Installing Solaris

Settingn up a jumpstart server for network installation of Solaris

Currently ms4 is set up as a jumpstart server for Solaris 10 update 7. The relevant files are in /opt/SUNWjet and /export/install. Follow these instructions if you need to set up a new jumpstart server.

Solaris network installation is done via JumpStart. Instead of using JumpStart directly, most people use JET (the JumpStart Enterprise Toolkit), which makes it much easier.

Installing JET

If /opt/SUNWjet exists, JET is already installed and you can skip this step.

Obtain jet.pkg from Sun [1]. This requires a SunSolve user name and password. The package is small enough to download it locally and scp it over to your host (< 1 meg).

Now install it:

# pkgadd -d jet.pkg all

You accept the defaults by answering 'y' to the installer questions.

Edit /opt/SUNWjet/etc/jumpstart.conf. Set JS_Default_Root_PW to the hash of the root password (from /etc/shadow), and JS_CLIENT_MANAGEMENT to dhcp. The rest can be left at defaults, which will put install files in /export/install.

Edit /opt/SUNWjet/Products/base_config/solaris/make_dhcp to set the DHCP network config; you can use netstat -rvn to get the network details you need. Then change /var/tmp to /var/dhcp, and run it. This will configure the DHCP server.

Adding Solaris media

For each version of Solaris you want to install, you need to add the media to JET:

# lofiadm -a /export/sol-10-u7-ga-x86-dvd.iso 
/dev/lofi/1
# mount -Fhsfs /dev/lofi/1 /mnt2
# /opt/SUNWjet/bin/copy_solaris_media -d Solaris_10_Update_7 -n s10_u7 /mnt2
Copying Solaris image....
Verifying target directory...
Calculating the required disk space for the Solaris_10 product
Calculating space required for the installation boot image
Copying the CD image to disk...
Copying Install Boot Image hierarchy...
Copying /boot netboot hierarchy...
Install Server setup complete
 
Added Solaris image s10_u7 at the following location:
        Media:          /export/install/media/Solaris_10_Update_7

removing directory ./26661
# umount /mnt2
# lofiadm -d /dev/lofi/1
# /opt/SUNWjet/bin/list_solaris_locations                                   
Version         Location
-------         --------
s10_u7          /export/install/media/Solaris_10_Update_7

Adding an install client

Create a client template:

# /opt/SUNWjet/bin/make_template ms5

If there's already a client template for another machine in /opt/SUNWjet/Templates, you can copy that instead of creating a new one.

Edit /opt/SUNWjet/Templates/ms5 and configure the client as needed.

Create the actual client:

# /opt/SUNWjet/bin/make_client ms5   

Installing the client

Tell the client to do a PXE boot; usually that means pressing a key during the BIOS POST. The system will perform a network installation: