openSolaris 2008 - Installing OpenSolaris 2008.11 from the Live CD

Installing OpenSolaris 2008.11 from the Live CD

This OpenSolaris release provides an initial installation of the OpenSolaris OS from the Live CD. An existing Solaris fdisk partition is overwritten during the initial installation.

Review the Release Notes for this release.

How to Install OpenSolaris 2008.11 from the Live CD

Before You Begin

Before installing the OpenSolaris OS, review the system requirements and limitations described in the preceding sections of this document.

Note - Before you install the OpenSolaris OS on a system that is running the Linux OS, save a copy of the menu.lst file. The contents of the GRUB menu.lst file dictate what is displayed in the GRUB menu when you boot the system. You will need to update the GRUB menu after the installation. For further information, see menu.lst file specifics at x86: Booting a Solaris System with GRUB.

The following default settings are used for this release.

The installation uses an existing partition or a new created Solaris fdisk partition to create a ZFS storage pool. If a second disk is available, you can add a second disk to the ZFS pool to create a mirrored configuration.
This release installs an OpenSolaris system that is automatically networked by using DHCP with DNS name resolution.
The nwamd daemon is enabled by default. nwamd introduces an alternate instance of the network or physical SMF service that enables automated network configuration.
For further information, see the Appendix: nwamd(1M) Man Page. The nwamd(1M) man page provides instructions about how to disable or enable the network/physical:nwam instance.
IPv6 is disabled.
The DNS domain and server IP addresses are retrieved from the DHCP server.
The NFSv4 domain is dynamically derived.
Kerberos is disabled.

To start the installer from the Live CD desktop, select the Installer icon on the Live CD desktop.
Note - If you are prompted to log in to the Live CD, both the user name and password are jack. The root password is opensolaris.

A text prompt enables you to select an installer language before the installer begins. The default language is English.
The installer begins.
Complete any additional selections in the preliminary installation panels.
Note the following important considerations:
- The installation overwrites the whole disk layout if one of the following is true:
  - The disk table cannot be read.
  - The disk was not previously partitioned.
- If an existing Solaris fdisk partition is on a multiboot system, and the user makes no modifications to the existing partitions, the installation overwrites the Solaris fdisk partition only. Other existing partitions are not changed.
In the Disk panel, select disk and partition location for the OpenSolaris OS.
1. In the top portion of the Disk panel, select the disk where the OpenSolaris OS will be installed.
  The top portion of this panel displays the internal disks, external disks, and solid-state drives that are available on the system. This panel also displays the size of each disk in gigabytes.
  
  Note - To be recognized by the installer, the disks and solid-state drives must be plugged in before the installer begins.
  
  The recommended size and minimum size for the OpenSolaris OS installation are displayed. Disks that are too small for a successful installation are labeled as such. The recommended size is at least 8 Gbytes.
  
  Note - A maximum of 2Tbytes on a disk or on a partition is usable for installing the OpenSolaris 2008.11 release, even if the disk or partition is larger than 2 Tbytes.
2. In the bottom portion of the Disk panel, click either Use the whole disk or Partition the disk.
  The bottom portion of this panel displays the existing disk partitioning.
  
  Caution - If the existing partition table cannot be read, a warning is displayed, and the panel displays proposed partitioning. In this case, all data on the disk is destroyed.
  - If you choose to partition the disk, review the following partitioning guidelines, then revise the partitioning panel settings as needed.
    - Only one Solaris partition is allowed. If an existing Solaris partition is available, that Solaris partition will be the target for the installation. Or, if you do not have an existing Solaris partition, you can change any existing partition to a Solaris partition.
    - You can resize existing partitions, delete partitions, and create new partitions in this panel. For this option, one existing Solaris partition must be available as the target for the installation.
      
      Caution - The partitions are displayed in physically sequential order as they are laid out on the disk. Resizing a Solaris partition destroys the data on that partition and all physically subsequent partitions. Existing data is not moved to conform to a new partition layout. However, resizing the last partition or appending a new partition does not affect the data that already exists in other partitions. Non-Solaris partitions cannot be resized.
      
      Caution - To make additional space available, you can change an existing partition to Unused. However, if you change an existing partition to Unused, all subsequent non-Solaris partitions are also changed to Unused.
      
      Caution - New partitions can only use the available space that follows the last defined partition. The installer cannot utilize unallocated chunks of space between existing defined partitions. Use the fdisk(1M) command to create new partitions that use the free space between exiting partitions.
    - If you used a third-party partitioning tool such as GParted, then the Disk panel displays a partition named Linux-swap on which you can install the OpenSolaris OS.
      
