system in a non-global zone.
For a list of utilities that accept an alternate root (/) file system and more information about zones, see Restriction on Accessing A Non-Global Zone From the Global Zone in System Administration Guide: Solaris Containers-Resource Management and Solaris Zones.
When the Solaris OS is installed, the software group installed in the global zone is the set of packages that is shared by all the non-global zones. For example, if you install the Entire software group, all zones contain these packages. By default, any additional packages installed in the global zone also populate the non-global zones. You can segregate into non-global zones any applications, namespaces, servers, and network connections such as NFS and DHCP as well as other software. Each non-global zone is unaware of other non-global zones and each can operate independently. For example, you might have installed the Entire software group on the global zone and have running on separate non-global zones the Java Enterprise System Messaging Server, a database, DHCP, and a web server. When installing non-global zones remember the performance requirements of the applications running in each non-global zone.
A Solaris Flash archive cannot be properly created when a non-global zone is installed. The Solaris Flash feature is not compatible with Solaris Zones partitioning technology. If you create a Solaris Flash archive, the resulting archive is not installed properly when the archive is deployed under these conditions:
The archive is created In a non-global zone
The archive is created in a global zone that has non-global zones installed
Starting with the Solaris 10 1/06 release, when you are upgrading the Solaris OS, you can upgrade a system that has non-global zones installed. The Solaris interactive installation program and custom JumpStart programs enable an upgrade.
With the Solaris interactive installation program, you can upgrade a system with non-global zones by selecting the Upgrade Install on the Select Upgrade or Initial Install panel. The installation program then analyzes your system to determine if your system is upgradable, and provides you a summary of the analysis. The installation program then prompts you to continue the upgrade. You can use this program with the following limitations:
You cannot customize your upgrade. For example, you cannot install additional software products, install additional locale packages, or modify the disk layout.
You must use the Solaris Operating System DVD or a DVD-created network installation image. You cannot use the Solaris Software CDs to upgrade a system. For more information about installing with this program, see Chapter 2, Installing With the Solaris Installation Program (Tasks), in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Basic Installations.
With the custom JumpStart installation program, you can upgrade by using only the install_type and root_device keywords.
Because some keywords affect non-global zones, some keywords cannot be included in a profile. For example, using keywords that add packages, reallocate disk space, or add locales would affect non-global zones. If you use these keywords, they are ignored or cause the JumpStart upgrade to fail. For a list of these keywords, see Limiting Profile Keywords When Upgrading With Non-Global Zones in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.
You cannot use Solaris Live Upgrade to upgrade a system when non-global zones are installed. You can create a boot environment with the lucreate command, but if you use the luupgrade command, the upgrade fails. An error message is displayed.
When installing the global zone, be sure to reserve enough disk space for all of the zones you might create. Each non-global zone might have unique disk space requirements. The following description is a brief overview of planning information. For complete planning requirements and recommendations, see Chapter 18, Planning and Configuring Non-Global Zones (Tasks), in System Administration Guide: Solaris Containers-Resource Management and Solaris Zones.
No limits are placed on how much disk space can be consumed by a zone. The global zone administrator is responsible for space restriction. Even a small uniprocessor system can support a number of zones running simultaneously.
The characteristics of the packages installed in the global zone affect the space requirements of the non-global zones that are created. The number of packages and space requirements are factors. The following are general disk space guidelines.
Approximately 100 Mbytes of free disk space is suggested when the global zone has been installed with all of the standard Solaris packages. Increase this amount if additional packages are installed in the global zone. By default, any additional packages installed in the global zone also populate the non-global zones. The directory location in the non-global zone for these additional packages is specified through the inherit-pkg-dir resource.
Add 40 Mbytes of RAM per zone if the system has sufficient swap space. This addition is recommended to make each zone operational. When planning your system size, consider this addition of RAM.
