Solaris 2.6 OS Setup and Install on Ultra 10/440 Systems.

In the following recipe, I'm assuming that you're doing an install from a local cdplayer via a tty console port connection on a Sun SparcStation with a CPU faster than 419 MHz.

Current Sun SparcStations come with Solaris 8 (2.8) installed. We are using Solaris 2.6 in our general environment, so we need to down rev these systems. To install Solaris 2.6 on a Sparc CPU greater than 419 MHz you need to use the special hardware CD that comes with the SparcStation (Operating Environment Installation CD 1999) along with the Solaris 2.6 5/98 Server CD (get it from IST as we don't have our own copy).

In general we just follow along with the questions asked by the SunOS install. In places where you have to derive answers, I've tried to give rules of thumb for you to develop your own.

Here we go:

• "boot cdrom" from "Operating Environment Installation CD 1999"
  • Would you like to use this installer? [y,n,?] y
  • Do you want to format /dev/dsk/c0t0d0? [y,n,?,q] y
    The actual disk device (c0t0d0) might be different in your case, just pick the device you want to install the "/" partition on.
  • Enter a swap partition size between 320Mb and 8692Mb, default = 512Mb [?] XXXX
    Where XXXX is a value between 5 down to 1 times the amount of memory in the host (more memory, less swap) plus a suitable amount of space for "/tmp" (128 MB min). A knowledge of the type of applications the users will be running concurrently is a big help in deciding this value. Also plan to spread the total swap space over all the disks and controllers for better performance.
    Warning: you won't be able to change the swap partition size for this disk later during the file system layout section.
  • WARNING: ALL INFORMATION ON THE DISK WILL BE ERASED!
    Is this OK [y,n,?,q] y
  • Copying mini-root to local disk.
    Copying platform specific files....done.
    Preparing to reboot and continue installation.
    syncing file systems... done
    rebooting...
    blah blah blah ...
    <Press Return to continue>
    
  • Enter host name []: <hostname>
    (note: Sun's install will no longer let you use "." in a host name so the ".math" extension is added later.)
  • Is this machine networked (y/n) [n]? y
  • Enter this machine's IP Address []: 129.97.NNN.XXX
    (Warning: Double check this value, the networking you corrupt may not be your own.)
  • Enter the subnet netmask [255.255.255.0]:
  • Please enter the number corresponding to the type of name service you would like [4]:
    ie None.
  • Please enter the number corresponding to how you would like to specify the time zone [1]: 3
  • Enter file name of time zone file or '-' for a list of files [-]: Canada/Eastern
  • The default date and time is MM DD, YYYY HH:MM . Do you want to use this date and time (y/n) [y]?
    Just get the date close, xntp package will set it correctly once it's installed.
  • Enter the root password []: *******
  • Enter the root password []: *******
  • Do you want Power Management turned on (y/n) [n]?
  • Ask about Power Management at each reboot (y/n) [n]?
  • Enter 'y' to apply these values and proceed to the next stage of the installation, or 'n' to return to the beginning and make changes (y/n): y
    Ignore any message about "keyserv: failed to generate host's netname when establishing root's key." since we're working off the serial line which doesn't support Sun "Web install".
  • Select the number corresponding to the operating environment you would like to install [1]: 2
    ie Solaris 2.6 5/98
  • Solaris OS: Solaris 2.6 5/98
    Enter 'y' if this is correct, or 'n' if it is incorrect: y
• Please insert the Solaris 2.6 5/98 CD.
  <Press Return after the CD has been inserted>
  • Select the number corresponding to the type of install you would like [1]: 2
    ie Custom Install
  • Select the software localizations you want to install. The English version of Solaris will be installed by default.
    Enable locale German ( de ) (y/n) [n]?
    Enable locale Spanish ( es ) (y/n) [n]?
    Enable locale French ( fr ) (y/n) [n]?
    Enable locale Italian ( it ) (y/n) [n]?
    Enable locale Swedish ( sv ) (y/n) [n]?
    
  • Select the number corresponding to the desired system locale [6]: 2
    ie. English (Canada) ( en_CA )
  • Select the number corresponding to the desired Solaris software group [2]:
    ie. Entire Solaris Software Group (if you have the disk space and are installing in Admin and Research group of hosts. On the student group of hosts we have only been installing selection ???; Developer Software Group.)
  • To partition the disk see some disk partitioning URL that is not ready.
• Enter 'y' to accept these values and start the installation, or 'n' to return to the beginning and make changes (y/n): y
• blah, blah, blah...
  The system needs to reboot to complete installation.
  <Press Return to reboot>

Once system has rebooted after the initial OS install, we need:

• to correct the hostname from <hostname> to <hostname>.math:
  • fe02# echo <hostname>.math > /etc/hostname.hme0
  • fe02# hostname `cat /etc/hostname.hme0`
  • fe02# sysidconfig
• to have <hostname> be able to resolve its arch master's IP address:
  • <hostname># echo "<arch master IP address> <arch master name>" >> /etc/hosts
• to be able to reach the arch master on the network, so let's add the default route in by hand. (note: The University standard for gateway addresses is to use the first three octets of the IP address "129.97.NNN" followed by a ".1".) This may not be necessary, check "netstat -nr" to see if the default route is already set up correctly.
  • fe02.math# route add default 129.97.NNN.1 1
• to allow remote root-access to this system only from its admin master and arch master.
  • fe02# echo "<admin master>" > /.rhosts
  • fe02# echo "<arch master>" >> /.rhosts
• to provide a quick "education" of the network information for this host, distribute from its arch master the host, network and group databases.
  • <arch master># rdist -c -w /etc/{inet/{hosts,networks},group} <hostname>.math:/
• to install the IST set of recommended OS patches for this system.
  • "mount ist:/sunpatches /mnt"
  • "cd /mnt; ./patchinstall"
    • store temporary files in "/tmp",
    • do not save the original versions of the software,
    • select the "suggested" patches to be installed.
• to add the following lines to /etc/system:
  set pt_cnt=512
  * Take some security precautions
  set noexec_user_stack=1
  set noexec_user_stack_log=1
  
• to have the installed patches take effect and build a new kernel, reboot the host using "reboot -- -rv"

After the reboot you will get a "syslogd: line 23: WARNING: loghost could not be resolved" which will go away as part of xhiering the host.