Why You Should Not Ignore This Chapter

Successfully installing Solaris software requires a clear sense of what you're doing and why, or it can become difficult. This chapter provides all the information you need to determine the best way to install the Solaris software for your site. This chapter also directs you to specific chapters of this book you'll need.

Steps to Prepare to Install Solaris

Follow these steps before turning on your system.

1 Determine if your system is networked.

If your system is networked (connected to a network), an Ethernet connector or similar network adapter should be plugged into your system.

2 Determine your system type.

Before installing Solaris software, you must determine the system type which determines where the system gets important file systems. Using Figure 2-1 on page 7, choose a system type from the following lists:

Networked systems:

• OS server
• Standalone system
• Dataless client
• Diskless client
• ^(TM) · AutoClient system

Non-networked systems:

• Standalone system

Figure 2-1

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Note - A standalone system in the Solaris operating environment applies to both networked and non-networked systems. Whether networked or non-networked, a standalone system has all of its Solaris software on local hard disk, and does not require services from another system.

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3 If you are setting up diskless clients and/or AutoClient systems, and the OS server providing Solaris software is already installed with Solaris, do not go further in this book.

Diskless clients and AutoClient systems do not install Solaris software; instead, they receive file services from an OS server. If the OS server providing Solaris software already has Solaris software installed, refer to the Solstice AdminSuite 2.2 Administration Guide for information on setting up diskless clients, or the Solstice AutoClient 1.0 Administration Guide for setting up AutoClients.

If you do not have an OS server set up with Solaris software, continue in this book.

4 If you are setting up dataless clients, determine if you have required software.

If you are setting up dataless clients to boot over the network from an OS server, you must have the Solstice^(TM) Host Manager, which comes with the server software.

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Note - SunSoft^(TM) plans to remove support for the dataless client system type after Solaris 2.5. You can select this system type now, but in future releases you will need to select a different type.

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5 Determine if you have required hardware.

For a detailed description of hardware requirements, see the Solaris PowerPC Edition: Hardware Compatibility List.

Table 2-1

Hardware Platform	Minimum Memory	Disk Interfaces	Buses	Device for Installing Solaris
(TM)..1 PowerPC system	16 Mbytes	SCSI or IDE hard disk	· PCI · ISA	You must have a diskette drive, and one of the following devices for installing Solaris software: · Local CD-ROM drive · Remote CD-ROM drive available over the network · Remote hard disk available over the network

1. See the Solaris PowerPC Edition: Hardware Compatibility List for a list of supported systems.

6 Plan disk space and memory requirements.

There are many variables involved in determining disk space and memory requirements. Determining physical memory is easy--the minimum is 16 Mbytes, but more is better. While a system requires 32 Mbytes of virtual memory (physical and swap file/slices), determining requirements beyond this is not easy; it is depends on the type of applications that are running. Determining disk space is also not so easy; it is depends on the following:

• System type selected (for example, OS server, diskless client, AutoClient system, standalone system, dataless client)
• Language selected (for example, Chinese, Japanese, Korean)
• Software group selected (see following table)

If You Want to Install This Software Group ...	Which Installs ...	Then You'll Need Approximately This Much Disk Space For Solaris Domestic CD ...
Core System Support	The minimum software required to boot and run Solaris software.	73 Mbytes
End User System Support	The core group plus the recommended software for an end user including OpenWindows and the DeskSet software.	173 Mbytes
Developer System Support	The end user software plus software for developing software including libraries, include files, man pages, and programming tools. Compilers and debuggers are not included.	284 Mbytes
Entire Distribution	The entire Solaris release (everything on the CD). Compilers and debuggers are not included.	315 Mbytes

• Software packages that are selected or deselected in the software group (for example, you select Chinese, but deselect the 200-Mbyte font package)
• Disks selected (for example, ten 104-Mbyte disks will waste more space trying to make things fit than a single 1-GByte disk)
• Solaris file system overhead or local file systems (for example, mail, printer spooling, users' personal file systems, swap space)
• Size of other applications that are running (for example, AnswerBooks, ^(R).....^(R) PowerPC compilers, FrameMaker , IslandDraw )

Depending on which installation method you choose, you can perform a "dry run" to determine if you have enough disk space before actually installing Solaris software.

• Interactive - This method of installation lets you interactively select disks, locales, software, and lay out file systems; you can determine your requirements from a summary at the end of the session, and exit the program prior to installing Solaris software.
• Custom JumpStart - This method of installation lets you run the pfinstall command to test specific installation profiles without actually installing the Solaris software on a system.

7 Back up your system.

If your system has any files on it that you want to save, make sure you perform a backup. The safest way to back up files is to do a level 0 dump. If you do not have a backup procedure in place, see System Administration Guide, Volume I for instructions.

8 Choose a method for installing Solaris software.

There are two methods for installing Solaris software: (1)Interactive--easy, hands-on method of installing Solaris software. The Solaris installation program guides you step-by-step through identifying your system and installing Solaris software. You're in control all the way!

(2)Custom JumpStart (formerly called auto-install)--for the advanced user with experience in Bourne shell scripting. By creating profiles and rules files, you can set up systems to automatically install Solaris software in different ways on different systems. This method requires up-front work before systems are turned on, but it's the most cost-effective way to install Solaris software for large, enterprise sites. You can even set up a hands-off installation where the user just boots the system and nothing more needs to be done!

Methods.......Booting Phase

Identifying Your System..Installing Solaris

(1)

Interactive

(2) Custom

JumpStart

9 Choose a task map and complete required tasks.

Choose the task map from the following pages that matches the method you've chosen for installing Solaris software: interactive or custom JumpStart.The task maps guide you through all the tasks you need to complete before turning on, booting, and installing Solaris software on a system.

Task Map: Interactive Installations

Activity

Description

For Instructions, Go To

Optional. Use worksheets to gather information that may need to be supplied during the Solaris installation program.

Appendix A, "Work-sheets for the Solaris In-stallation Program"

page 125

From another system on the network Set up systems (standalone, OS server, or dataless client) for network installations.	Chapter 3, "Preparing to Install Solaris Over a Network"	page 15
	Chapter 7, "Booting and Installing Solaris: Custom JumpStart"	page 115
From local CD-ROM Boot and install Solaris software.	Chapter 7, "Booting and Installing Solaris: Custom JumpStart"	page 115

Install Solaris Software

Figure 2-2 Task Map for Interactive Installations

Task Map: Custom JumpStart Installation

Activity

Description

For Instructions, Go To

Perform the following tasks: · Create a JumpStart directory · Enable clients to access the JumpStart directory · Create profiles · Create a rules file · Use check to validate the rules file

Chapter 4, "Preparing Custom JumpStart Installations"

page 45

From another system on the network Set up systems (standalone, OS server, or dataless client) for network installations.	Chapter 3, "Preparing to Install Solaris Over a Network"	page 15
	Chapter 7, "Booting and Installing Solaris: Custom JumpStart"	page 115
From local CD-ROM Boot and install Solaris software.	Chapter 7, "Booting and Installing Solaris: Custom JumpStart"	page 115

Install Solaris Software

Figure 2-3 Task Map for Custom JumpStart Installations