In previous Solaris releases, the Solaris OS was delivered in separate packages for 32-bit and 64-bit components. In the Solaris 10 OS, packaging has been simplified with the delivery of most 32-bit and 64-bit components 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. This change reduces the number of packages and simplifies installation. 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.
The 64-bit packages are renamed with the following conventions:
If a 64-bit package has a 32-bit counterpart, the 64-bit package is named with the 32-bit package name. For example, a 64-bit library such as /usr/lib/sparcv9/libc.so.1 previously would have been delivered in SUNWcslx, but now is delivered in SUNWcsl. The 64-bit SUNWcslx package is no longer delivered.
If a package does not have a 32-bit counterpart, the “x” suffix is removed from the name. For example, SUNW1394x becomes SUNW1394.
When using the Solaris OS on x86 based systems, follow these guidelines for partitioning your system.
The Solaris installation uses a default boot-disk partition layout. These partitions are called fdisk partitions. An fdisk partition is a logical partition of a disk drive that is dedicated to a particular operating system on x86 based systems. To install the Solaris software, you must set up at least one Solaris fdisk partition on an x86 based system. x86 based systems allow up to four different fdisk partitions on a disk. These partitions can be used to hold individual operating systems. Each operating system must be located on a unique fdisk partition. A system can only have one Solaris fdisk partition per disk.
Table 3–9 x86: Default Partitions
The Solaris installation program uses a default boot-disk partition layout to accommodate the diagnostic or Service partition. If your system currently includes a diagnostic or Service partition, the default boot-disk partition layout enables you to preserve this partition.
If you install the Solaris OS on an x86 based system that does not currently include a diagnostic or Service partition, the installation program does not create a new diagnostic or Service partition by default. If you want to create a diagnostic or Service partition on your system, see your hardware documentation.
This chapter contains a worksheet to help you gather all of the information that you need to upgrade your system.
Use the following checklist to gather the information that you need for a standard upgrade of the Solaris OS. You do not need to gather all of the information that is requested on the checklist. You only need to collect the information that applies to your system. If you are performing the upgrade over the network, the installation program provides the information for you, based on the current system configuration.
You cannot change basic system identification, such as host name or IP address. The installation program might prompt you for basic system identification, but you must enter the original values. If you use the Solaris installation program to upgrade, the upgrade fails if you attempt to change any of the values.
Table 4–1 Upgrade Checklist
Information for Upgrade |
Description or Example |
Answer – Defaults are noted with an asterisk (*) |
||
---|---|---|---|---|
Network connection |
Is the system connected to a network? |
Networked/Nonnetworked* |
||
DHCP |
Can the system use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to configure its network interfaces? DHCP provides the network parameters that are necessary for installation. |
Yes/No* |
||
If you are not using DHCP, note the network address. |
IP Address |
If you are not using DHCP, supply the IP address for the system. Example: 172.31.255.255 To find this information about a running system, type the following command.
| ||
Subnet |
If you are not using DHCP, is the system part of a subnet? If yes, what is the netmask of the subnet? Example: 255.255.255.0 To find this information about a running system, type the following command.
| |||
IPv6 |
Do you want to enable IPv6 on this machine? IPv6 is a part of the TCP/IP Internet protocol that facilitates IP addressing by adding better security and increasing Internet addresses. |
Yes/No* |
||
Host Name. |
Host name that you choose for the system. To find this information about a running system, type the following command.
| |||
Do you want to configure Kerberos security on this machine? If yes, gather this information: |
Yes/No* |
|||
Default Realm: Administration Server First KDC: (Optional) Additional KDCs: |
||||
The Kerberos service is a client-server architecture that provides secure transactions over networks. |
||||
If the system uses a name service, provide the following information. |
Name Service |
Which name service should this system use? To find this information about a running system, type the following command.
