Chapter 4 Preconfiguring System Configuration Information

This chapter describes how to preconfigure the information in a sysidcfg file and name service databases so you can avoid being prompted for this information every time you install Solaris. It also describes how to preconfigure Power Management^TM information.

• "Ways to Preconfigure System Configuration Information"

• "Guidelines for Preconfiguring With the sysidcfg File"

• "Preconfiguring With the Name Service"

• "SPARC: Preconfiguring Power Management Information"

Both the Solaris 8 Interactive Installation Program and custom JumpStart need configuration information about a system (such as the system's peripheral devices, host name, Internet Protocol (IP) address, and name service) before either installation tool can install the Solaris 8 software. Before prompting you for configuration information, both installation tools look for the information in the sysidcfg file or the name service databases (in that order).

For example, if you have a large number of systems and you don't want to be prompted for the time zone every time you install Solaris 8 on one of the systems, you can specify the time zone in the sysidcfg file or the name service databases. When you subsequently install Solaris 8, the time zone prompt is not displayed.

Ways to Preconfigure System Configuration Information

There are two ways to preconfigure system configuration information. You can add the information to:

• A sysidcfg file (on a remote system or diskette)

• The name service available at your site

Use Table 4-1 to determine which method to use to preconfigure system configuration information for your system.

Guidelines for Preconfiguring With the sysidcfg File

You specify a set of keywords in the sysidcfg file to preconfigure a system. These keywords are described in Table 4-2.

You must create a unique sysidcfg file for every system that requires different configuration information. You can use the same sysidcfg file to preconfigure the time zone on a set of systems provided you want all the systems assigned the same time zone. However, if you want to preconfigure a different root (superuser) password for each of those systems, you need to create a unique sysidcfg file for each system.

You can place the sysidcfg file in a shared NFS^TM network directory or in the root (/) directory on:

• A UFS diskette

• A PCFS diskette

in the system's diskette drive.

• If you put the sysidcfg file in a shared NFS network directory, you must use the -p option of the add_install_client(1M) command (when you set up the system to install over the network) to specify where the system can find the sysidcfg file when you install Solaris.

• SPARC: If you put the sysidcfg file on a profile diskette, ensure that the diskette is inserted in the system's diskette drive when the system boots.

• IA: Put the sysidcfg file on the diskette that contains the Solaris 8 Device Configuration Assistant.

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  Note -

  You can place only one sysidcfg file in a directory or on a diskette. If you are creating more than one sysidcfg file, you must place each file in a different directory or on a different diskette.

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Types of Keywords: Dependent and Independent

There are two types of keywords you use in the sysidcfg file: independent and dependent. Dependent keywords are guaranteed to be unique only within independent keywords. That is, a dependent keyword exists only when it is identified with its associated independent keyword.

In this example, name_service is the independent keyword, while domain_name and name_server are the dependent keywords:

name_service=NIS {domain_name=marquee.central.sun.com
name_server=connor(129.152.112.3)}

Syntax Rules of the sysidcfg File

pointer=MS-S
display=ati {size=15-inch}

TIMEZONE=US/Central
terminal=PC Console

name_service=NIS 
       {domain_name=marquee.central.sun.com
        name_server=connor(129.152.112.3)}

network_interface='none'

network_interface=none
network_interface=le0

Table 4-2 describes the keywords you can use in the sysidcfg file.

security_policy=kerberos 
{default_realm=Yoursite.COM 
admin_server=krbadmin.Yoursite.COM 
kdc=kdc1.Yoursite.COM, kdc2.Yoursite.COM}

SPARC: Example sysidcfg File

The following example illustrates what a sysidcfg file looks like for a group of SPARC based systems. (The host names, IP addresses, and netmask of these systems have been preconfigured by editing the name service.) Because all the system configuration information is preconfigured in this file, you could use a custom JumpStart profile to perform a custom JumpStart installation.

system_locale=en_US
timezone=US/Central
terminal=sun-cmd
timeserver=localhost
name_service=NIS {domain_name=marquee.central.sun.com
                  name_server=connor(129.152.112.3)}
root_password=m4QPOWNY

IA: Example sysidcfg File

The following example illustrates what a sysidcfg file looks like for a group of IA based systems that all use the same type of keyboard, graphics cards, and pointing devices. The device information (keyboard, display, and pointer) was obtained by running the kdmconfig(1M) command with the -d option. If the following example sysidcfg file is used, a prompt that asks you to select a language (system_locale) is displayed before installation can proceed.

keyboard=ATKBD {layout=US-English}
display=ati {size=15-inch}
pointer=MS-S
timezone=US/Central
timeserver=connor
terminal=ibm-pc
name_service=NIS {domain_name=marquee.central.sun.com
                  name_server=connor(129.152.112.3)}
root_password=URFUni9

To Create a sysidcfg Configuration File

1. Using a text editor of your choice, open a new text file and name it sysidcfg.

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   Note -

   If you create more than one sysidcfg file, you must save each one in a separate directory or on a separate diskette.

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2. Enter the sysidcfg keywords you want.

