x86: Performing a Custom JumpStart Installation

During a custom JumpStart installation, the JumpStart program attempts to match the system that is being installed to the rules in the rules.ok file. The JumpStart program reads the rules from the first rule through the last rule. A match occurs when the system that is being installed matches all of the system attributes that are defined in the rule. As soon as a system matches a rule, the JumpStart program stops reading the rules.ok file and begins to install the system, based on the matched rule's profile.

You can install a Solaris Flash archive with custom JumpStart. For instructions, see To Prepare to Install a Solaris Flash Archive With a Custom JumpStart Installation.

Choose one of the following procedures:

• For a standard custom JumpStart procedure, see x86: To Perform an Installation or Upgrade With the Custom JumpStart Program and With GRUB.

• To perform a custom JumpStart by editing the GRUB command, see x86: Performing a Custom JumpStart Installation by Editing the GRUB Boot Command.

x86: To Perform an Installation or Upgrade With the Custom JumpStart Program and With GRUB

Use this procedure to install the Solaris OS for an x86 based system with the GRUB menu.

1. If the system is part of a network, ensure that an Ethernet connector or similar network adapter is attached to your system.
2. If you want to install a system that is connected through a tip(1) line, ensure that your window display is at least 80 columns wide and 24 rows long.

   To determine the current dimensions of your tip window, use the stty(1) command.

3. Decide if you want to use a profile diskette.

   A profile diskette is no longer used to boot the system but, a diskette can be prepared that includes only the JumpStart directory. The diskette can then be used situations such as performing a JumpStart installation and booting off the CD-ROM.

   • If you are using a profile diskette, insert the profile diskette into the system's diskette drive.

   • If you are not using a profile diskette, continue with step Step 4.

4. Decide how to boot the system.

   • If you boot from the Solaris Operating System DVD or the Solaris Software - 1 CD, insert the disc. Your system's BIOS must support booting from a DVD or CD.

   • If you boot from the network, use Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) network boot. The system must support PXE. Enable the system to use PXE by using the system's BIOS setup tool or the network adapter's configuration setup tool.

5. (Optional) If you are booting from a DVD or CD, change the boot setting in your system's BIOS and set to boot from DVD or CD media. See your hardware documentation for instructions.
6. If the system is off, turn the system on. If the system is on, reboot the system.

   The GRUB menu is displayed. This menu provides a list of boot entries.

   • For an installation with CD media:

     GNU GRUB version 0.95 (631K lower / 2095488K upper memory)
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |Solaris Express 5/07 image_directory                                               |
     |Solaris Express 5/07 Serial Console tty                                 |
     |Solaris Express 5/07 Serial Console ttyb (for lx50, v60x and v65)       |
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
     Use the ^ and v keys to select which entry is highlighted. Press
     enter to boot the selected OS, 'e' to edit the commands before
     booting, or 'c' for a command-line.

   • For an installation with a DVD media:

     GNU GRUB version 0.95 (631K lower / 2095488K upper memory)
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |Solaris Express Developer Edition image_directory                             |
     |Solaris Express 5/07                                                    |
     |Solaris Express 5/07 Serial Console ttya                                |
     |Solaris Express 5/07 Serial Console ttyb (for lx50, v60x and v65)       |
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
     Use the ^ and v keys to select which entry is highlighted. Press
     enter to boot the selected OS, 'e' to edit the commands before
     booting, or 'c' for a command-line.

   If you use DVD media, you must choose the “Solaris Express” release. The default “Solaris Express Developer Edition” release does not give you a choice for a JumpStart installation.

   The image_directory is the name of the directory where the installation image is located. The path to the JumpStart files was defined with the add_install_client command and the -c option.

   ---

   Note - Instead of booting from the GRUB entry now, you can edit the boot entry. After editing the GRUB entry, you then perform the JumpStart installation. For instructions about how to edit the GRUB entry and a list of installation options, see x86: Performing a Custom JumpStart Installation by Editing the GRUB Boot Command.

   ---

7. At the prompt, perform one of the following instructions:

   Select the type of installation you want to perform:
    
            1 Solaris Interactive
            2 Custom JumpStart
            3 Solaris Interactive Text (Desktop session)
            4 Solaris Interactive Text (Console session)
            5. Apply driver updates
            6. Single User Shell
   Enter the number of your choice.
   Please make a selection (1-6).

   To select the custom JumpStart method, type 2 and press Enter.

   The JumpStart installation begins.

   ---

   Note -

   • If you do not make a selection within 30 seconds, the Solaris interactive installation program begins. You can stop the timer by typing any key at the command line.

   • If you select items 1, 3, or 4, you install with an interactive installation. For information about interactive installations, see Solaris Express Installation Guide: Basic Installations.

   • If you select item 5, you install driver updates.

   • If you select item 6, you can perform maintenance tasks.

   ---

8. If you did not preconfigure system information in the sysidcfg file, when prompted, answer the questions about system configuration.
9. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the software.

   When the JumpStart program finishes installing the Solaris software, the system reboots automatically. Also, the GRUB menu.lst file is automatically updated. Then the instance of Solaris that you have installed appears in the next use of the GRUB menu.