A naming service stores information in a central place, which enables users, machines, and applications to communicate across the network. Examples of information stored are host names and addresses or user names and passwords. |
NIS+/NIS/DNS/ LDAP/None* |
|
Domain Name |
Provide the name of the domain in which the system resides. To find this information about a running system, type the following command.
| |||
NIS+ and NIS |
Do you want to specify a name server or let the installation program find one? If you want to specify a name server, provide the following information. |
Specify one/Find one* |
||
Server's host name: |
||||
|
||||
Server's IP Address: |
||||
Network Information Service (NIS) makes network administration more manageable by providing centralized control over a variety of network information, such as machine names and addresses. |
||||
DNS |
Provide IP addresses for the DNS server. You must enter at least one IP address, but you can enter up to three addresses. | |||
Server's IP Address: |
||||
To display the server's IP address, type the following command.
|
||||
You can enter a list of domains to search when a DNS query is made. |
||||
Search Domain: Search Domain: Search Domain: |
||||
The domain name system (DNS) is the name service provided by the Internet for TCP/IP networks. DNS provides host names to the IP address service. DNS focuses on making communication simpler by using machine names instead of numerical IP addresses. DNS also serves as a database for mail administration. |
||||
LDAP |
Provide the following information about your LDAP profile. | |||
Profile Name: |
||||
Profile Server: |
||||
If you specify a proxy credential level in your LDAP profile, gather this information. |
||||
Proxy-bind distinguished name: |
||||
Proxy-bind password: |
||||
LDAP defines a relatively simple protocol for updating and searching directories running over TCP/IP. |
||||
Default Route. |
Do you want to specify a default route IP address or let the Solaris installation find one? The default route provides a bridge that forwards traffic between two physical networks. An IP address is a unique number that identifies each host on a network. You have the following choices:
|
Specify one/Detect one/None* |
||
Time Zone. |
How do you want to specify your default time zone? |
Geographic region* Offset from GMT Time zone file |
||
Root Password |
Provide the root password for the system. | |||
Upgrading a system with non-global zones |
Starting with the Solaris 10 release, you can use the Solaris 10 DVD or a DVD-based network installation image to upgrade a system that has non-global zones installed. If you choose to upgrade a system with non-global zones installed, you cannot customize your upgrade. Note – In the Solaris 10 release, you cannot upgrade a system with non-global zones installed with the Solaris Software - 1 CD or the Solaris Live Upgrade installation method. If your system has more than one root (/) partition or disk, the installation program prompts you to select a root partition to upgrade. |
Yes/No |
||
Root (/) to upgrade: |
||||
Default or Custom Install |
Do you want to perform a default installation, or customize the installation?
Note – The text installer does not prompt you to select a Default or Custom Installation. To perform a default installation, accept the default values that are provided in the text installer. To perform a custom installation, edit the values in the text installer screens. |
Default installation*/Custom installation |
||
Locales. |
For which geographic regions do you want to install support? | |||
SPARC: Power Management (only available on SPARC systems that support Power Management). |
Do you want to use Power Management? Note – If your system has Energy Star version 3 or later, you are not prompted for this information. |
Yes*/No |
||
Automatic reboot or CD/DVD ejection. |
Reboot automatically after software installation? Eject CD/DVD automatically after software installation? |
Yes*/No Yes*/No |
||
Disk space reallocation. |
If you do not have enough disk space to accommodate the Solaris OS, you might be prompted to modify your disk layout. You can reallocate disk space with either of the following methods.
By default, the installation program selects manual layout. |
Yes/No* |
||
If you are installing through a tip line, follow these instructions. |
Ensure that your window display is at least 80 columns wide and 24 rows long. For more information, see tip(1). To determine the current dimensions of your tip window, use the stty command. For more information, see the man page, stty(1). | |||
Check your Ethernet connection. |
If the system is part of a network, verify that an Ethernet connector or similar network adapter is connected to your system. | |||
Solaris Live Upgrade use. |
| |||
Apply patches before installing Solaris Live Upgrade |
![]() Correct operation of Solaris Live Upgrade requires that a limited set of patch revisions be installed for a given OS version. Before installing or running Solaris Live Upgrade, you are required to install these patches. Make sure you have the most recently updated patch list by consulting http://sunsolve.sun.com. Search for the info doc 72099 on the SunSolveSM Web site. x86 only – If this set of patches is not installed, Solaris Live Upgrade fails and you might see the following error message. If you don't see the following error message, necessary patches still might not be installed. Always verify that all patches listed on the Sunsolve infodoc have been installed before attempting to install Solaris Live Upgrade.