3. Save the sysidcfg file.

4. Make the sysidcfg file available to clients through:

   • A shared NFS network directory (use add_install_client(1M) with the -p option)

   • The root (/) directory on a:

     • UFS diskette

     • PCFS diskette

Preconfiguring With the Name Service

For SPARC based systems, preconfigure system configuration information by editing the name service (NIS or NIS+).

The following table provides a high-level overview of what you need to do.

The procedure to preconfigure the locale for a system is different for each name service, as described in "To Preconfigure the Locale Using NIS".

To Preconfigure the Locale Using NIS

1. As superuser on the name server, open /var/yp/Makefile with a text editor of your choice.

2. Insert this shell procedure after the last variable.time shell procedure:

   locale.time: $(DIR)/locale -@if [ -f $(DIR)/locale ]; then \ sed -e "/^#/d" -e s/#.*$$// $(DIR)/locale \ | awk '{for (i = 2; i<=NF; i++) print $$i, $$0}' \ | $(MAKEDBM) - $(YPDBDIR)/$(DOM)/locale.byname; \ touch locale.time; \ echo "updated locale"; \ if [ ! $(NOPUSH) ]; then \ $(YPPUSH) locale.byname; \ echo "pushed locale"; \ else \ : ; \ fi \ else \ echo "couldn't find $(DIR)/locale"; \ fi

3. Find the string all: and, at the end of the list of variables, insert the word locale:

   all: passwd group hosts ethers networks rpc services protocols \ netgroup bootparams aliases publickey netid netmasks c2secure \ timezone auto.master auto.home locale

4. Toward the end of the file, after the last entry of its type, insert the string locale: locale.time on a new line:

   passwd: passwd.time group: group.time hosts: hosts.time ethers: ethers.time networks: networks.time rpc: rpc.time services: services.time protocols: protocols.time netgroup: netgroup.time bootparams: bootparams.time aliases: aliases.time publickey: publickey.time netid: netid.time passwd.adjunct: passwd.adjunct.time group.adjunct: group.adjunct.time netmasks: netmasks.time timezone: timezone.time auto.master: auto.master.time auto.home: auto.home.time locale: locale.time

5. Create the file /etc/locale and make one entry for each domain or specific system:

   locale domain_name

   or

   locale system_name

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   Note -

   Appendix B, Locale Values contains a list of valid locales.

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   For example, the following entry specifies that French is the default language used in the worknet.com domain:

   fr worknet.com

   And the following entry specifies that Belgian French is the default locale used by a system named sherlock:

   fr_BE sherlock

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   Note -

   Locales are available on the Solaris 8 Software 1 of 2 SPARC Platform Edition or Solaris 8 Software 1 of 2 Intel Platform Edition CD.

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6. Make the maps:

   # cd /var/yp; make

   Systems specified by domain or individually in the locale map are now set up to use the default locale. The default locale you've specified is used during installation and by the desktop after the system is rebooted.

To Preconfigure the Locale Using NIS+

This procedure assumes the NIS+ domain is set up. Setting up the NIS+ domain is documented in the Solaris Naming Administration Guide.

1. Log in to a name server as superuser or as a user in the NIS+ administration group.

2. Type this nistbladm command:

   # nistbladm -D access=og=rmcd,nw=r -c locale_tbl name=SI,nogw= locale=,nogw= comment=,nogw= locale.org_dir.`nisdefaults -d`

   A locale table is created.

3. Add an entry to the locale table by typing this nistbladm command:

   # nistbladm -a name=domain_name locale=locale comment=comment locale.org_dir.`nisdefaults -d`

   domain_name	Is either the domain name or a specific system name for which you want to preconfigure a default locale.
   locale	Is the locale you want installed on the system and used on the desktop after the system is rebooted. Appendix B, Locale Values contains a list of valid locales.
   comment	Is the comment field. Use double quotation marks to begin and end comments that are longer than one word.

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   Note -

   Locales are available on the Solaris 8 Software 1 of 2 SPARC Platform Edition or Solaris 8 Software 1 of 2 Intel Platform Edition CD.

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   Systems specified by domain or individually in the locale table are now set up to use the default locale. The default locale you specified is used during installation and by the desktop after the system is rebooted.

SPARC: Preconfiguring Power Management Information

You can use the Power Management software provided in the Solaris environment to automatically save the state of a system and turn it off after it is idle for 30 minutes. When you install the Solaris 8 software on a system that complies with Version 2 of the EPA's Energy Star guidelines--a sun4u SPARC system, for example--the Power Management software is installed by default, and you are prompted after subsequently rebooting to enable or disable the Power Management software.

If you are performing interactive installations, there is no way to preconfigure the Power Management information and avoid the prompt. However, using custom JumpStart, you can preconfigure the Power Management information by using a finish script to create an /autoshutdown or /noautoshutdown file on the system. When the system reboots, the /autoshutdown file enables Power Management and the /noautoshutdown file disables Power Management.

For example, the following line in a finish script enables the Power Management software and prevents the display of the prompt after the system reboots.

touch /a/autoshutdown

Finish scripts are described in "Creating Finish Scripts".