Memory to install or upgrade 

• For UFS file systems: 256 MB is the minimum memory. 768 MB is the recommended memory.

  ---

  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 program's text installer, not through the GUI. For more information about these memory requirements, see Table 1–2.

  ---

• In previous Solaris releases, you could not install and boot the Solaris OS from a disk that was greater than 1 terabyte in size. Starting with the Solaris 10 10/09 release, you can install and boot the Solaris OS from a disk that is up to 2 TB in size.

  Starting with the Solaris 10 10/09 release, you can use the VTOC label on a disk of any size, but the addressable space by the VTOC is limited to 2 TB. This feature allows disks that are larger than 2 TB to be used as boot drives, but the usable space from the label is limited to 2 TB.

  ---

  Note –

  This feature is only available on systems that run a 64-bit kernel. A minimum of 1 GB of memory is required for x86 based systems.

  ---

  For detailed information, see Two-Terabyte Disk Support for Installing and Booting the Solaris OS in System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems.

• For ZFS root pools:

  • 786 MB is the minimum memory.

  • 1 GB of memory is recommended for overall ZFS performance

  • At least 16 GB of disk space is recommended

Swap area 

• For UFS file systems, 512 MB is the default size

• For ZFS root pools, see Disk Space Requirements for a ZFS Installation in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade

You might need to customize the swap space. Swap space is based on the size of the system's hard disk.

Processor requirements 

• For SPARC based systems: 200–MHz or faster processor is required.

• For x86 based systems: 120–MHz or faster processor is recommended. Hardware floating-point support is required.

256-767 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.

768 MB or greater 

GUI-based 

Provides windows, pull-down menus, buttons, scrollbars, and iconic images. 

For UFS 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.

In previous Solaris releases, you could not install and boot the Solaris OS from a disk that was greater than 1 terabyte in size. Starting with the Solaris 10 10/09 release, you can install and boot the Solaris OS from a disk that is up to 2 TB in size.

Starting with the Solaris 10 10/09 release, you can use the VTOC label on a disk of any size, but the addressable space by the VTOC is limited to 2 TB. This feature allows disks that are larger than 2 TB to be used as boot drives, but the usable space from the label is limited to 2 TB.

This feature is only available on systems that run a 64-bit kernel. A minimum of 1 GB of memory is required for x86 based systems.

For detailed information, see Two-Terabyte Disk Support for Installing and Booting the Solaris OS in System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems.

The /var file system for UFS file systems

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 

For swap allocations for a ZFS root pool, see Disk Space Requirements for a ZFS Installation in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade.

For a UFS file system, the Solaris installation program allocates a default swap area of 512 Mbytes under the following conditions:

• If you use the installation program's automatic layout of disk slices

• If you avoid manually changing the size of the swap slice

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 the Solaris installation program, you can customize the disk layout in cylinder mode and manually assign the swap slice to the desired location.

• For the custom JumpStart installation program, you can assign the swap slice in the profile file. For more information about the JumpStart profile file, see Creating a Profile in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.

For an overview of the swap space, see Chapter 20, 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  

• If you are using Solaris Live Upgrade to upgrade an inactive boot environment and want information about disk space planning, see Solaris Live Upgrade Disk Space Requirements in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Solaris Live Upgrade and Upgrade Planning

• If you are using other Solaris installation methods to plan disk space, see Upgrading With Disk Space Reallocation in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and 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. 

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 

Network connection 

Is the system connected to a network? 

Networked/Nonnetworked 

Network security 

Starting with the Solaris 10 11/06 release, you have the option during an initial installation to change the network security settings so that all network services, except Secure Shell, are disabled or restricted to respond to local requests only. This security option is only available during an initial installation, not during an upgrade. An upgrade maintains any previously set services. If necessary, you can restrict network services after an upgrade by using the netservices command.

During the installation, you can select restricted network security. Or, you can enable a larger set of services as in previous Solaris releases. You can safely select the restricted network security option, as any services can be individually enabled after installation. For further information about these options, see Planning Network Security in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade.

The network services can be enabled after installation by using the netservices open command or by enabling individual services by using SMF commands. See Revising Security Settings After Installation in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade.

Restricted/Open network security 

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 on a running system, type the following command. 

# ypmatch host-name hosts

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 on a running system, type the following command. 

# more /etc/netmasks

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 on a running system, type the following command. 

# uname -n

Kerberos 

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 naming service, provide the following information. 

Naming Service 

Which naming service should this system use? 

To find this information on a running system, type the following command. 

# cat /etc/nsswitch.conf

A naming service stores information in a central place, which enables users, machines, and applications to communicate across the network. Examples of information that is 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. 

During installation, you can choose the default NFSv4 domain name. Or, you can specify a custom NFSv4 domain name. 

For instructions about how to find the domain name on a running system, see Checking for the NFS Version 4 Domain in System Administration Guide: Network Services.

For more information about specifying a domain name, see NFSv4 Domain Name Configurable During Installation in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade. To preconfigure the NFSv4 domain name in the sysidcfg file, see nfs4_domain Keyword in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations.