| |||
Check the system for the existence of Prestoserve software. |
If you begin the upgrade process by shutting down the system with the init 0 command and you're using Prestoserve software, you might lose data. Refer to the Prestoserve documentation for shutdown instructions. | |||
Check for patches needed. |
The most recent patch list is provided at http://sunsolve.sun.com. | |||
Review the planning chapter and other relevant documentation. |
|
This chapter describes the GRUB based booting on x86 based systems that relates to Solaris installation. This chapter contains the following sections:
Starting with the Solaris 10 1/06 release, GRUB, the open source boot loader, has been adopted as the default boot loader in the Solaris OS.
GRUB based booting is not available on SPARC based systems.
The boot loader is the first software program that runs after you power on a system. After you power on an x86 based system, the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) initializes the CPU, the memory, and the platform hardware. When the initialization phase has completed, the BIOS loads the boot loader from the configured boot device, and then transfers control of the system to the boot loader.
GRUB is an open source boot loader with a simple menu interface that includes boot options that are predefined in a configuration file. GRUB also has a command-line interface that is accessible from the menu interface for performing various boot commands. In the Solaris OS, the GRUB implementation is compliant with the Multiboot Specification. The specification is described in detail at http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/grub.html.
Because the Solaris kernel is fully compliant with the Multiboot Specification, you can boot a Solaris x86 based system by using GRUB. With GRUB, you can more easily boot and install various operating systems. For example, on one system, you could individually boot the following operating systems:
Solaris OS
Microsoft Windows
GRUB detects Microsoft Window partitions but does not verify that the OS can be booted.
A key benefit of GRUB is that it is intuitive about file systems and kernel executable formats, which enables you to load an operating system without recording the physical position of the kernel on the disk. With GRUB based booting, the kernel is loaded by specifying its file name, and the drive, and the partition where the kernel resides. GRUB based booting replaces the Solaris Device Configuration Assistant and simplifies the booting process with a GRUB menu.
After GRUB gains control of the system, a menu is displayed on the console. In the GRUB menu, you can do the following:
Select an entry to boot your system
Modify a boot entry by using the built-in GRUB edit menu
Manually load an OS kernel from the command line
A configurable timeout is available to boot the default OS entry. Pressing any key aborts the default OS entry boot.
To view an example of a GRUB menu, see Description of the GRUB Main Menu.
The device naming conventions that GRUB uses are slightly different from previous Solaris OS versions. Understanding the GRUB device naming conventions can assist you in correctly specifying drive and partition information when you configure GRUB on your system.
The following table describes the GRUB device naming conventions.
Table 5–1 Naming Conventions for GRUB Devices
Device Name |
Description |
---|---|
(fd0), (fd1) |
First diskette, second diskette |
(nd) |
Network device |
(hd0,0), (hd0,1) |
First and second fdisk partition of first bios disk |
(hd0,0,a), (hd0,0,b) |
Solaris/BSD slice 0 and 1 on first fdisk partition on the first bios disk |
All GRUB device names must be enclosed in parentheses. Partition numbers are counted from 0 (zero), not from 1.
For more information about fdisk partitions, see Guidelines for Creating an fdisk Partition in System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems.
