Install Solaris 10 over a Network

Introduction

This tutorial assumes that you wish to install Solaris 10 via a network. Please note that this tutorial is for the Solaris SPARC edition only. Sun have a document (see references at end) that covers the installation of both X86 and SPARC architectures. This tutorial is a simplified and annotated version of that document that hopefully you may find easier to understand.

Preparing the install server

My install server is another Sun machine with Solaris 10 already installed.

With the Solaris DVD loaded you first need to setup a directory to save the install image:

mkdir -p /export/home/dvdsparc

Now we change to the following directory on the DVD:

cd /cdrom/cdrom0/Solaris_10/Tools

And now we setup the install server and tell it to copy the files to the directory we created above:

./setup_install_server /export/home/dvdsparc

Now we use the share command to export the directory over NFS

share -F nfs -o ro,anon=0 -d "install server directory" /export/home/dvdsparc

Make sure that the NFS server is enabled:

svcadm enable svc:/network/nfs/server

Finally share the NFS shares:

shareall

Adding the client to the install server

Edit /etc/ethers and add the ethernet MAC address of the server to be installed. If the file does not exist then create it.

00:03:BA:0A:29:F8 netra01

Edit /etc/hosts and add the IP address and hostname of the server to be installed:

127.0.0.1       localhost
172.20.1.9      merlin  loghost
172.20.1.161    netra01

It is critical that the IP address be reserved on the DHCP server using it's MAC address as when the install client boots it uses DHCP to get its address.

Change directory to your exported DVD image e.g:

cd /export/home/dvdsparc/Solaris_10/Tools

To add the client in the example above we would use the following:

./add_install_client netra01 sun4u

Preparing the client

Power on the client. Wait approx 15 seconds and enter the following key combination to enter the LOM console:

#.

You will now be at the LOM prompt. To enter OpenBoot enter the following command:

break -y

Now you are at the OpenBoot prompt and to begin the network install issue the following command at the ok prompt:

boot net

The server will reboot and begin the Solaris setup.

Important - This guide assumes that you are installing Solaris onto a server that has no display adapter. During setup you will be asked to choose your console type. For my installations I was using PuTTy setup to use the console and I chose the first entry in the list.

References

Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations - [1]