   After the installation is finished, installation logs are saved in a file. You can find the installation logs in the following directories:

   • /var/sadm/system/logs

   • /var/sadm/install/logs

x86: Performing a Custom JumpStart Installation by Editing the GRUB Boot Command

In some circumstances such as for debugging purposes, you might want to modify the GRUB boot command. The following procedure describes the steps to edit the GRUB boot command before performing the custom JumpStart installation.

x86: To Modify the GRUB Boot Command

1. To begin the installation, proceed with Step 1 through Step 5 in the preceding procedure, x86: To Perform an Installation or Upgrade With the Custom JumpStart Program and With GRUB.
2. If the system is off, turn the system on. If the system is on, reboot the system.

   The GRUB menu is displayed. This menu provides a list of boot entries. The entry that is provided is the Solaris instance to be installed.

   • For an installation with CD media:

     GNU GRUB version 0.95 (631K lower / 2095488K upper memory)
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |Solaris Express image_directory               
     |Solaris Express Serial Console tty                                 |
     |Solaris Express Serial Console ttyb (for lx50, v60x and v65)       |
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
     Use the ^ and v keys to select which entry is highlighted. Press
     enter to boot the selected OS, 'e' to edit the commands before
     booting, or 'c' for a command-line.

   • For an installation with a DVD media:

     GNU GRUB version 0.95 (631K lower / 2095488K upper memory)
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |Solaris Express Developer Edition image_directory 
     |Solaris Express                                                    |
     |Solaris Exprress Serial Console ttya                               |
     |Solaris Express Serial Console ttyb (for lx50, v60x and v65)       |
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
     Use the ^ and v keys to select which entry is highlighted. Press
     enter to boot the selected OS, 'e' to edit the commands before
     booting, or 'c' for a command-line.

   The image_directory is the name of the directory where the installation image is located.

   ---

   Note -

   • If you used the NFS to set the path to the JumpStart directory with the add_install_client command and the -c option, then you do not need to include the path in the boot entry.

   • If you are not using NFS, then you must note the path to the compressed configuration file that contains the JumpStart directory.

   ---

3. To stop the booting process and use the menu entry editor, type e.

   A GRUB edit menu similar to the following displayed.

   kernel /I86PC.Solaris_11-30/platform/i86pc/kernel/unix - -install -B \
   install_media=192.168.79.61:/export/Solaris_11-30,\
   sysid_config=192.168.79.57:/export/install/sysid/sysidcfg,\
   install_config=192.168.79.57:/export/install/jumpstart"
   module /I86PC.Solaris_11-30/x86.miniroot

4. Use the arrow keys to select the boot entry.
5. To edit the selected command, type e.

   A command that is similar to the following example displays.

   grub edit>kernel /I86PC.Solaris_11-30/platform/i86pc/kernel/unix - -install -B \
   install_media=192.168.79.61:/export/Solaris_11-30,\
   sysid_config=192.168.79.57:/export/install/sysid/sysidcfg,\
   install_config=192.168.79.57:/export/install/jumpstart"
   module /I86PC.Solaris_11-30/x86.miniroot

6. Edit the command by typing the options that you need.

   The syntax for a JumpStart installation is the following.

   grub edit>kernel$ /I86PC.Solaris_11-image_directory
   /platform/i86pc/kernel/$ISADIR/unix/ \
   - install [url|ask] options \
   -B install_media=media_type

   ---

   Note - Starting with the 5/07 Developer release, GRUB has enhanced support for directly booting the unix kernel. The new $ISADIR keyword resolves to amd64 for 64-bit hardware and to null for 32-bit hardware. For details, see GRUB Menu Commands for Installation in Solaris Express Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations.

   ---

   For a description of JumpStart options, see x86: Command Reference for Booting the System.

   In the following example, the OS is installed over the network with a custom JumpStart profile.

   kernel /I86PC.Solaris_11-8/platform/i86pc/kernel/unix/ - install \
   -B install_media=192.168.79.61:/export/Solaris_11-30,\
   sysid_config=192.168.79.57:/export/install/sysid/sysidcfg,\
   install_config=192.168.79.57:/export/install/jumpstart"
   module /I86PC.Solaris_11-30/x86.miniroot

7. To accept the edits, press Enter.

   Your changes are saved and the GRUB main menu is displayed.

   ---

   Note - Pressing the Escape key returns you to the GRUB main menu without saving your changes.

   ---

8. To begin the installation, type b.

x86: Command Reference for Booting the System

The following table describes the command-line options for the GRUB menu boot command. The options listed are appropriate for a JumpStart installation.

The syntax of the boot command is the following.

kernel$ /I86PC.Solaris_11-image_directory/platform/i86pc/kernel/$ISADIR/unix/ \
- install [url|ask] \
options -B install_media=media_type

Note - Starting with the 5/07 Developer release, GRUB has enhanced support for directly booting the unix kernel. For details about these enhancements, see GRUB Menu Commands for Installation in Solaris Express Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations.

Table 6-4 GRUB Menu Boot Command Reference

kernel$ /I86pc.Solaris_11.8/platform/i86pc/kernel/unix - install file://jumpstart/config.tar \
 -B install_media=dvdrom module /I86Solaris_11.8/x86.new