For more information about these changes, see the following references:
Table 5–2 Where to Find Information on GRUB Based Installations
Topic |
GRUB Menu Tasks |
For More Information |
---|---|---|
Installation |
To install from the Solaris OS CD or DVD media | |
To install from a network installation image | ||
To configure a DHCP server for network installations | ||
To install with the Custom JumpStart program | ||
To activate or fall back to a boot environment by using Solaris Live Upgrade | ||
System Administration |
For more detailed information about GRUB and for administrative tasks |
Chapter 12, GRUB Based Booting (Tasks), in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration |
This section describes the basics of GRUB based booting and describes the GRUB menu.
When you install the Solaris OS, two GRUB menu entries are installed on the system by default. The first entry is the Solaris OS entry. The second entry is the failsafe boot archive, which is to be used for system recovery. The Solaris GRUB menu entries are installed and updated automatically as part of the Solaris software installation and upgrade process. These entries are directly managed by the OS and should not be manually edited.
During a standard Solaris OS installation, GRUB is installed on the Solaris fdisk partition without modifying the system BIOS setting. If the OS is not on the BIOS boot disk, you need to do one of the following:
Modify the BIOS setting.
Use a boot manager to bootstrap to the Solaris partition. For more details, see your boot manager.
The preferred method is to install the Solaris OS on the boot disk. If multiple operating systems are installed on the machine, you can add entries to the menu.lst file. These entries are then displayed in the GRUB menu the next time you boot the system.
For additional information on multiple operating systems, see Coexistence of Multiple Operating Systems in the GRUB Boot Environment in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.
Performing a GRUB based network boot requires a DHCP server that is configured for PXE clients and an install server that provides tftp service. The DHCP server must be able to respond to the DHCP classes, PXEClient and GRUBClient. The DHCP response must contain the following information:
IP address of the file server
Name of the boot file (pxegrub)
rpc.bootparamd, which is usually a requirement on the server side for performing a network boot, is not required for a GRUB based network boot.
If no PXE or DHCP server is available, you can load GRUB from CD-ROM or local disk. You can then manually configure the network in GRUB and download the multiboot program and the boot archive from the file server.
For more information, see Overview of Booting and Installing Over the Network With PXE in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations.
When you boot an x86 based system, the GRUB menu is displayed. This menu provides a list of boot entries to choose from. A boot entry is an OS instance that is installed on your system. The GRUB menu is based on the menu.lst file, which is a configuration file. The menu.lst file is created by the Solaris installation program and can be modified after installation. The menu.lst file dictates the list of OS instances that are shown in the GRUB menu.
If you install or upgrade the Solaris OS, the GRUB menu is automatically updated. The Solaris OS is then displayed as a new boot entry.
If you install an OS other than the Solaris OS, you must modify the menu.lst configuration file to include the new OS instance. Adding the new OS instance enables the new boot entry to appear in the GRUB menu the next time that you boot the system.
In the following example, the GRUB main menu shows the Solaris and Microsoft Windows operating systems. A Solaris Live Upgrade boot environment is also listed that is named second_disk. See the following for descriptions of each menu item.
GNU GRUB version 0.95 (616K lower / 4127168K upper memory) +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Solaris | |Solaris failsafe | |second_disk | |second_disk failsafe | |Windows | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ Use the ^ and v keys to select which entry is highlighted. Press enter to boot the selected OS, 'e' to edit the commands before booting, or 'c' for a command-line. |
Specifies the Solaris OS.
Specifies a boot archive that can be used for recovery if the Solaris OS is damaged.
Specifies a Solaris Live Upgrade boot environment. The second_disk boot environment was created as a copy of the Solaris OS. It was upgraded and activated with the luactivate command. The boot environment is available for booting.
Specifies the Microsoft Windows OS. GRUB detects these partitions but does not verify that the OS can be booted.
The GRUB menu.lst file lists the contents of the GRUB main menu. The GRUB main menu lists boot entries for all the OS instances that are installed on your system, including Solaris Live Upgrade boot environments. The Solaris software upgrade process preserves any changes that you make to this file.
