[rescue] SUMMARY: Installing Solaris 2.6 on a Netra t1 Model 105

[Ahmed Ewing]

Took me forever to get around to trying this out, and even longer to
summarize. Thanks go out to Will Enestvedt (william.enestvedt at jwu.edu)
for making it possible, by forwarding me a copy of the OE Installation
CD's contents.

Without the OE CD, the cdrom boot attempt on a Netra t1 look like this:
- - - - -

Netra t1 (UltraSPARC-IIi 440MHz), No Keyboard
OpenBoot 3.10.27 ME, 512 MB memory installed, Serial #11725063.
Ethernet address 8:0:20:xx:xx:xx, Host ID: 80xxxxxx.

ok boot cdrom
Boot device: /pci at 1f,0/pci at 1/pci at 1/ide at e/cdrom at 2:f  File and args:
SunOS Release 5.6 Version Generic_105181-05 [UNIX(R) System V Release 4.0]
Copyright (c) 1983-1997, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
WARNING: No usable keyboard alias!                    <--(this is bad)
WARNING: No usable keyboard alias!                    <--(this is bad)
Configuring devices...
SUNW,qfe3: Link Down - cable problem?
SUNW,qfe3: Link Down - cable problem?
SUNW,hme1: Link Down - cable problem?
The system is coming up.  Please wait.

- - - - -
Bootup does occur and installation completes, but frequently hangs
during the process with the following errors:
- - - - -

WARNING: /pci at 1f,0/pci at 1/pci at 1/ide at e (ata0):
	timeout: abort request, target=2 lun=0

- - - - -
Those annoyances aside, it appeared to install ok (the "keyboard
alias" issue probably would have posed a problem had I not been on a
serial console), but I didn't test this thoroughly because I really
need to install via JumpStart. Moving along, here is the netboot
attempt:
- - - - -

ok boot net -v install
Boot device: /pci at 1f,0/pci at 1,1/network at 1,1  File and args: -v install
2ec00 hostname: solaris26
whoami: no domain name
root server: phoenix
root directory: /jumpstart/Solaris_2.6_5-98/Solaris_2.6/Tools/Boot
Size: 276441+61156+70372 Bytes
cpu0: SUNW,UltraSPARC-IIi (upaid 0 impl 0x12 ver 0x91 clock 440 MHz)
SunOS Release 5.6 Version Generic_105181-05 [UNIX(R) System V Release 4.0]
Copyright (c) 1983-1997, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Using default device instance data
mem = 524288K (0x20000000)
avail mem = 516775936
Ethernet address = 8:0:20:b2:e9:7
root nexus = Netra t1 (UltraSPARC-IIi 440MHz)
pci0 at root: UPA 0x1f 0x0
pci0 is /pci at 1f,0
PCI-device: pci at 1,1, simba #0
PCI-device: pci at 1, simba #1
SUNW,hme0: CheerIO 2.0 (Rev Id = c1) Found
SUNW,hme0: Local Ethernet address = 8:0:20:xx:xx:xx
SUNW,hme0 is /pci at 1f,0/pci at 1,1/network at 1,1
SUNW,hme1: CheerIO 2.0 (Rev Id = c1) Found
SUNW,hme1: Local Ethernet address = 8:0:20:yy:yy:yy
SUNW,hme1 is /pci at 1f,0/pci at 1,1/network at 3,1
Requesting Internet address for 8:0:20:xx:xx:xx
SUNW,hme0: Link Down - cable problem?
SUNW,hme0: Link Down - cable problem?
SUNW,hme0: Link Down - cable problem?    <---(these are bad and go on forever)
[...]

- - - - -
These are manifestations of known issues that are resolved with the OE CD.

For a successful cdrom boot, boot the client from the OE Installation
CD first and switch discs when prompted.

For a successful net boot, run the following from the CD on the
jumpstart product server:

# ./modify_install_server -r <2.5.1 | 2.6> -d <image dir>

where -r's argument is the release you are modifying, and -d's
argument is the directory (should be the same that you specify for the
-p option in add_install_client, less the nfs server prefix). Adapt
the above as necessary for your config.

One notable gotcha--the specified location of the patches naturally
expects the CD to be a physical disc mounted at /cdrom. As I was using
an ISO image mounted on /mnt via lofiadm, this caused the following
error when I first ran it:
- - - - -

# modify_install_server -r 2.6 -d /jumpstart/Solaris_2.6_8-97
Running modify_install_server - Mon Apr 16 18:49:25 EDT 2007
Begin patching /jumpstart/Solaris_2.6_8-97
/cdrom/cdrom0/s0/2.6.archive.Z doesn't exist

- - - - -
So the script itself needs a little nudging in the right direction if
you use an ISO (or, for that matter, if vold is disabled and you
choose any manual mount point other than /cdrom/cdrom0/s0).
Unfortunately, modify_install_server's variables aren't all defined at
the start--the variable in question is buried down in line 74:
- - - - -

CPIO_ARCHIVE=/cdrom/cdrom0/s0/${RELEASE}.archive.Z

- - - - -
Copy the script locally, change /cdrom/cdrom0/s0 to the correct path
in the copy, and run it... you should now be good to go with your
install from an ISO or other alternate location.

Hope that helps,

-A

On 3/8/07, Ahmed Ewing <aewing at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi:
>
> I currently have the need to install Solaris 2.6 on a Netra t1 Model
> 105 telco server. Unlike later versions of Solaris, the Release Notes
> doc (http://sunsolve.sun.com/data/806/806-2274/pdf/RelNotes.pdf) makes
> mention of the following as required in addition to the install media:
>
> Operating Environment Installation CD (CD0) 9/99, part no. 704-6914-10
>
> Apparently you have to boot from this disc first, then are prompted to
> insert the Solaris 2.6 disc. I'm assuming it came with the server
> originally, but all that stuff is long lost.
>
> If anyone has this CD, would you be willing to make an image and FTP
> upload to me, or can anyone confirm another workaround? I haven't yet
> tried installing 2.6 straight, but I will try this as soon as I
> complete the other more routine OS loads on my plate. My guess is that
> if it weren't necessary, they wouldn't make the process exception for
> this OS version only.
>
> Thanks,
>
> -A