      Note - In this panel, use the drop-down list for the Linux-swap partition name to change the partition name to Solaris.
    Note - Manual control of the OpenSolaris file system layout is not supported. During the installation, the Solaris fdisk partition is reformatted with a default ZFS file system layout. All existing file systems on the Solaris partition are destroyed.
    The installation uses a Solaris fdisk partition to create a ZFS storage pool.
    If a second disk is available, you can, after the installed system has been booted, add a second disk to the ZFS pool to create a mirrored configuration. To create a mirrored configuration, use the ZFS attach command to add a second disk to the storage pool. For example:
```
# zpool attach rpool c0t2d0s0 c0t4d0s0
```
    The following example illustrates a ZFS file system setup with a redundant configuration:
```
# zpool status
  pool: rpool
 state: ONLINE
 scrub: none requested
config:

NAME          STATE     READ WRITE CKSUM
rpool         ONLINE       0     0     0
mirror        ONLINE       0     0     0
c0t2d0s0      ONLINE       0     0     0
c0t4d0s0      ONLINE       0     0     0

errors: No known data errors 
```
  - In the same panel, you can choose instead to install the OpenSolaris OS on the whole disk.
    Caution - This option erases the existing disk. The entire disk is overwritten with the new OpenSolaris OS.
  When you have revised the partitioning as needed, click Next.
Complete time zone, date, and time settings.
The next panel enables you to type the correct time zone, date, and time for the system to be installed. The top half of the panel displays a world map with major cities marked. The bottom half of the panel provides drop-down selections. You can choose the time zone either from the map or from the drop-down list.
- If you select the time zone from the map, click on a city or click anywhere on the map.
  If you click on the map, but not on a city, the map automatically magnifies that area. You can click on a location within that magnified area. You can drag the cursor to move the magnified area to a different location on the map. When you select a site on the map, the drop-down selections automatically populate with the time zone, date, and current time for that map selection. You can right-click to deselect magnification.
- Instead of using the map, you can make your selections in the drop-down fields.
  Select your region, then select Location. Finally, select time zone. The options for each drop-down field are determined by the selection made in the prior drop-down field.
Note - You can edit the default date and time that is provided.

When the settings are correct, click Next.
Select language and locale, then click Next.
The next panel enables you to select a language and locale. These selections determine the language support, the default date and time, and other data formats for the installed system.
- You can accept the default language selection or change the selection.
- A language selection is required. You can select “no default language support.”
- The language chosen automatically determines the available locales in the drop-down list. Only one locale can be selected.
Note - Any time that you log in to the installed system, you can change either the locale for that particular session or the default locale by using the Options button in the Login dialog box.
Complete the user settings and click Next.
Review the following guidelines:
- Root login is not enabled either on the Live CD or on the installed system. You must log in as the user that you create in this panel. After you log in, you can then become root to configure the system.
  
  Note - If you do not create a user account in this panel, root is set up as a normal account on the installed system, instead of as a role. This is the only situation where you can log in to the installed system as root.
  
  For further information, see Login and Root Specifications.
- Both the root password and user account are optional. However, for better security, do complete these fields.
  If the root password is not defined, a reminder is displayed when you click Next. If you do not want to define a root password, you can proceed.
- A user account requires only a Login name for the account to be valid. For better security, however, do complete all fields.
  If the user account information is not valid, a reminder is displayed when you click Next. If you do not want to define a user account, you can proceed.
- Type a computer name or accept the default. The computer name field cannot be blank.
In the Install panel, review and confirm installation specifications.
Caution - The installation begins when you click Install. Do not interrupt an installation in progress.

During the installation, a progress bar is displayed.
The final panel displays completion messages. You can review the installation log in this panel. You can either quit or reboot from this panel.
- After a successful installation, to start the installed system, select Reboot. The reboot process might take a few minutes.
  Note - Eject the Live CD as the next boot begins. Or, select the “Boot from Hard Disk” option on the GRUB menu.
- To exit, select Quit and shut down your system.

Next Steps

After you have installed the OpenSolaris OS, if you have another operating system on your system, you might need to update the GRUB menu. The GRUB menu displays a list of operating systems that can be booted. Solaris and Windows operating systems are displayed automatically on the GRUB menu. The contents of the GRUB menu.lst file define what is displayed in the GRUB menu when you boot the system. If you have an additional OpenSolaris OS or a Linux OS that is not displayed on the menu, you need to edit the GRUB menu.lst file. For further information, see menu.lst file specifics at x86: Booting a Solaris System with GRUB.

If you are unable to log in to your installed system, or if you want to customize the roles that were set up during the installation, see Login and Root Specifications.

Review the additional features that are available for your use after installation at Next Steps After Installation.