Any revisions made to the menu.lst file are displayed on the GRUB main menu, along with the Solaris Live Upgrade entries. Any changes that you make to the file become effective at the next system reboot. You can revise this file for the following reasons:
To add to the GRUB menu entries for operating systems other than Solaris
To customize booting behavior such as specifying the default OS on the GRUB menu
Do not use the GRUB menu.lst file to modify Solaris Live Upgrade entries. Modifications could cause Solaris Live Upgrade to fail.
Although you can use the menu.lst file to customize booting behavior such as booting with the kernel debugger, the preferred method for customization is to use the eeprom command. If you use the menu.lst file to customize, the Solaris OS entries might be modified during a software upgrade. Changes to the file would then be lost.
For information about how to use the eeprom command, see How to Set Solaris Boot Parameters by Using the eeprom Command in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.
Here is a sample of a menu.lst file:
default 0 timeout 10 title Solaris root (hd0,0,a) kernel /platform/i86pc/multiboot -B console=ttya module /platform/i86pc/boot_archive title Solaris failsafe root (hd0,0,a) kernel /boot/multiboot -B console=ttya -s module /boot/x86.miniroot.safe #----- second_disk - ADDED BY LIVE UPGRADE - DO NOT EDIT ----- title second_disk root (hd0,1,a) kernel /platform/i86pc/multiboot module /platform/i86pc/boot_archive title second_disk failsafe root (hd0,1,a) kernel /boot/multiboot kernel/unix -s module /boot/x86.miniroot-safe #----- second_disk -------------- END LIVE UPGRADE ------------ title Windows root (hd0,0) chainloader -1 |
Specifies which item to boot if the timeout expires. To change the default, you can specify another item in the list by changing the number. The count begins with zero for the first title. For example, change the default to 2 to boot automatically to the second_disk boot environment.
Specifies the number of seconds to wait for user input before booting the default entry. If no timeout is specified, you are required to choose an entry.
Specifies the name of the operating system.
If this is a Solaris Live Upgrade boot environment, OS name is the name you gave the new boot environment when it was created. In the previous example, the Solaris Live Upgrade boot environment is named second_disk.
If this is a failsafe boot archive, this boot archive is used for recovery when the primary OS is damaged. In the previous example, Solaris failsafe and second_disk failsafe are the recovery boot archives for the Solaris and second_disk operating systems.
Specifies on which disk, partition, and slice to load files. GRUB automatically detects the file system type.
Specifies the multiboot program. The kernel command must always be followed by the multiboot program. The string after multiboot is passed to the Solaris OS without interpretation.
For a complete description of multiple operating systems, see Coexistence of Multiple Operating Systems in the GRUB Boot Environment in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.
You must always use the bootadm command to locate the GRUB menu's menu.lst file. The list-menu subcommand finds the active GRUB menu. The menu.lst file lists all the operating systems that are installed on a system. The contents of this file dictate the list of operating systems that is displayed on the GRUB menu. If you want to make changes to this file, see x86: Locating the GRUB Menu's menu.lst File (Tasks).
Starting with the Solaris 10 1/06 release, the GRUB menu can be updated. For example, you might want to change the default time for how fast the default OS is booted. Or, you might want to add another OS to the GRUB menu.
Typically, the active GRUB menu's menu.lst file is located at /boot/grub/menu.lst. In some situations, the GRUB menu.lst file resides elsewhere. For example, in a system that uses Solaris Live Upgrade, the GRUB menu.lst file might be on a boot environment that is not the currently running boot environment. Or if you have upgraded a system with an x86 boot partition, the menu.lst file might reside in the /stubboot directory. Only the active GRUB menu.lst file is used to boot the system. In order to modify the GRUB menu that is displayed when you boot the system, the active GRUB menu.lst file must be modified. Changing any other GRUB menu.lst file has no effect on the menu that is displayed when you boot the system. To determine the location of the active GRUB menu.lst file, use the bootadm command. The list-menu subcommand displays the location of the active GRUB menu. The following procedures determine the location of the GRUB menu's menu.lst file.