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: 

• For NIS clients, type the following command to display the server's host name.

  # ypwhich

• For NIS+ clients, type the following command to display the server's host name.

  # nisping

Server's IP Address: 

• For NIS clients, type the following command to display the server's IP address.

  # ypmatch nameserver-name hosts

• For NIS+ clients, type the following command to display the server's IP address.

  # nismatch nameserver-name hosts.org_dir

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. 

# getent hosts dns

You can enter a list of domains to search when a DNS query is made. 

List of domains to be searched: 

The domain name system (DNS) is the naming service that the Internet provides for TCP/IP networks. DNS provides host names to the IP address service. DNS simplifies communication 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: 

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) defines a relatively simple protocol for updating and searching directories that are running over TCP/IP. 

Default Route 

Do you want to specify a default route IP address or let the Solaris installation program 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:

• You can specify the IP address. An /etc/defaultrouter file is created with the specified IP address. When the system is rebooted, the specified IP address becomes the default route.

• You can let the Solaris installation program detect an IP address. However, the system must be on a subnet that has a router that advertises itself by using the ICMP router discovery protocol. If you are using the command-line interface, the software detects an IP address when the system is booted.

• You can choose None if you do not have a router or do not want the software to detect an IP address at this time. The software automatically tries to detect an IP address on reboot.

Detect one*/Specify 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. 

Keyboard 

If the keyboard is self-identifying, the keyboard language and layout automatically configures during installation. If the keyboard is not self-identifying, you can select from a list of supported keyboard layouts during installation. 

PS/2 keyboards are not self-identifying. You will be asked to select the keyboard layout during the installation. 

Previously, all of keyboards that were not self-identifying always configured for the U.S. English layout during installation.

For further information, see keyboard Keyword in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations.

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? 

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 

Default or Custom Install 

Do you want to perform a default installation, or customize the installation?

• Select Default installation to format the entire hard disk and install a preselected set of software.

• Select Custom installation to modify the hard disk layout and select the software that you want to install.

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 

Software Group 

Which Solaris Software Group do you want to install? 

Entire Plus OEM 

Entire* 

Developer 

End User 

Core 

Reduced Networking 

Custom Package Selection 

Do you want to add or remove software packages from the Solaris Software Group that you install? 

When you select which packages to add or remove, you need to know about software dependencies and how Solaris software is packaged.

Select Disks 

On which disks do you want to install the Solaris software? 

Example: c0t0d0

x86: fdisk partitioning

Do you want to create, delete, or modify a Solaris fdisk partition?

Each disk that is selected for file system layout must have a Solaris fdisk partition.

If your system currently has a service partition, the Solaris installation program preserves the service partition by default. If you do not want to preserve the service partition, you must customize the fdisk partitions. For more information about preserving a service partition, see Default Boot-Disk Partition Layout Preserves the Service Partition in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade.

Select Disks for fdisk Partition Customization?

Yes/No* 

Customize fdisk partitions?

Yes/No* 

Preserve Data  

Do you want to preserve any data that exists on the disks where you are installing the Solaris software? 

Yes/No* 

Auto-layout File Systems 

Do you want the installation program to automatically lay out file systems on your disks? 

If yes, which file systems should be used for auto-layout? 

Example: /, /opt, /var

If no, you must provide file system configuration information. 

The Solaris installation GUI lays out file systems automatically by default.

Yes*/No 

Mount Remote File Systems 

Does this system need to access software on another file system? 

If yes, provide the following information about the remote file system. 

Yes/No* 

Server: 

IP Address: 

Remote File System: 

Local Mount Point: 

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. 

Review the planning chapter and other relevant documentation. 

• Review the entire planning chapter or specific sections in Part I, Overall Planning of Any Solaris Installation or Upgrade, in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade.

• Review the Solaris 10 10/09 Release Notes on http://docs.sun.com and vendor release notes to ensure that the software you use is supported in the new Solaris release.

• Review the Solaris 10 10/09 Sun Hardware Platform Guide to ensure that your hardware is supported.

• Review the documentation that accompanied your system to ensure that your system and devices are supported by the Solaris release.

New installation features 

Chapter 2, What’s New in Solaris Installation, in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade

Network security planning 

Planning Network Security in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade

Disk space guidelines and recommendations 

Allocating Disk and Swap Space in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade

Additional requirements and recommendations for upgrading to the Solaris OS 

Upgrade Planning in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade

Checklist for Upgrading in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade

Information about working with x86 partitions during your installation 

Partitioning Recommendations in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade

Information about ZFS installations, GRUB based booting, Solaris Zones partitioning technology, and RAID-1 volumes that can be created at installation 

Part II, Understanding Installations That Relate to ZFS, Booting, Solaris Zones, and RAID-1 Volumes, in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade

Road map of the overall installation process 

Task Map: Installing or Upgrading the Solaris Software in Solaris 10 10/09 Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade