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Installing the Solaris OS on an x86 Server Without CDs

Derek Crudgington, April 2006

Introduction

Here are 10 steps to set up a CD-less install server if you are using the Solaris 10 03/05 OS for x86 platforms or a version of Solaris for x86 platforms with GRUB. Booting off the Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) is a lot easier and painless now, as this example shows. This process does not include profiles so you will have to sit through the install process and answer questions. It is just a quick and easy way to get the Solaris OS for x86 platforms installed on a remote machine without burning CDs.

By the way, PXE (pronounced "pixie") is an Intel component that allows a workstation to boot from a server on a network prior to booting the operating system on the local hard drive.

Step 1

Download ISO images from sun.com. (Editor's note: For more information, see Operating Systems Downloads or Get the Solaris Enterprise System.)

Step 2

Unzip them and run # lofiadm -a iso_file.iso for each one.

Step 3

Execute this command:

# mkdir /mnt/disk1 /mnt/disk2 /mnt/disk3 /mnt/disk4

Step 4

Run # mount -F hsfs /dev/lofi/# /mnt/disk# for each one.

Step 5

Run this:

# /mnt/disk1/Solaris_11/Tools/setup_install_server /path/to/setup/installserver

Step 6

Use the following for each CD:

# /mnt/disk#/Solaris_11/Tools/add_to_install_server /path/to/setup/installserver

Step 7

Use this command:

# /path/to/setup/installserver/Solaris_11/Tools/add_install_client -d \
-e client_mac -s install_server_ip:/path/to/setup/installserver i86pc

After this command you will get information to use for the DHCP server you set up in Step 10. If you are familiar with the old x86 network boot, you will notice that SUNW.i86pc is not used anymore and there are fewer options to add for the DHCP server.

Step 8

Run the following command:

# share -F nfs -o ro,anon=0 -d "Install Server" /path/to/setup/installserver

Step 9

Run # /usr/sadm/admin/bin/dhcpmgr and follow the correct IP setup. Defaults work great here if using 192.168 network.

Step 10

Add a macro by clicking on Macros then Edit --> Create. Use the information from the add_install_client command to put in the DHCP Macro. There are only two options: BootSrvA, which is the IP address of the install server, and BootFile, which is the name of the boot file on the install server.

Tell your client to boot off using PXE.

About the Author

Derek Crudgington can be reached at dacrud@gmail.com, or you can check out his web site at http://hell.jedicoder.net.

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