For more information about the bootadm command, see bootadm(1M) man page.
In the following procedure, the system contains two operating systems: Solaris and a Solaris Live Upgrade boot environment, second_disk. The Solaris OS has been booted and contains the GRUB menu.
Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.
Roles contain authorizations and privileged commands. For more information about roles, see Configuring RBAC (Task Map) in System Administration Guide: Security Services.
To locate the menu.lst file, type:
# /sbin/bootadm list-menu |
The location and contents of the file are displayed.
The location for the active GRUB menu is: /boot/grub/menu.lst default 0 timeout 10 0 Solaris 1 Solaris failsafe 2 second_disk 3 second_disk failsafe |
In the following procedure, the system contains two operating systems: Solaris and a Solaris Live Upgrade boot environment, second_disk. In this example, the menu.lst file does not exist in the currently running boot environment. The second_disk boot environment has been booted. The Solaris boot environment contains the GRUB menu. The Solaris boot environment is not mounted.
Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.
Roles contain authorizations and privileged commands. For more information about roles, see Configuring RBAC (Task Map) in System Administration Guide: Security Services.
To locate the menu.lst file, type:
# /sbin/bootadm list-menu |
The location and contents of the file are displayed.
The location for the active GRUB menu is: /dev/dsk/device_name(not mounted) The filesystem type of the menu device is <ufs> default 0 timeout 10 0 Solaris 1 Solaris failsafe 2 second_disk 3 second_disk failsafe |
Because the file system containing the menu.lst file is not mounted, mount the file system. Specify the UFS file system and the device name.
# /usr/sbin/mount -F ufs /dev/dsk/device_name /mnt |
Where device_name specifies the location of the root (/) file system on the disk device of the boot environment that you want to mount. The device name is entered in the form of /dev/dsk/cwtxdysz. For example:
# /usr/sbin/mount -F ufs /dev/dsk/c0t1d0s0 /mnt |
You can access the GRUB menu at /mnt/boot/grub/menu.lst
Unmount the filesystem
# /usr/sbin/umount /mnt |
If you mount a boot environment or a file system of a boot environment, ensure that the file system or file systems are unmounted after use. If these file systems are not unmounted, future Solaris Live Upgrade operations on that boot environment might fail.
In the following procedure, the system contains two operating systems: Solaris and a Solaris Live Upgrade boot environment, second_disk. The second_disk boot environment has been booted. The Solaris boot environment contains the GRUB menu. The Solaris boot environment is mounted at /.alt.Solaris.
Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.
Roles contain authorizations and privileged commands. For more information about roles, see Configuring RBAC (Task Map) in System Administration Guide: Security Services.
To locate the menu.lst file, type:
# /sbin/bootadm list-menu |
The location and contents of the file are displayed.
The location for the active GRUB menu is: /.alt.Solaris/boot/grub/menu.lst default 0 timeout 10 0 Solaris 1 Solaris failsafe 2 second_disk 3 second_disk failsafe |
Since the boot environment containing the GRUB menu is already mounted, then you can access the menu.lst file at /.alt.Solaris/boot/grub/menu.lst.
In the following procedure, the system contains two operating systems: Solaris and a Solaris Live Upgrade boot environment, second_disk. The second_disk boot environment has been booted. Your system has been upgraded and an x86 boot partition remains. The boot partition is mounted at /stubboot and contains the GRUB menu. For an explanation of x86 boot partitions, see x86: Partitioning Recommendations.
Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.
Roles contain authorizations and privileged commands. For more information about roles, see Configuring RBAC (Task Map) in System Administration Guide: Security Services.
To locate the menu.lst file, type:
# /sbin/bootadm list-menu |
The location and contents of the file are displayed.
The location for the active GRUB menu is: /stubboot/boot/grub/menu.lst default 0 timeout 10 0 Solaris 1 Solaris failsafe 2 second_disk 3 second_disk failsafe |
You can access the menu.lst file at /stubboot/boot/grub/menu.lst.